For forty years after the death of Martin Luther King, African Americans wandered in the wilderness of American society in search of the Promised Land. For these forty years, African Americans struggled to find their identity, their moral center, and their sense of self-worth. The journey ended with the election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008, and this became the awakening.

In From the Curse of Willie Lynch to the Awakening, author James C. Rollins discusses how African Americans can now begin to believe in themselves and build a strong society. Rollins discusses the important elements in creating a proud, strong, black segment of American society, which include:

New, young leadership
Sound and viable educational opportunities
Wealth building
Political power


From the Curse of Willie Lynch to the Awakening seeks to promote change within the African American community. It serves to empower African American youth to begin building that shining city on the hill, a city that black Americans can be proud of.