A History of African-American Leadership

An updated and thoroughly revised account of black protest movements in America. The story of black emancipation is one of the most dramatic themes of American history, covering racism, murder, poverty and extreme heroism. Figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King are the demigods of the freedom movements, both film and household figures. This major text explores the African-American experience of the twentieth century with particular reference to six outstanding race leaders. Their philosophies and strategies for racial advancement are compared and set against the historical framework and constraints within which they functioned. The book examines the 'grass roots' of black protest movements in America, paying particular attention to the major civil rights organizations as well as black separatist groups such as the Nation of Islam. An introductory chapter begins the story with a look at black protest and 'accommodation' during the slavery era.

Bruce J. Dierenfield is Professor of History, Director of the All-College Honors Program, and former Peter Canisius Distinguished Teaching Professor of the African-American Experience at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He is the award-winning author of four previous books, including The Civil Rights Movement (Pearson, rev. ed.).

John White, now retired, was Senior Lecturer in American History in the Department of American Studies at the University of Hull. He has also taught at the Universities of Michigan, Rochester, Rutgers, California State and Alabama.