In the 1980s, many Americans began to believe that racial problems and institutional discrimination were a thing of the past, but the race issue turned out to be as divisive and powerful as it had ever been. Major events related to race included the Reagan/Carter presidential race, Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign, the Tawana Brawley case, and President George H. W. Bush's manipulation in his 1998 presidential campaign of convict Willie Horton. The 1990s saw the Immigration Act of 1990 allowing more Asians into the United States, the Anita Hill testimony against the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice, the Rodney King beating in Los Angeles, and the Million Man March. This volume is THE content-rich source in a desirable decade-by-decade organization to help students and general readers understand the crucial race relations of the recent past. Race Relations in the United States, 1980-2000 provides comprehensive reference coverage of the key events, influential voices, race relations by group, legislation, media influences, cultural output, and theories of inter-group interactions.

The volume covers two decades with a standard format coverage per decade, including Timeline, Overview, Key Events, Voices of the Decade, Race Relations by Group, Law and Government, Media and Mass Communications, Cultural Scene, Influential Theories and Views of Race Relations, Resource Guide. This format allows comparison of topics through the decades. The bulk of the coverage is topical essays, written in a clear, encyclopedic style. Historical photos, a selected bibliography, and index complement the text.