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wellreadsinger's review
informative
4.75
Black Liberation and Socialism is the perfect ‘pocketbook of politics’ as Shawki analyzes how some black radical, movements morphed into liberalism/settled into conservatism, key figures during the black power movement in the 60s and 70s, and how the work of these leaders/movements have impacted society.
Resistance to oppression has always been a present factor in the black struggle. Throughout the years we have become familiar with organizations such as the SNCC, SCLC, and probably the most well known, the BPP of Self-Defense. Unions and worker strikes have become par for the course as the working class is exhausted of capitalism’s iron grip on our lives. At a time where leaning into the words of radical black revolutionaries/ intellectuals is critical, Ahmed provides a thorough history of lesser known black organizations like DRUM and MOVE. Acknowledging the success and failures of past movements that mobilized people for a time can be a useful guide for those seeking to build a mass movement that will shift this country’s trajectory.
This is undoubtedly essential reading considering the impending presidential election and our nation’s incessant disregard of system racism. Well-cited, diligently researched, with a similar format to Abolition.Feminism.Now. this book is best for those that already possess a solid understanding of race and class. The works of revolutionaries such as Angela Davis, Huey P. Newton, Assata Shakur are stepping stones to grasping a comprehensive book like this.
laureen0515's review
5.0
Very informative as an entry point into the black American struggle and socialism. I learned about black liberation organizations that I had never heard of before. The book made me angry at the systematic and constant oppression by the American government against many of these organizations, but proud of my revolutionary brothers and sisters. I understand, once again why this aspect of American history is not taught in American schools.
mothmans_mum's review
5.0
Shawki clearly and succinctly takes the reader through the major struggles for Black liberation throughout US history, and the theories and arguments of the leaders of those struggles. Through celebrating the successes of these struggles and examining their failings, Shawki puts forward his own arguments for how to ultimately win Black liberation—spoiler warning, it’s socialism. Excellent book, a must-read for anyone who wants to fight against racism.
malikp's review
3.0
The book basically functions as a history of (some) Black leftist tendencies, as well as the American Marxist tradition. The information is accessible, it would serve for people just dipping their toes into both fields. However, towards the concluding portion of the book, the author makes that the claim that all-Black organizations "alone can not defeat the forces that oppress Blacks." If this text is to serve as an argument proving that idea, I remain unconvinced. The author is quick to point out some failures by the white working class losing themselves (and potential class solidarity) to racist capitalists, but never seems to really discuss the possibility that white leftists continue to fail at re-programming the racist white working class. While the book is good for generation information regarding trends of various movements in the Americas, the fundamental arguments for Black people engaging in cross-racial worker-solidarity towards the end of the book seem... under-constructed?
theoath's review
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.0
The use of the term "Blacks" was incredibly distracting, however the information (tho sometimes biased) was exactly what I was looking for.
suddenflamingword's review
4.0
By and large Black Liberation and Socialism, like has been said in every other review, is a good overview of the development of the idea of Black Liberation and how it presented itself through time. A strictly linear narrative helps to bring the full weight of history up to Shawki's then-present day of 2005. Jake makes a fair point about the sourcing and fairly notes that has an editor's inclinations and not a historians, and I can agree that's not great. On the other hand, I find the age of his references oddly compelling in their own rhetorical way. It's the tie that binds past struggles to the present.
That said, the conclusion has probably aged the worst. Even though Shawki's explicitly arguing against doing so, It seems to ground all issues into those of economic and class. He states, for instance, "acceptance of racist ideas by white workers should not be confused with their having material interest in perpetuating racial oppression" and then goes on to detail how "capitalist competition is a barrier to working class unity." However it's hard not to see the material benefits of adopting racist ideas (the so-called "the wages of whiteness") within Shawki's framework.
I think this would be paired nicely with David Roediger's The Wages of Whiteness to expand on W.E.B. Du Bois' original concept and Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex" to complicate the seemingly easy distinction between class and race Shawki seems to be making.
That said, the conclusion has probably aged the worst. Even though Shawki's explicitly arguing against doing so, It seems to ground all issues into those of economic and class. He states, for instance, "acceptance of racist ideas by white workers should not be confused with their having material interest in perpetuating racial oppression" and then goes on to detail how "capitalist competition is a barrier to working class unity." However it's hard not to see the material benefits of adopting racist ideas (the so-called "the wages of whiteness") within Shawki's framework.
I think this would be paired nicely with David Roediger's The Wages of Whiteness to expand on W.E.B. Du Bois' original concept and Kimberlé Crenshaw's "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex" to complicate the seemingly easy distinction between class and race Shawki seems to be making.
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