T. Thomas Fortune (1856–1928)

Black and White: Land, Labor, and Politics in the South by T Thomas Fortune is important as a foundational text in the fight for racial justice as well as a reminder of how many of the fights of the 1880s are still today's fights.

Both the Foreword and the Introduction serve as excellent introductions to Fortune and his thought, especially for any readers unfamiliar with him. I think they are particularly helpful because some of the suggestions put forward in the book seem outdated to our 21st century ears. By both being prepared for them and understanding them within their historical context, the reader can pay attention to the purpose and underlying principles of his proposals (which are just as valid today as then) rather than questioning how well they would work in our current environment.

This was written at a time when it would have, and should have, made sense for those being marginalized in society to band together with socioeconomic class being one of the unifiers. Unfortunately, while such cooperation is still needed today, poor whites have been conditioned by the capitalists to oppose anyone not considered white as a threat even if it means voting and acting against their own self-interest. I hesitate to say it is too late to join together by class but racism must be addressed first and continuously throughout any such cooperation.

While there is a tendency to read this simply as a precursor to those who came after, there is a lot of ideas and explanations that will be valuable to contemporary activists. This is both an historical document as well as a very contemporary one. Make sure to read it actively and with an eye toward bringing those ideas into this century. We missed our opportunity then, we can't keep doing so.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (mere)