"Most Americans regard the World War II period as belonging to the "greatest generation," but it was also a time when religious intolerance and racial violence flourished. Shamefully, it was commonplace to see signs that read "Whites Only" or "Jews Not Allowed." It is within this world that this compelling memoir is set. William Cohen, born in Bangor, Maine, was the eldest son of a Jewish father and a Protestant Irish mother. Janet Langhart, an African-American, was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana by her single parent mother, a Southern Baptist. The book draws fascinating parallels between the histories of two people from different regions, races, and religions, as both are witnesses to and targets of the social tensions of the day." "Throughout Love in Black and White, readers accompany Bill and Janet in their struggle to overcome to the barriers of ethnic and racial bigotry and hatred. The stories are rich and profound. At times they are amusing. Other times, harrowing. Against impossible odds, Bill would be elected to serve his country as a U.S. Congressman and Senator, and Janet would become a prominent television personality, activist, and highly respected businesswoman and author. Opposites in so many ways - in color, faith and culture - seemingly a bundle of contradictions, they meet in 1974, become friends, and eventually fall in love. They decide to marry on Valentine's Day 1996 in the very place that once harbored some of the nation's most prominent racists-the U.S. Capitol." "They receive the surprise of a lifetime when Bill is asked by President Bill Clinton to serve as the nation's 20th Secretary of Defense. It is a calling that proves to be life transforming for both him and Janet, as they lead, inspire and bring comfort to the men and women who defend our nation. It is at the Pentagon where they witness just how powerful our nation can be when we judge people not on color, but character; not privilege, but merit."--BOOK JACKET.
Dafina Books, May 1, 2004 - 310 pages
Janet Langhart Cohen's life has always seemed to defy the naysayers. She's an African-American Democrat married to the white, Republican former Secretary of Defense; a poor girl from the projects who grew up under the crushing legacy of segregation to become a respected journalist and the wildly popular "First Lady" of the Pentagon; a woman whose heart hears the whispers of her slave ancestors even as it guides others toward debate without blame; an American patriot who is not afraid to tell the truth about our country, warts and all. Now, in this candid, moving, and inspiring autobiography, Janet Langhart Cohen writes with soul and rage, love and pride, hope and clear-eyed honesty about the remarkable life she's lived, the hard lessons she's learned, and the America that has come of age with her. "Janet, there are people who won't like you because you're colored. What I can tell you is that you mustn't hate them for it." That was the advice Janet's mother gave her when she was seven years old. Soon, Janet would need to call on her mother's strength and courage as she faced the challenges of a nation undergoing powerful change. From the poverty of the Indianapolis projects to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where a cross burned on her grandmother's lawn, and her father, who fought the Nazis, feared to wear his uniform in his own hometown, Janet faced the cruelty of racism again and again. As a model with the Ebony Fashion Fair in the 1960s, Janet was outraged at having to use "Colored Only" facilities and defiantly refused to give in to segregation. Despite it all, Janet was determined to use her anger to fuel positive change--and she used her own life as an example of what could be in acountry where all things are possible. As the wife of former U.S. senator and Secretary of Defense (during the Clinton administration), Janet Langhart Cohen's story will have a large appeal to the military market.
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