User:Youjustgotmurpht/Marguerite Ross Barnett

Publications

Throughout Ross' career, she published many articles focusing on the intersection between race and politics. A large focus of her writing is focused on the experiences of African American politicians. In 1980, Ross published “AFRO-AMERICAN POLITICS AND PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES IN THE 1980s”. This article covers the importance of Black leaders' role in reconstructing foreign and domestic policies. Ross fears consequences for African Americans in result of issues in the economy and international relations.

A large portion of Ross' work covers the Congression Black Congress (CBC), which represents the African Americans members in the House of Representatives. One of Ross' works, "The Congressional Black Caucus: Symbol, Myth, and Reality", discusses the power and obligations of political black institutions. Ross suggests black politicians to pass legislation with both personal ideology and best interest of the black individuals they are representing in mind. In a similar article, "The Congressional Black Caucus", Ross continues to discuss this topic. In this research Ross illuminates the expansion of the CBC. Ross argues that the main contributors in the formation of this group is the emphasis of black representation in electoral politics and President Nixon's political climate.

Ross spent a lot of time researching the progress of African Americans in America, particulary in the development of equitable racial policies. In their book, Public Policy for the Black Community: Strategies and Perspectives, written along with an economist, James A. Hefner, Ross examines political strategies in the south and within urban ghettos. Throughout the book, the idea of mainstream black inclusion in America is deemed to be a myth due to the many injustices still taking place in these communities.

Amidst the 1980s political climate, Ross worked to strategize an increase in black politicians within the United States. Written in 1984, her article, “The Strategic Debate over a Black Presidential Candidacy", contemplates the possibility of an African American featured on a future presidential ballot. With the goal of expanding black voter registration in mind, Ross questions the results of a presidential nominee that can better represent the morals and backgrounds of these minority voters.