Three Traditions of African American Political Thought
Realism, Reformism, and Nationalism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6232967 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Desmond Jagmohan (0000-0003-0273-641X, Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA; email: [email protected], corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 47-61 |
| Publication date | 2024-07-29 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Annual Review of Political Science (BOOK_SERIES) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1094-2939 • E-ISSN: 1545-1577 |
| Publisher | Annual Reviews (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1146/annurev-polisci-041322-034241 |
| OpenAlex | W4394963852 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 2 |
This article argues that conflict rather than consensus defines the history of African American political thought. Its seminal figures have pursued justice along different and diverging lines—including advocating reformist, realist, and nationalist paths. While there is agreement that white supremacy is a form of social, economic, and political domination that should be eradicated, there is disagreement regarding its nature, effects, and resilience. This variance in judgments and inferences regarding the foundations and consequences of white supremacy leads to different accounts of social change, diverging strategic advice for realizing that change, and conflicting political theories. To press this claim, I consider the conflicting political visions of Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), W.E.B. Du Bois (1868–1963), and Marcus Garvey (1887–1940
Epistemology · Nationalism · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Realism · Sociology · Vision · White (mutation · White supremacy · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Anthropology · Law · Philosophy · Race, History, and American Society · Religion, Gender, and Enlightenment
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |