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A review by clayby
Negroes with Guns by Robert F. Williams
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Negroes with Guns, by Robert F. Williams
This one has been on my TBR list for a while, and I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it.
In the book, Robert F. Williams recounts his time as President of the Monroe, North Carolina chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in the 1950's. It's a harrowing account of the terrible violence and abuse the Black citizens of Monroe faced at the hands of their White "neighbors," which lead to the eventual breakdown of law in the town, and Robert fleeing to Cuba to escape persecution.
Throughout the book, Williams also questions the efficacy of non-violent direct action (advocated by Martin Luther King Jr.) in the struggle of Black liberation, compared to his own methods of armed self-defense. He certainly puts forth a strong argument for armed self-defense, citing occasions where it kept picketers safe in the worst circumstances, and also helped them to achieve their goals.
Liberals, Black and especially White, were shaken to their cores by his calls for armed, organized self-defense. He was labeled a Communist, a Black Nationalist, and so on, in an attempt to discredit his activities as dangerous and un-American. Robert F. Williams, like many before him, was essentially marked for death for wanting to protect his friends, family, and community from the murderous, white supremacist ideology the U.S. is built on.
Negroes with Guns was a monumental book when it first released, inspiring the Black Power movement and groups such as the Black Panther Party. It's a quick, albeit heavy read, and I believe it should be read by anyone wanting to involve themselves in any sort of liberation movement.
This one has been on my TBR list for a while, and I'm very glad I finally got around to reading it.
In the book, Robert F. Williams recounts his time as President of the Monroe, North Carolina chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in the 1950's. It's a harrowing account of the terrible violence and abuse the Black citizens of Monroe faced at the hands of their White "neighbors," which lead to the eventual breakdown of law in the town, and Robert fleeing to Cuba to escape persecution.
Throughout the book, Williams also questions the efficacy of non-violent direct action (advocated by Martin Luther King Jr.) in the struggle of Black liberation, compared to his own methods of armed self-defense. He certainly puts forth a strong argument for armed self-defense, citing occasions where it kept picketers safe in the worst circumstances, and also helped them to achieve their goals.
Liberals, Black and especially White, were shaken to their cores by his calls for armed, organized self-defense. He was labeled a Communist, a Black Nationalist, and so on, in an attempt to discredit his activities as dangerous and un-American. Robert F. Williams, like many before him, was essentially marked for death for wanting to protect his friends, family, and community from the murderous, white supremacist ideology the U.S. is built on.
Negroes with Guns was a monumental book when it first released, inspiring the Black Power movement and groups such as the Black Panther Party. It's a quick, albeit heavy read, and I believe it should be read by anyone wanting to involve themselves in any sort of liberation movement.