From the first slaves who rose up against their master in the early period of American history to the prominent modern figures such as Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammed, Eldridge Cleaver, Red, Black, and Green traces the origins, the struggles and the accomplishments of black nationalism. Its broad discussion of the ideology of black nationalism and of the conditions that gave rise to this ideology provides the foundation for a thorough account of the black nationalist movement in the peak years of its momentum, roughly the decade 1963 to 1973. The author deals both with specific milestones, such as Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association in the early twentieth century, and with the far-reaching implications of the movement for the black community and for the United States as a whole. He looks at the many facets of black nationalism - revolutionary nationalism, cultural nationalism, religious nationalism, and educational nationalism - analyses the relationship between this movement and liberation movements in general.

Review of the hardback:‘Pinkney eschews jargon, and his book is easily within the grasp of general readers, though it will also appeal to scholars …his work is a very sound and useful compendium.’

Source: Library Journal

Review of the hardback:‘Pinkney’s work is an excellent critique, a model of the methods and evaluations which might be used in further studies.’

Source: The Virginia Quarterly Review