Back to black: retelling black radicalism for the 21st century

Born out of resistance to slavery and colonialism, the Black radical tradition has a long and proud history, one which reaches from Marcus Garvey and the Black Panthers to the Black Lives Matter activists of today. And yet, the Black radical tradition has also consistently been one of the most misrepresented and misunderstood.

The Politics of Black Radicalism explores the roots of this tradition, while also considering what a renewed politics of Black radicalism might look like in the 21st century. Surveying Black radicalism's many varied forms and influences, and incorporating feminist and LGBT perspectives, Andrews shows that Black radicalism has too often been misconstrued as a narrow form of cultural nationalism, an attitude which overlooks its fundamentally global and inclusive character. Black radicalism's legacy outside the US has been particularly neglected, and Andrews's work is distinctive in offering an analysis of this legacy within British, African and Caribbean contexts.

Extending his analysis to the present day, Andrews argues that progress towards racial equality has stalled, as the radical tradition has given way to more moderate demands for reform. Now more than ever, it is time for us to reclaim the Black radical tradition, and to resume its global struggle for justice and equality.