Thursday, February 23, 2006
Black Liberation and Socialism by Ahmed Shawki
A sharp and insightful analysis of historic movements against racism in the United States--from the separatism of Marcus Garvey, to the militancy of Malcolm X and the Black Panther Party, to the eloquence of Martin Luther King, Jr., and much more--with essential lessons for today's struggles. In the forty years since the civil rights movement, many gains have been made--but there is still far to go to win genuine change. Here is a badly needed primer on the history and future of struggle against racism. 
"Black Liberation and Socialism is a brilliant examination of the intersection of race and class in the United States. Shawki's rich historical analyses come with powerful theoretical insights into the relationship between anti-racist struggles and the fight for a liberated future for all. This book is essential reading for students of African American history and for activists involved in the struggle against racism today."
--Nagesh Rao, assistant professor, Post-colonial Studies, College of New Jersey
"The civil rights and black power movements of the late 1950s and 1960s had a profound effect on American society. The mass mobilizations to end segregation in the South helped break the stranglehold of McCarthyism and conservatism that dominated U.S. politics. The black power movement of the late 1960s represented a further radicalization of the movement involving thousands of activists, black and white, in political activity. Decades later the situation is completely different. There has been a steady erosion of the gains blacks won in the 1960s. The vast majority of African Americans are poverty stricken and many are the victims of brutal racist violence."
--From Black Liberation and Socialism
"Black Liberation and Socialism is a brilliant examination of the intersection of race and class in the United States. Shawki's rich historical analyses come with powerful theoretical insights into the relationship between anti-racist struggles and the fight for a liberated future for all. This book is essential reading for students of African American history and for activists involved in the struggle against racism today."
--Nagesh Rao, assistant professor, Post-colonial Studies, College of New Jersey
"The civil rights and black power movements of the late 1950s and 1960s had a profound effect on American society. The mass mobilizations to end segregation in the South helped break the stranglehold of McCarthyism and conservatism that dominated U.S. politics. The black power movement of the late 1960s represented a further radicalization of the movement involving thousands of activists, black and white, in political activity. Decades later the situation is completely different. There has been a steady erosion of the gains blacks won in the 1960s. The vast majority of African Americans are poverty stricken and many are the victims of brutal racist violence."
--From Black Liberation and Socialism
The o'hate factor
The culture of fear and hate fomented by this administration combined with the declining standard of living for all of us not in the elite 2%, has given white supremacists fertile ground. We saw it in full force when protesting the SOS/Minutemen all last summer. The Laguna Beach SOS/neo-nazi incident saw how closely anti-immigrant sentiment has become to being straight-out white supremacy. As the blame-the-brown-folks instead of the ruling class rhetoric continues to pour out of the capitalist parties, we will see an increase in the acceptability of open white supremacy.
Orcinus notes throughout the entire country a rise in white supremacy deserves close attention. In addition to monitoring and fighting hate on every front, we must continue effort at creating a vibrant multi-racial, working class, united front. The MVP campaign in California is an excellent place to get involved.
Orcinus notes throughout the entire country a rise in white supremacy deserves close attention. In addition to monitoring and fighting hate on every front, we must continue effort at creating a vibrant multi-racial, working class, united front. The MVP campaign in California is an excellent place to get involved.