Provides a concise up-to-date introduction to and overview of black nationalism in American history This analytical introduction assesses contrasting definitions of black nationalism in America, thereby providing an overview of its development and varied manifestations across two centuries. Its aim is to evaluate historiographical debates and synthesize a broad range of scholarship, much of it published since the beginning of the new millennium. However, unlike some of that work, this book offers a critical perspective that avoids advocacy or condemnation of black nationalism by examining major black nationalist thinkers, leaders and organizations as well as discussing some lesser-known groups and figures, the nature of black nationalism’s appeal and the position of women in and their contributions to black nationalism. Key Features Considers divergent definitions of black nationalism, providing an understanding of the nature of black nationalismOutlines historiography with an up-to-date assessment of key debates and leading scholarshipConsiders continuity, encouraging discussion of whether black nationalism was essentially unchanging or reflective of particular historical circumstancesLooks beyond leading figures to understand how, why and when black nationalism gained support

Mark Newman provides an account of black nationalism that is readable and informative, while offering a critical discussion that it is thought-provoking and eminently fair. This fast-paced overview is a first-rate introduction to a fascinating, controversial, and important topic. * Adam Fairclough, Leiden University *
Black Nationalism in American History by Mark Newman is a precisely written survey on the history of Black nationalism in US history. ... an excellent work of historical analysis with few shortcomings. It is written with clarity and brevity—a remarkable feat given the expansive subject matter and historical time frame traversed by the author in this book. -- Hettie V. Williams, Monmouth University * Journal of African American History *

Mark Newman is a Reader in History at the University of Edinburgh and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of the award-winning Getting Right with God: Southern Baptists and Desegregation, 1945–1995 (2001) and Divine Agitators: The Delta Ministry and Civil Rights in Mississippi (2004).