In this book, we use the classical liberal lens to ask Americans on the political right to seriously reckon with America’s deep racial pain—much of which arises from violations of rights that conservatives say they deeply value, such as property rights, freedom of contract, and the protection of the rule of law. We ask those on the left to take a hard look at the failed paternalism, and in some cases, thoroughgoing racism of past progressive policy. All Americans are asked to apply their concern for individual rights and constitutional order fairly to our historical record. What readers will find are deep injustices against black Americans. But they will also find black entrepreneurs overcoming amazing obstacles and a black community that has created flourishing institutions and culture. Exhausted by extremism on both left and right, a majority of Americans—black and white—love this country and want to do right by all of its citizens. In Black Liberation Through the Marketplace, readers will come away with a better understanding of black history and creative ideas for how to make this nation truly one with liberty and justice for all.
In the 1960s and ’70s, a diverse range of storefronts—including head shops, African American bookstores, feminist businesses, and organic grocers—brought the work of the New Left, Black Power, feminism, environmentalism, and other movements into the marketplace. Through shared ownership, limited growth, and democratic workplaces, these activist entrepreneurs offered alternatives to conventional profit-driven corporate business models. By the middle of the 1970s, thousands of these enterprises operated across the United States—but only a handful survive today. Some, such as Whole Foods Market, have abandoned their quest for collective political change in favor of maximizing profits. Vividly portraying the struggles, successes, and sacrifices of these unlikely entrepreneurs, From Head Shops to Whole Foods writes a new history of social movements and capitalism by showing how activists embraced small businesses in a way few historians have considered. The book challenges the widespread but mistaken idea that activism and political dissent are inherently antithetical to participation in the marketplace. Joshua Clark Davis uncovers the historical roots of contemporary interest in ethical consumption, social enterprise, buying local, and mission-driven business, while also showing how today’s companies have adopted the language—but not often the mission—of liberation and social change.
A celebration of resilience: the inspiring story of how Black America survived unimaginable odds and an examination of the real challenges it faces today. This challenging and inspiring collection of essays constructively frames the story of Black America—not as a tragedy involving helpless victims, but as a model for the nation. Scholars and grassroots leaders recount the history—the gritty, painful, but often triumphant account of what blacks accomplished after slavery was ended. Denied access to the institutions of white America, they built their own churches, schools, hotels, and a host of other successful enterprises. Their resilience produced amazing increases in literacy, family formation, and income. Today’s unsung grassroots leaders are the living evidence of the power of resilience. They use their stories of overcoming adversity and their own fallibility to help others. The organizations they create heal their communities. This volume presents the insights of scholars who warn of the dangerous forces that threaten to shackle the ability of blacks to succeed today. They warn that, by accepting the notion that black adversity continues to be the product of systemic racism and is therefore unchangeable, no one would need to step up to the realities of a responsible life. This kind of thinking has led to lowering standards in education and even in the judicial system. The scholars outline positive paths to the future. More than chapters to be passively read, A Pathway to American Renewal is an invitation and a promissory note that points directly to what American renewal might really involve.
"From Civil Rights to Black Liberation is one of the few books that offers historical research about the OAAU, a revolutionary organization founded by Malcolm X and rooted in traditions of Black nationalism, self-determination, and human rights. The author establishes the relevance of Malcolm's political legacy for the task of rebuilding the movement for Black liberation almost thirty years after his assassination." -- Publisher.
In this book on higher education the contributors make The Black Lives Matter (#BLM) their focus and engage in contemporary theorizing around the issues central to the Movement: Black Deprivation, Black Resistance, and Black Liberation. The #BLM movement has brought national attention to the deadly oppression shaping the everyday lives of Black people. With the recent murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd from state-sanctioned violence by police, the public outrage and racial unrest catapulted #BLM further into the mainstream. Institutional leaders (e.g., provosts, department heads, faculty, campus administrators), particularly among white people, soon began realizing that anti-Blackness could no longer be ignored, making #BLM the most significant social movement of our time. The chapters included in this volume cover topics such as white institutional space and the experiences of Black administrators; a Black transnational ethic of Black Lives Matter; depictions of #BLM in the media; racially liberatory pedagogy; campus rebellions and classrooms as sites for Black liberation; Black women’s labor and intersectional interventions; and Black liberation research. The considerations for research and practice presented are intended to assist institutional leaders, policy-makers, transdisciplinary researchers, and others outside higher education, to dismantle anti-Blackness and create supportive mechanisms that benefit Black people, especially those working, learning and serving in higher education. The chapters in this book were originally published in a special issue of International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.
