BN+: Lerone Bennett Jr., "Forced Into Glory"

BN+: Lerone Bennett Jr., "Forced Into Glory"

From C-SPAN Bookshelf by C-SPAN

June 9, 2026 · 1h 2m

About this episode

Dr. Lerone Bennett Jr. discusses his book 'Forced Into Glory' which presents a critical view of Abraham Lincoln's legacy.

Dr. Lerone Bennett Jr. was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on October 17, 1928. He spent over 50 years with Johnson Publishing, ultimately became executive editor of its Ebony magazine. Bennett died at age 89 on February 14, 2018, in Chicago, his home base of many years. Dr. Bennett's mother worked as a maid, his father a chauffeur. Their son graduated from Morehouse College in Atlanta. His Booknotes television appearance was on July 21, 2000. The book is titled "Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream." Bennett provided a different view of what is normally written about Mr. Lincoln. Lerone Bennett Jr. claimed that Lincoln was a racist at heart and had little interest in abolition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Guest: Lerone Bennett Jr.

Topics covered

  • Lerone Bennett Jr.
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • racism
  • history
  • African American literature

Keywords

  • Lerone Bennett Jr.
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • racism
  • Forced Into Glory
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Johnson Publishing, Ebony magazine, Morehouse College

Books & works: Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream

Places: Clarksdale, Mississippi, Chicago

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