Making the Revolution Global: Black Radicalism and the British Socialist Movement before Decolonisation

Making the Revolution Global explores how black radicals influenced socialist politics in Britain before decolonization, arguing that colonial liberation must be at the heart of any path to international socialism. By centering the entanglements between black radicals and the wider British socialist movement, Theo Williams showcases a revolutionary tradition that is still relevant today.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 18 October 2022
Publisher: Verso Books

Making the Revolution Global delves into the profound transformation of socialist politics in Britain during the years preceding decolonization. A constellation of African and Caribbean activist-intellectuals, including luminaries such as Amy Ashwood Garvey, C.L.R. James, Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkrumah, and George Padmore, arrived in Britain during the 1930s and 1940s, intervening in crucial debates about capitalism, imperialism, fascism, and war. These visionaries consistently asserted that any road to international socialism must be rooted in the liberation of colonial peoples. Despite facing opposition from various factions within the British Left, they successfully persuaded significant segments of the socialist movement of the revolutionary potential inherent in colonized nations. Theo Williams' insightful work centers on the intricate interplay between black radicals and the broader British socialist movement, shedding new light on responses to pivotal events like the 1935 Italian invasion of Ethiopia, the 1945 Fifth Pan-African Congress, and a multitude of other historical occurrences. Through this lens, Williams unveils a revolutionary tradition that, as evidenced by the global Black Lives Matter demonstrations of 2020, remains resolutely relevant in our contemporary world.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 164 x 242 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781839761980