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CEDRIC J. ROBINSON, Black Movements in America. New York and London, Routledge, 1997. Pp. 179. $17.99 (paper).
Reviewed by John A. Tinkham, Virginia Beach, Va.
This is history as experienced by American slaves yearning for freedom, free Blacks striving for equality, and the great variety of movements which occurred in pursuit of these goals. These movements are a vital part of Black heritage, which should be known by all Americans. The author is a Professor of Black Studies and Political Science at the University of California. This book is apparently intended as a textbook for his students.
Each chapter covers an era of history with significant events, especially those in which Blacks were involved, starting with the coming of the first Black Africans to America and concluding with the aftermath of the Civil Rights movement. The reader is thereby provided with a vivid sense of what life was like for Black Americans enduring the conditions that inspired the resistance efforts described in the remainder of the chapter.
The book is brief and packed with information, sometimes perhaps with too much in one package. As an example, a paragraph on page 40 describes the migrations and...