Black anarchism and the Black radical tradition: Moving beyond racial capitalism

by Atticus Bagby-Williams, Nsambu Za Suekama, Shannon Fauwkes (Contributor)

This work is an important achievement in clarifying the history and current importance of Black anarchism. The information that the book presents will be new to many readers. For instance, one important component involves the explanations of how hierarchical principles within the Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army helped generate the emergence of Black anarchism among key party members who later developed their ideas and strategies while in prison. Likewise, the book breaks new ground in demonstrating that Black anarchism has emerged not from the European/ North American anarchist traditions but rather from roots in Pan-Africanism, the Black radical tradition focusing on racial capitalism and the work of Cedric Robinson, and grassroots struggles partly in the U.S. South. An in-depth analysis of the somewhat different but complementary focuses within the two generations of Black anarchism also is very helpful. Finally, the book highlights concrete, contemporary implications for revolutionary strategy, including a perceptive analysis of the compatibilities between socialist and Black anarchist approaches to current transformative struggles. This publication will become widely known and used because it brings enlightening new ways to understand and act on the intertwined structures of racial capitalism and the capitalist state.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

64 pages, Paperback

Published December 6, 2022

Reviews

[Joe Xtarr]

I'm not going to rate this. But you should read it.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A text that helpfully differentiates classical anarchism and Black anarchism and provides an overview of some of the primary individuals and writings of what they identify as the two waves of Black anarchism. It felt cursory at times, and I would've liked to see it include more texts in its discussion, but overall it's not a bad introductory piece on the subject. Unfortunately, it is outrageously overpriced for only 50 pages of text.