A review by natoushki
Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition by Cedric J. Robinson

4.0

Incredibly thorough (but dense) critique of Marxism - Robinson introduces the concept of racial capitalism (capitalism has relied on racialization and racial hierarchies since its beginning), outlines Marxism's shortcomings in addressing and theorizing race and racial inequity, and details the long and rich history of Black radicalism that has always existed outside and apart from Western (and Marxist) traditions. I learned a ton of history related to Black resistance (to slavery, colonialism, and neocolonialism), a history that has so often been erased, and I also learned a ton about the Eurocentrism of traditional Marxism. Overall, his book was incredibly insightful and detailed, but also incredibly dense, which made it a bit of a slog to finish (I confess I gave up on reading all the endnotes - there were almost 90 pages of small-text notes & citations). However, definitely worth the read & really foundational in establishing theories of racial capitalism.