The Rediscovery of Black Nationalism

THE REDISCOVERY OF BLACK Delaney and Paul Cuffe, as well as certain Part of a series designed "to provide the NATIONALISM whites, among them Thomas Jefferson and essential primary sources of the American Abraham Lincoln, have favored emigration, experience," the book is divided into five main by Theodore Draper where could Negroes go? Mexico, Canada, sections, covering the origins, maturation, Viking, 211 pp., $5.95 Haiti, some part of Africa? Where can one find flowering, eclipse, and revival of black a country today that is willing to open its doors nationalism from the first Negro churches and BLACK NATIONALISM IN to millions of immigrants? There is a further benefit societies in the late 1700s to the AMERICA problem: the blacks who have the skills and Revolutionary Action Movement and the Black edited by John H. Bracey, Jr., August resources most needed to build a new nation Panthers. Meier, and Elliott Rudwick have generally been those least attracted to the Its seventy-seven documents are drawn project. from speeches, manifestos, letters, leaflets, Bobbs-Merrill, 568 pp., $8.50 A second solution is "internal statism," the poems, books, Negro newspapers, and the establishment of an independent black state proceedings of colored people's conventions. Reviewed by Gary T. Marx within the U.S. This idea, once backed by the Relatively well-known writings by Henry Communist Party and the Black Muslims, and Highland Garnet and Marcus Garvey are currently espoused by the Detroit-based included, as well as material ferreted out from The direction of the black movement in Republic of New Africa, raises other issues. more obscure sources, such as Bishop Henry America has clearly shifted. Many activists How are the blacks going to induce the United M. Turner's 1898 article arguing that "God Is a who were once caught up in Martin Luther States government to support financially and Negro" and David Nickens's 1832 "Address to King, Jr.'s majestic dream now visualize only cooperate in its own partial destruction? How the People of Color in Chillicothe, Ohio.'' Malcolm X's nightmare. With the change of will the blacks deal with their wide geographic In a thoughtful introductory article the goals from integration and assimilation to distribution and the presence of whites in the editors identify seven types of black pluralism and, for some activists, separatism, territory they request? nationalism, ranging from simple racial the relative paucity of materials on black Still others have promoted a cultural and solidarity and pluralism to cultural nationalism, nationalism in American history has become psychological nationalism, which stresses the territorial separatism, and Pan-Negroism. By apparent. These two books are thus welcome development of black lifestyles and feelings of defining the movement thus broadly something contributions. They supplement each other, one solidarity with people of color everywhere. being an interpretive essay and the other a While these factors are important, they are documentary anthology. unlikely to effect fundamental policy change. While Theodore Draper breaks little new Draper's review of the dilemmas, ground, drawing largely on secondary contradictions, failures, and occasional historical sources and some of the arguments of excesses of American black nationalism is W. E. B. DuBois and Harold Cruse, he brings helpful, and it shows an honesty that is often together and analyzes a number of recurring lacking among Left-leaning whites in their themes in the history of American black response to radical blacks. Yet, in a society as nationalism. rich in self-deception as ours, it is a little The peculiar status of blacks in America, disquieting to have Draper devote all his which Draper sees as involving something attention and moralizing (some of it is a little more than an ethnic group (because of slavery snide) to the fantasies of black nationalism and the failure of assimilation), yet less than a rather than to the far more damaging fantasies is lost in precision, yet much is gained in scope. colonized or third-world national group (due to of white nationalism. Furthermore, the What strikes one in reading these diverse origins and numerical minority in a new significance of a social movement does not lie documents is the long history of many aspects land), has given rise to a persistent "fantasy of simply in the rationality of its ideas nor in its of the current black power movement, such as black nationalism" – the title of an earlier essay successes. Draper underplays the possible race pride and self. reliance, the coexistence of in Commentary of which this brief book is an strategic importance of extreme black nationalist and integrationist goals, sometimes expanded version. Other people have gladly left nationalism in making moderate black leaders in the same individuals, and the irony of a their ethnic ties behind them; "only the Negro more acceptable to the white establishment and separatism born of the failure of integration but has had to invent a spurious nationalism to cope in arousing psychological and emotional nevertheless often advocated as a means of with his extraordinary position." responses among millions of ghetto dwellers. achieving full acceptance in American society. In an argument that indicates the To judge black nationalism only by the logic of These books make it clear that, whatever essentially "white" perspective of the author, its ideas is to miss something crucial. the resolution of America's racial problems, it Mr. Draper treats the black nationalist John Bracey, August Meier, and Elliott must take a genuinely pluralistic form, which, movement not as an autonomous development Rudwick have gathered considerable long- while granting blacks the same rights as other of a proud people seeking identity and self- neglected material in their anthology, the first groups, appreciates their unique history, determination, but merely as a reaction against collection of original writings devoted entirely heritage, and interests, as well as the potential an intractable and indifferent white society – to black nationalism. Moreover, the editors, beauty and utility of strong ethnic communities. and one well worth being integrated into at that. who are both academics and civil rights Broken promises by whites and despair activists (Bracey and Meier are historians, over the depth of racism have occasionally led Rudwick a sociologist) bring to their task wide Gary T. Marx, author of "Protest and disillusioned blacks to renounce the United knowledge, a sense of perspective, critical Prejudice," has been awarded a Guggenheim States. Their great difficulty lies in finding an sympathy, and a keen eye for relevant and little- fellowship for the study of protest movements in alternative. Although such blacks as Martin R. known details. Europe. 32 SR/JULY 4, 1970 .

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