Fear of Black Consciousness

'Important . . . powerful . . . . an explanation of why Black protest is such a dangerous prospect to the white power structure' Kehinde Andrews, GuardianWhere is the path to racial justice? In this ground-breaking book, philosopher Lewis R. Gordon ranges over history, art and pop culture - from ancient African languages to the film Get Out - to show why the answer lies not just in freeing Black bodies from the fraud of white supremacy, but in freeing all of our minds. Building on the influential work of Frantz Fanon and W. E. B. Du Bois, Fear of Black Consciousness is a vital contribution to our conversations on racial politics, identity and culture. 'Expansive . . . reminds us that the ultimate aim of Black freedom quests is, indeed, universal liberation' Angela Y. Davis

Lewis Gordon's expansive philosophical engagement with the current moment - its histories and globalities, its politics and protests, its visual and sonic cultures - reminds us that the ultimate aim of Black freedom quests is, indeed, universal liberation, Powerful . . . one of the most prominent scholars of racism, tries to enrich our knowledge with his unique brand of intellectual precision and analysis, Gordon's surprising observations crack open the mind to connect various creative disciplines, Reading Fear of Black Consciousness had me nodding so often and so vigorously, I got a mild case of whiplash . . . With surgical precision, laser sharp wit, and the eye of an artist, Lewis Gordon doesn't just dissect race, racism, and racial thinking but offers a clarion call to embrace Black Consciousness, to take political responsibility for decolonizing and transforming the world as it is, A thinker whose reflections on race have produced singular illuminations on our times . . . he draws on a wide range of colonial histories, African popular culture, aboriginal histories, contemporary films and stories, to show the critical powers of creativity in dismantling racism by the making of Black consciousness, the making of a world where breath and love and existence become possible

Lewis R. Gordon is Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy at UCONN-Storrs in the United States, Visiting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, and Honorary President of the Global Center for Advanced Studies.