Radical Intellect: Liberator Magazine and Black Activism in the 1960s

by Christopher M. Tinson

Overview

The rise of black radicalism in the 1960s was a result of both the successes and the failures of the civil rights movement. The movement's victories were inspirational, but its failures to bring about structural political and economic change pushed many to look elsewhere for new strategies. During this era of intellectual ferment, the writers, editors, and activists behind the monthly magazine Liberator (1960–71) were essential contributors to the debate. In the first full-length history of the organization that produced the magazine, Christopher M. Tinson locates the Liberator as a touchstone of U.S.-based black radical thought and organizing in the 1960s. Combining radical journalism with on-the-ground activism, the magazine was dedicated to the dissemination of a range of cultural criticism aimed at spurring political activism, and became the publishing home to many notable radical intellectual-activists of the period, such as Larry Neal, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Harold Cruse, and Askia Toure.

By mapping the history and intellectual trajectory of the Liberator and its thinkers, Tinson traces black intellectual history beyond black power and black nationalism into an internationalism that would shape radical thought for decades to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469634548
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	10/09/2017
Pages:	346
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Christopher M. Tinson is associate professor of Africana studies and history at Hampshire College.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

An illuminating, nuanced, and beautifully written history that explores community-based print culture as a critical nexus for black radicalism in the 1960s and 1970s. This brilliant book brings into focus a world of political and cultural work that was local and transnational, Pan-African, black nationalist, feminist, and rooted in a tradition of labor radicalism. A core text for those studying histories of freedom struggle." —Jennifer Guglielmo, author of Living the Revolution

In Radical Intellect, we finally have the riveting story of the Liberator magazine that not only created critical thinking space but also fashioned the crucial platform for ideological conversations in the 1960s black revolt, debating the burning issue of revolution. Now students of black revolt can comprehend the fabric of black radicalism by examining these neglected threads of black liberation, black arts renaissance, and anti-colonialism. Christopher Tinson joins the young lions in forging the new paradigm of black freedom studies: Bravo!" —Komozi Woodard, author of A Nation within a Nation

Radical Intellect is an outstanding contribution to the history of the radical intellectual work that served as a crucial component of Black Power and radical politics throughout the 1960s. Christopher Tinson creates a superbly rich history of the Liberator magazine, as well as the many personalities and organizations that interacted with this important publication. This is a fine addition to a dynamic body of scholarship on Black Power."—Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar, University of Connecticut, author of Black Power

Editorial Reviews

Christopher Tinson's important new book. . . spotlights one critical organ of the African-American left during the tumultuous Civil Rights and Black Power eras."—Jacobin Magazine

Radical Intellect offers a valuable cultural and intellectual history of black radicalism and global freedom struggles in the 1960s."—H-Net Reviews

With Radical Intellect, Tinson has offered a compelling portrait of an intellectual and political community in struggle. He has filled a hole in our knowledge about the black liberation movement as we search for more inclusive narratives and more dynamic chronologies."—American Historical Review

An engaging examination. . . . Opens a window on a rich culture of political debate and intellectual exchange that is likely what many community-based intellectuals had in mind when they entered the university to build Black Studies."—Journal of African American History

Deeply researched, carefully imagined, and organized intellectually. . . . A must-read for scholars of black history, the civil rights movement, and the 1960s era."—Journal of Magazine Media

Radical Intellect will no doubt stand as a major work of African American intellectual history and the definitive book about LCA and Liberator in years to come. . . . An important first step in examining the radical periodical culture of the 1960s on its own terms. Tinson is unmatched for the analytical prowess he brings to the Liberator archive, and he is remarkably adept at conveying the nuance of certain figures' writing."—American Periodicals

From the Publisher