Brief Summary of Chapter 3

Tearing Down Barriers

This chapter proposed that one focus of civil rights activism and reform should be identifying and removing barriers that American society puts in the way of people of color. It is argued that using the language of working for equal opportunity actually prevents us from achieving the civil rights dream. Barriers can be identified and removed. In a society where the white paradigm provides special opportunities to people with white skin, an attempt to provide opportunity for people of color includes asking everyone to adopt white values and goals. Working to tear down barriers honors the goals and values of every race and identity group.