Rebekah Bautista
Snapshots of the Black Radical Tradition
This module will help you learn more about the Black Radical Tradition. From a historical standpoint, this knowledge is incredibly enriching, and from a revolution and organizing view, this knowledge is inspiring and informative. The module teaches about the past, present, and future. For those who have previously read works in the Black Radical Tradition from authors like Cedric Robinson or C.L.R. James, this module will expand your horizons through materials that are more contemporary and organizing-focused.
If this is your first time engaging with the Black Radical Tradition, after you complete this module, I suggest that you seek out earlier works within the tradition: Cedric Robinson’s Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition, Assata Shakur’s Assata: An Autobiography, and the Whose Streets? documentary.
Learners can also delve deeper into subsections of the Black Radical Tradition that resonate strongly with them. In the module, I tried to include a mix of visual art, performance art, and written pieces so learners could get a taste of the breadth and depth of the Tradition.
Structure
The module’s structure is loose and learner-driven. Learners should begin with Saint Andrew’s video as a starting point and then move freely between the other pieces. Spend as much time as you want learning about each creator and their work before moving on to the next materials. For example, with The Point is to Change the World, I provide the entire text. To be mindful of the intended length of the module, I suggest users read 1–2 selections in the text; I think it might be best to read all the selections you want, at that time…but of course, you can always return later.
Some materials are just introductions to a creator’s work and not in-depth examples. Okwui Okpokwasili’s video does not contain a full performance, for instance, so learners are encouraged to further explore that if they want to. Of course, these are all suggestions—the module is meant to be flexible and tailored to each learner’s specific interests. Learners can also take this work at their own pace—whether that's dedicating a week to get through the entire module or engaging with one item per week, this module can fit wherever learners need it. If you only engage with the core works and not the extra exploratory ones, the module should take about 3.5 hours to complete (there are only two longer, text-based materials). However, it could take longer depending on how much time you want to spend on each material.
Rebekah Bautista is majoring in Public Policy and Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies at the University of Chicago.
Learning Resources
“What is Black Anarchism?” (Saint Andrew, 40 minutes)
Read or download the transcript here.
This video about Black Anarchism serves as an introduction to the materials that follow. The video gives a historical overview of Black Anarchism and some key thinkers. Please begin with this video.
Black Radical Tradition Podcast Episode (Rebekah Bautista, 45 minutes)
This is a podcast episode I created for my final project for a class I took on the Black Radical Tradition. The podcast analyzes the works of Russell Maroon Shoatz, Assata Shakur, Kuwasi Balagoon, and Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin to discuss what revolution might look like today as well as organizing strategies.
Podcast Works Cited
Ervin, Lorenzo Kom’boa. Anarchism and the Black Revolution: The Definitive Edition. Pluto Press, 2021.
Mohammed, Kimathi. “Organization and Spontaneity.” The Anarchist Library.
Shakur, Assata. Assata: An Autobiography. 1987.
Shoatz, Russell Maroon. “The Dragon and the Hydra: A Historical Study of Organization Methods.” The Anarchist Library.
Tupac. “Trapped.” 2pacalypse Now, Interscope Records, 1991.
Umoja, Akinyele. “Maroon: Kuwasi Balagoon and the Evolution of Revolutionary New Afrikan Anarchism.” Science & Society, vol. 79, no. 2, 2015.
“The Anarchy of Colored Girls Assembled in a Riotous Manner” (Saidiya Hartman, 22 pages, 45-minute read)
This is a speculative fiction work about Esther Brown, uprising, and the Bedford Hills correctional facility.
The Point is to Change the World: Selected Writings of Andaiye (edited by Alissa Trotz, page numbers and total time will depend on selections)
This piece is a collection of writings by Andaiye, a radical Guyanese intellectual. The writings add a layer of Black feminist thinking and critiques to the theme of revolution and organizing. I’m including the entire text, but I suggest looking at the table of contents and selecting whichever writings jump out to you and closely reading 1-2 pieces.
“Resituating Kerry James Marshall in a Black Radical Tradition” (Mimi Sheller, 20-minute read)
This article includes examples of Kerry James Marshall’s work along with some commentary and background information. Learners are encouraged to interpret the work on their own and use this article as a starting place for engaging with more of Marshall’s work.
“Performance Artist Okwui Okpokwasili Creates Raw, Intimate Experiences” (BK Made, about 7 minutes)
This is a video about Okwui Okpokwasili, a multidisciplinary performance artist. The video includes excerpts of her work as well as Okpokwasili’s reflections on her craft. This is an introductory source about Okpokwasili. I encourage you to engage further with Okpokwasili’s pieces after watching.