Exploring the themes of race and identity in the Obama era, the book challenges the prevailing narratives of colorblindness and post-raciality. It critically examines the notion that race is irrelevant, highlighting the complexities of racial visibility and invisibility. Through this analysis, the author questions the dominance of whiteness and invites readers to reconsider the implications of these discourses in contemporary society.
Focusing on the life of a significant African-American abolitionist, the book chronicles David Walker's journey from a slave society to Boston, where he became an advocate for freedom and equality after slavery's abolition. It highlights his commitment to combating slavery and antiblack racism, showcasing his influential role in the abolitionist movement during the nineteenth century. Walker's experiences and activism reflect the struggle for justice and the fight against oppression in a pivotal era of American history.
Focusing on the intersection of globalization and workfare, the book explores its effects on black single mother welfare recipients. It highlights the often-neglected negative consequences of workfare policies on black women, shedding light on broader implications for the American economy. Through this lens, the author aims to reveal the complexities and challenges faced by this demographic, contributing to a deeper understanding of socio-economic issues.
David Walker, a free (with a small f) black man, was one of the most significant African-American abolitionists of the nineteenth century. Born in a slave society before moving to Boston where, after the American Revolutionary War, slavery was abolished, Walker devoted his life to fighting slavery and antiblack racism. In this book, Sherrow O. Pinder brings to light Walker's lived experience, activism, and the synchronizing of his Christian principles and reformist radicalism to demonstrate why and how slavery must be eliminated. Walker's call for blacks to regain their natural rights guaranteed under God's law and the Declaration of Independence culminated in An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, an enormously influential work that is now considered a founding text of black studies. Today, given the escalation of antiblack racism manifested in the upholding of institutionalized violence by the state, the continued economic and social marginality of African-Americans, and the escalation of failing infrastructures in black neighborhoods, we cannot afford to forget Walker's push for racial egalitarianism: it is more urgent than ever.
This book explores Americanization, De-Americanization, and the impact of cultural homogeneity based on "whiteness" on racialized ethnic groups. It addresses the challenges of assimilation and highlights the importance of recognizing non-dominant cultures for true multiculturalism, advocating for a shift towards "postmulticulturalism."
