Race, Class, and the Politics of Liberation in the Life of Eddie Webster
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6453627 |
|---|---|
| Authors | M Paret (0000-0003-1031-2270, University of Utah, corresponding author), Z Levenson (0000-0001-9077-4664, Florida International University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 139-154 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Society in Transition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1028-9852 • E-ISSN: 2072-1978 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21528586.2025.2499815 |
| OpenAlex | W4411005474 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 12 |
This essay recovers, documents, and shares some of Eddie Webster’s formulations regarding the relationship between race and class in the politics of liberation. Drawing on an extended interview we conducted with him in November 2022, we discuss his radicalization as a student activist, his early research on race and class, his emphasis on the importance of Black Consciousness, and the meaning of workerism. In contrast to class reductionist approaches that downplay the significance of race, local cultures, and national liberation, Webster’s recollections point toward a politics that fuses together anti-racist and anti-capitalist perspectives. We argue that the best way to honor his memory is to press his thinking, and his engaged sociological praxis, into the service of developing a liberation sociology adequate for the current moment. This essay is our attempt to draw lessons from his life, political development, and thinking that suggest a way forward for radical sociologists in South Africa today
Class (philosophy · Epistemology · Liberation · Political science · Politics · Race (biology · Sociology · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Race, History, and American Society · South African History and Culture
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |