Synopses & Reviews
Cedric J. Robinson offers a new understanding of race in America through his analysis of theater and film of the early twentieth century. He argues that economic, political, and cultural forces present in the eras of silent film and the early "talkies" firmly entrenched limited representations of African Americans. Robinson's analysis marks a new way of approaching the intellectual, political, and media racism present in the beginnings of American narrative cinema.
Review
"One of the most important resources in years, this book is already a classic."
CHOICE
Review
"A copiously researched and compelling study. . . . A profoundly important and elegantly written historical study of a great artistic conflict."
-- Theatre Research International
Review
"Robinson's assertions that capitalists controlled and manipulated the image of blackness . . . are a very important contribution."
Journal of Southern History
Review
"Careful, exhaustive scholarship and densely packed argumentation. . . . One of the most important resources in years, this book is already a classic. . . . Essential."
CHOICE
Review
"A complex, thoughtful perspective on the protean nature of American culture and those who profited and suffered from its progression."
Journal of American History
Review
"Invaluable to scholars of popular culture, Marxist studies, and especially, black studies. . . . [Robinson] writes with the seldom-heard acumen of a social scientist and is able to discern how and why the American entertainment industry represents -- and misrepresents -- class and race."
-- North Carolina Historical Review "A copiously researched and compelling study. . . . A profoundly important and elegantly written historical study of a great artistic conflict."
-- Theatre Research International "A complex, thoughtful perspective on the protean nature of American culture and those who profited and suffered from its progression."
Journal of American History "Robinson's assertions that capitalists controlled and manipulated the image of blackness . . . are a very important contribution."
Journal of Southern History "This ambitious project, grounded in a broad historicity, will elicit some dissent, but Robinson's first-rate scholarship will be difficult to counter and will stand the test of time."
American Historical Review "Careful, exhaustive scholarship and densely packed argumentation. . . . One of the most important resources in years, this book is already a classic. . . . Essential."
CHOICE "One of the most important resources in years, this book is already a classic."
CHOICE
Review
"A call to action."
-National Political Science Review
About the Author
Cedric J. Robinson is professor of black studies and political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is author of four other books, including Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition (from the University of North Carolina Press).