What is the main conflict in The Content of Our Character: A New Vision of Race in America by Shelby Steele?

The Content of Our Character turns a critical eye to how the black community has responded to the increased freedoms they won through the Civil Rights movement. While Steele believes that blacks still suffer from discrimination, he argues that they often give up opportunities staring them in the face because of fear and self-doubt. Blacks often blame society for their difficulties and social problems rather than taking initiative to meet their challenges head on. Blacks often react negatively to the bourgeois values that have helped other ethnic minorities withstand discrimination and achieve equality and advancement in American society.