In Christianity and the Nation-State, Gary Chartier provocatively offers readers unexpected critical distance from some familiar ways of understanding, justifying, and navigating existing political arrangements. People in multiple societies are posing important questions about the authority and functions of the contemporary nation-state and about potential alternatives to this seemingly inescapable institution. Chartier seeks to develop a distinctive theological response to the conditions prompting these questions. Affirming liberalism and cosmopolitanism, he reflects critically on nationalism, localism, religious establishment, and theological accounts of political authority. He highlights links between sin and state power and underscores deficiencies in democratic rhetoric and theory. He rejects the idea of a global government, advocating a nonterritorial alternative he labels 'radical consociationalism. Moreover, he presents concrete suggestions for life under the rule of the state.
"The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) began its life as the Arkansas State Normal School in 1907. Originally intended to bolster Arkansas's teaching pool by training professional educators, the school hosted 9 academic departments, 1 building, 107 students, and 7 faculty members. The school renamed itself the Arkansas State Teachers College in 1925 and became the University of Central Arkansas in 1975. UCA now has around 12,000 students, 400 full-time faculty, 150 total degrees and certificates, and more than 120 buildings on over 350 acres. UCA was one of the first schools in the nation to create an honors program, the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College, which still thrives today. The University of Central Arkansas has positioned itself as a beacon of academic progress in Arkansas and continues to grow with Conway's booming population sector."
Natural law as a rich tradition of Christian thought has often been neglected by evangelicals. But in this time of deep polarization, this generous guide brings together robust natural law theory and practical cases for the evangelical concerned with bringing together their theological commitments to bear on their political judgments.
Critical Race Theory in the Academy explores the deep implications of race and its effects on the expanse of the American social fabric and its fragile democratic process. This volume contributes to a more effective, powerful, and insightful theorization of racism across the social spectrum while furthering the movement for greater equity in higher education and beyond. The audience for this book is broad and should be of great interest and value to all Americans who fight against racism which is focused on the destruction of Black people and other people of color. Ideally, educators, scholars, and practitioners will be compelled to engage the ideas within this volume to break down the color line and challenge the problematic master narrative in education and other aspects of society. Critical Race Theory in the Academy offers current applications, debates, theories, strategies, and evolutions about critical race theory (CRT), with particular attention to CRT’s intersections with the field of higher education and beyond. As a part of the CRT corpus, this volume details some of the most relevant and current topics deployed in varied disciplines of the academy, confronting the complex interplay of race, racism, education, and social justice in the twenty-first century. Specifically, the authors explore topics from health disparities, politics, religion, literature, music, social work, psychology, sports, distance learning, media bias, affirmative action, to education policies, practices and scholarship. The chapters in this volume should help navigate the tensions in the academy and beyond to work toward alleviating institutionalized racism. Praise for Critical Race Theory in the Academy: "The field of Critical Race Theory is enriched by this important collection of new and original scholarship. Vernon Farmer has brought together a dynamic and eclectic mix of radical voices, from multiple disciplinary backgrounds, including both established and early career scholars. The result is a volume that constantly challenges and surprises the reader." David Gillborn Professor of Critical Race Studies University of Birmingham UK Founding Editor of Race Ethnicity & Education "Critical Race Theory in the Academy has excavated the terrain of critical race theory to unearth multiple perspectives that are central to defining the fundamental contours of the field. Each essay enhances the ways in which we read and understand the complexity of critical race theory. It will be an invaluable resource for building a critical academy." Aileen Moreton-Robinson Queens and University of Technology, Australia Author of The White Possessive: Property, Power and Indigenous Sovereignty "Vernon Lee Farmer has done it again and for the final time. He has pulled together a star-studded cast of academics of color to address an essential concern of the academy. Throughout his career, Farmer has demonstrated the uncanny ability to identify matters that require attention, and attacked them with vigor. In doing so, he provided us with high impact resources that are beneficial to the professional trajectory of scholars of color. This book is no different, and we all should race to the bookstore to add this instant classic to our personal library." Jerlando F. L. Jackson Vilas Distinguished Professor of Higher Education University of Wisconsin-Madison Former Editor, ASHE Reader Series on Higher Education "Critical Race Theory in the Academy adds substantially to our understanding of the roles that race, racism, and social justice play as we tackle the myriad problems of pre-K through higher education. For those interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues in higher education -- from curriculum to the lack of diversity in the professoriate -- this work provides helpful insights that can enrich conversations and problem-solving across sectors of society." Freeman A. Hrabowski, III President University of Maryland Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
