An Africana Reader: An Anthology of Sociopolitical Thought and Cultural Resistance uses primary documents and secondary texts to highlight continuities in the experiences of Africans and the African Diaspora. The material enables students to make historical and contemporary conceptual links as well as understand the connections in sociopolitical thought and cultural resistance as manifested in select historical epochs.

The book is organized into two sections, the first of which addresses the African pre-colonial period. The readings explore issues of sociopolitical formation, the African world, and the formation of the African Diaspora. The second section discusses issues most often associated with institutional slavery, the Civil War, and its aftermath. These include the institutionalization of racism through Jim Crow; African liberation; the formation of the Black Freedom Movement and its goals; neocolonialism; and important considerations and contributions to human rights theory and practice.

Extensively class-tested and enriched by authentic voices sharing personal experiences and perspectives, An Africana Reader can be used in introductory, upper level undergraduate, and graduate courses that explore African American/Africana studies, African history, cultural and ethnic studies, and political science.

James R. Pope earned his Ph.D. from Howard University. He has taught at Howard University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Georgetown University. He is currently an assistant professor at Winston Salem State University where he teaches courses in African and Diasporic studies. He is executive producer and co-creator of the radio program AfricaNow! on WPFW, Pacifica Radio, in Washington, D.C.