DownloadThe Portobello Bookshop Gift Guide 2024

The Future of Black Studies

Reimagining the discipline and its cultural significance

Abdul Alkalimat author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Pluto Press

Published:20th Jul '22

Should be back in stock very soon

This paperback is available in another edition too:

The Future of Black Studies cover

In The Future of Black Studies, Abdul Alkalimat explores the discipline's potential, emphasizing its roots in struggle and community, and envisioning its radical future.

At a pivotal moment for the evolving discipline of Black Studies, The Future of Black Studies offers a forward-looking perspective from one of its founding figures. Abdul Alkalimat addresses the pressing issue of the marginalization of Black voices within the academic landscape of the Western world. Despite these challenges, Black Studies emerges as a potent and innovative field, deeply rooted in the struggles and collective actions of communities. Alkalimat reimagines the future of this discipline, emphasizing the importance of understanding the Black experience in a broader context.

In this insightful work, Alkalimat draws upon various frameworks, including Marxism, Black Experientialism, and Afro-Futurism, to project a radical future for Black Studies amid ongoing social crises. He highlights significant cultural cornerstones, such as the music of Sun Ra, the film Black Panther, and the writings of Octavia Butler, to trace the evolution of Black liberation thought since slavery. This exploration also encompasses new research into the comparative study of Black populations around the globe, underscoring the discipline's relevance and necessity.

Additionally, The Future of Black Studies examines how digital tools can enhance the study of Black experiences, making it a vital resource for students and activists alike. Alkalimat's work serves not only as an academic contribution but also as a source of inspiration for those committed to social justice and the advancement of Black Studies as a transformative field.

'Alkalimat's unique talent and skill is to unpack, make accessible and organise layers of knowledge. He is encyclopaedic, radical, yet accommodative of all streams of Black Liberation'

-- Vusi Mchunu a.k.a. Macingwane, South African poet, Chairperson of the Freedom Park Council

'Written by one of its founding fathers, the book places Black Studies at the intersection of American history, progressive social movements and academia. Abdul Alkalimat builds on a life-long commitment, decades of research and a global network to provide unique insights'

-- Nii Addy, German-Ghanaian Political Scientist

'A timely, future-oriented and necessary contribution which provides clarity to the multi-valent tendencies in this field. Abdul Akalimiat, a long-standing practitioner and labourer in the trenches offers an updated and much-needed inquiry’ 

-- Carole Boyce Davies, prize winning author and Professor of Africana Studies and Literatures in English at Cornell Univer

ISBN: 9780745347004

Dimensions: 216mm x 140mm x 19mm

Weight: 292g

272 pages