Citizen Diplomat: A Black Life in America.

• Author: Lusane, Clarence

One of the great social causes of the twentieth century was the worldwide battle to end apartheid in South Africa. For more than four decades, millions committed the to bringing down a system that had appeared invulnerable.

Except for the decisive role the South Africans themselves played, Randall Robinson may have been the one individual central to apartheid's fall. Robinson is the founder of TransAfrica. a black lobbying group based in Washington, D.C., that began in 1977. With his considerable intellectual talents, his persuasive style, and a willingness to protest in the streets, Robinson galvanized the U.S. anti-apartheid movement and held politicians' feet to the fire.

His memoir, Defending the Spirit: A Black Life in America, is often moving. At times, he is painfully bitter, at other times cautiously hopeful. But mostly, he is full of rage. Look out, America, here is one angry black man.

Robinson is heir to a long tradition of African American citizen diplomats. Like Jesse Jackson, Robinson has battled to shine a light on human-rights issues and economic concerns facing the nations of Africa and the Caribbean. And he has confronted U.S. foreign policy, which often exacerbates the problems in these regions.

The brashness Robinson demonstrated during the trench battles against apartheid is manifest in his memoirs. Unlike many of the political tomes emerging from Washington these days, Robinson not only displays his frustrations with both foes and allies, he actually names names.

He goes after easy targets such as conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Chester Crocker, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa. Crocker crafted the apartheid-appeasing Reagan policy of "constructive engagement." And Robinson is relentless in his exposure of Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, John McCain, Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, and other officials whose words or deeds have brought hardship to Africa and the Caribbean. He also exposes the hypocrisy of former Senator Bob Dole, who congratulated Robinson on the Senate passage of the Anti-apartheid Act of 1986, one of the rare anti-apartheid legislative victories under Reaganism. The very next day, Dole helped coordinate efforts to halt the override of Reagan's veto.

But Robinson does not simply round up the usual suspects. He also takes aim at, popular black figures, such as Vernon Jordan, the "godlike" Michael Jordan, retired General Colin Powell, and even South African President Nelson...