The Black Atlantic

This text sketches a critical account of the location of black intellectuals in the modern world following the end of racial slavery. The book explores the reactions of black writers to modernity's colour-coded promises, demonstrating the value of a politicized post-modernism in re-reading black cultural politics and political culture. The lives and writings of key African Americans such as Martin Delany, W.E.B. Dubois, Frederick Douglas and Richard Wright are examined in the light of their experiences outside the US in Europe and Africa. Gilroy provides an extensive discussion of black vernacular cultures, especially music.