Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America

Between 2007 and 2009, Rich Benjamin, a black journalist-adventurer, packed his bags and embarked on a 26,909-mile journey throughout the heart of white America--some of the fastest-growing and whitest locales in the nation. Benjamin calls these enclaves "Whitopias" (pronounced: "White-o-pia"). This is his story. Benjamin's journey to unlock the mysteries of Whitopia took him from a three-day white separatist retreat with links to Aryan Nations in North Idaho to the inner sanctum of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- and many points in between. To learn what makes the Whitopias tick, and why and how they are growing, Benjamin lived in three of them for several months apiece (in Georgia, Idaho, and Utah). A compelling raconteur, bon vivant, and scholar, Benjamin reveals what Whitopias are like and explores the urgent social and political implications of this startling phenomenon. "A thoroughly engaging and eye-opening look at an urgent social issue.” -- BOOKLIST (starred review). http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st...