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Black and White: Land, Labor, and Politics in the South
Featuring a new foreword by Robin D. G. Kelley , this updated edition of the classic exploration of the economic inequality that fuels systematic racism, from one of the leading Black public intellectuals of the 19th century, is as timely and radical today as it was when it was first published.
“The preeminent Black journalist of his age” (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author of The Black Church ) and an early agitator for civil rights, T. Thomas Fortune astutely and compellingly analyzes the relationship between capitalism and racism in the United States. He reveals that the country’s racial hierarchy has been part of our national fabric since the first European set foot here and is rooted in a much larger system of economic exploitation. He argues that in order for the United States to realize its founding ideals and end racial discrimination, this system must be dismantled, reparations made, and labor fairly remunerated.
Fortune’s passionate analysis and radical vision of the United States will force you to rethink what America could have been if his arguments had been heeded in the 1880s and what must be done for us to move forward as a unified nation.
“The preeminent Black journalist of his age” (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., author of The Black Church ) and an early agitator for civil rights, T. Thomas Fortune astutely and compellingly analyzes the relationship between capitalism and racism in the United States. He reveals that the country’s racial hierarchy has been part of our national fabric since the first European set foot here and is rooted in a much larger system of economic exploitation. He argues that in order for the United States to realize its founding ideals and end racial discrimination, this system must be dismantled, reparations made, and labor fairly remunerated.
Fortune’s passionate analysis and radical vision of the United States will force you to rethink what America could have been if his arguments had been heeded in the 1880s and what must be done for us to move forward as a unified nation.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1884
About the author
Timothy Thomas Fortune
15 books2 followersTimothy Thomas Fortune (October 3, 1856 – June 2, 1928) was an orator, civil rights leader, journalist, writer, editor and publisher. He was the highly influential editor of the nation's leading black newspaper The New York Age, and was the leading economist in the black community. He was a long-time adviser to Booker T. Washington and the ghost writer, and the editor of Washington's first autobiography, The Story of My Life and Work. Fortune’s philosophy of militant agitation in behalf of the rights of black people laid one of the foundations of the Civil Rights Movement.
Biographical information taken from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons license.
Biographical information taken from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons license.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 21, 2025
It is truly amazing how much of this book is still (sadly) relevant! He was quite the scholar.
March 3, 2022
Black and White: Land, Labor, and Politics in the South by T Thomas Fortune is important as a foundational text in the fight for racial justice as well as a reminder of how many of the fights of the 1880s are still today's fights.
Both the Foreword and the Introduction serve as excellent introductions to Fortune and his thought, especially for any readers unfamiliar with him. I think they are particularly helpful because some of the suggestions put forward in the book seem outdated to our 21st century ears. By both being prepared for them and understanding them within their historical context, the reader can pay attention to the purpose and underlying principles of his proposals (which are just as valid today as then) rather than questioning how well they would work in our current environment.
This was written at a time when it would have, and should have, made sense for those being marginalized in society to band together with socioeconomic class being one of the unifiers. Unfortunately, while such cooperation is still needed today, poor whites have been conditioned by the capitalists to oppose anyone not considered white as a threat even if it means voting and acting against their own self-interest. I hesitate to say it is too late to join together by class but racism must be addressed first and continuously throughout any such cooperation.
While there is a tendency to read this simply as a precursor to those who came after, there is a lot of ideas and explanations that will be valuable to contemporary activists. This is both an historical document as well as a very contemporary one. Make sure to read it actively and with an eye toward bringing those ideas into this century. We missed our opportunity then, we can't keep doing so.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Both the Foreword and the Introduction serve as excellent introductions to Fortune and his thought, especially for any readers unfamiliar with him. I think they are particularly helpful because some of the suggestions put forward in the book seem outdated to our 21st century ears. By both being prepared for them and understanding them within their historical context, the reader can pay attention to the purpose and underlying principles of his proposals (which are just as valid today as then) rather than questioning how well they would work in our current environment.
This was written at a time when it would have, and should have, made sense for those being marginalized in society to band together with socioeconomic class being one of the unifiers. Unfortunately, while such cooperation is still needed today, poor whites have been conditioned by the capitalists to oppose anyone not considered white as a threat even if it means voting and acting against their own self-interest. I hesitate to say it is too late to join together by class but racism must be addressed first and continuously throughout any such cooperation.
While there is a tendency to read this simply as a precursor to those who came after, there is a lot of ideas and explanations that will be valuable to contemporary activists. This is both an historical document as well as a very contemporary one. Make sure to read it actively and with an eye toward bringing those ideas into this century. We missed our opportunity then, we can't keep doing so.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
April 1, 2022
T. Thomas Fortune was an influential Black journalist in the 1880s and 1890s and he was a notable mentor to both W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells. And while his name is not as widely known in the 21st Century, his writings were ahead of their times in many ways. Sadly, this book, originally published in 1884 poses many critiques of racism and capitalism in the United States that are still relevant today in 2022. Historian Robin D. G. Kelley sums up Fortune's arguments in his foreword to this republished edition:
The introduction to this book also contains helpful historical context for Fortune's writings. While I was not able to understand all the references Fortune made to politics of that time, I found the writing surprisingly easy to read. I began highlighting some of the words that are not as commonly used today like: cupidity, peculation, bellicose, supercilious, pusillanimous and others that I might start peppering into everyday conversation.
I should note that not everything holds up to today's standards. For example, there are some unfortunate passages that contain anti-Semitic references. This is something that if taught in a classroom, would need to be addressed. But there is so much to gain from reading this book, that I would hope more educators in the United States include it in their curriculum, or at the very least mention the influence that T. Thomas Fortune has had and continues to have.
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.
He argued that the South's problems can be traced to the federal government allowing the slaveholding rebels to return to power, hold the monopoly of land, and strip Black people of their short-lived citizenship rights, and the government's refusal to compensate freed people for generations of unpaid labor.
The introduction to this book also contains helpful historical context for Fortune's writings. While I was not able to understand all the references Fortune made to politics of that time, I found the writing surprisingly easy to read. I began highlighting some of the words that are not as commonly used today like: cupidity, peculation, bellicose, supercilious, pusillanimous and others that I might start peppering into everyday conversation.
I should note that not everything holds up to today's standards. For example, there are some unfortunate passages that contain anti-Semitic references. This is something that if taught in a classroom, would need to be addressed. But there is so much to gain from reading this book, that I would hope more educators in the United States include it in their curriculum, or at the very least mention the influence that T. Thomas Fortune has had and continues to have.
I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2018
A monumental work. If not, a brilliant showcase of a former slave's mastery of the English language. Fortune's careful presentation of socialist concepts and rebuke of the shortcomings of capitalism is nothing short of visionary. There were a select few pages which could be ripped out of the book, not edited, and published today to great ovation. Most notable are his thoughts regarding the lopsided concentration of wealth and the "deplorable condition of the laboring classes."
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May 15, 2022
This is a reprint/revised edition of a book written over 100 years ago. It felt like it was mainly for those that are apart of the academia levels when it comes to race and race relations. There were some parts that I was able to relate to and understand.
I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leavning an honest review of my own thougts and opinions
I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leavning an honest review of my own thougts and opinions
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April 25, 2025dnf😔
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews