Black Movements in AmericaIn Black Movements in America, Cedric Robinson traces the emergence of Black political cultures in the United States from slave resistances in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the civil rights movements of the present. Drawing on historical records, Robinson argues that Blacks have constructed both a culture of resistance and a culture of accommodation based on the radically different experiences of slaves and free Blacks. Robinson concludes that contemporary Black movements are inspired by either a social vision - held by the relatively privileged strata - which holds the American nation to its ideals and public representation, and another - that of the masses - which interprets the Black experience in America as proof of the country's venality and hypocrisy. |
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abolitionist African Afro-Christian Alabama Alliance American Revolution Aptheker armed army Baptist began Black American Black nationalism Black Seminoles Black soldiers Black troops Black women British Bureau century Church civil rights COINTELPRO colonial colonists Colored communities Confederate Congress conspiracy conspirators County declared Delany democratic Douglass DuBois emancipation emigration federal Florida force former slaves free Blacks freedom French fugitive slaves Georgia Haiti Haitian Henry Highland Garnet Herbert Aptheker History Indian insurrection James John Brown Kansas killed Klan labor leaders liberal Liberia Lincoln Louisiana lynching maroons marronage ment Methodist militant military Mississippi moral movement NAACP Natchez Native Americans Negro North officers oppression organization percent plantations population president race racial radical rebellion rebels Reconstruction recruiting reports Republican resistance revolutionary SCLC settlements slave trade slaveholders slavery SNCC social South Carolina Southern Spanish tion Tubman UNIA Union Union army United University Virginia W.E.B. DuBois Washington West William workers World York
Popular passages
Page 67 - I believe that to have interfered as I have done, as I have always freely admitted I have done, in behalf of His despised poor, was not wrong, but right. Now, if it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further with the blood of my children, and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and unjust enactments — I submit : so let it be done.
Page 153 - I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
Page 25 - ... detaining by fraud and violence so numerous a part of my brethren under groaning captivity, and cruel oppression, that you should at the same time be found guilty, of that most criminal act, which you professedly detested in others, with respect to yourselves.
Page 75 - I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
Page 76 - The property, real and personal, of all persons in the State of Missouri who shall take up arms against the United States, or who shall be directly proven to have taken an active part with their enemies in the field, is declared to be confiscated to the public use, and their slaves, if any they have, are hereby declared free men.
Page 64 - The most persuasive and judicious of these shall go down to the fields from time to time, as opportunity offers, and induce the slaves to join them, seeking and selecting the most restless and daring.
Page 66 - ... to receive me to their happy home of everlasting joy above ? I imagine that I hear you, and all of you, mother, father, sisters and brothers, say — "No, there is not a cause for which we, with less sorrow, could see you die.
Page 25 - Suffer me to recall to your mind that time in which the Arms and tyranny of the British Crown were exerted with every powerful effort in order to reduce you to a State of Servitude...
Page 41 - The manner in which I learned to read and write, not only had great influence on my own mind, as I acquired it with the most perfect ease, so much so, that I have no recollection whatever of learning the alphabet; but to the astonishment of the family, one day, when a book was shewn to me to keep me from crying, I began spelling the names of different objects...