Overview

Black resistance to white supremacy is often reduced to a simple binary, between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolence and Malcolm X's ""by any means necessary."" In We Refuse, historian Kellie Carter Jackson urges us to move past this false choice, offering an unflinching examination of the breadth of Black responses to white oppression, particularly those pioneered by Black women. The dismissal of ""Black violence"" as an illegitimate form of resistance is itself a manifestation of white supremacy, a distraction from the insidious, unrelenting violence of structural racism. Force--from work stoppages and property destruction to armed revolt--has played a pivotal part in securing freedom and justice for Black people since the days of the American and Haitian Revolutions. But violence is only one tool among many. Carter Jackson examines other, no less vital tactics that have shaped the Black struggle, from the restorative power of finding joy in the face of suffering to the quiet strength of simply walking away. Clear-eyed, impassioned, and ultimately hopeful, We Refuse offers a fundamental corrective to the historical record, a love letter to Black resilience, and a path toward liberation.

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Reviews

""[A] masterfully researched and endlessly readable exploration--and celebration--of Black refusal to racism and oppression."" -- ""Ms. magazine"" ""A fascinating array of histories that highlight the ingeniousness, efficacy, and relatability of Black political maneuvering across several centuries of oppression...The result is an invigorating paradigm shift."" -- ""Publishers Weekly (starred review)"" ""Argues that the usual chronicles of Black resistance are both narrow and watered down. She...warns against the dangers of misremembering the past."" -- ""New York Times Book Review"" ""Illuminating, informative and, ultimately, hopeful."" -- ""Minneapolis Star Tribune""

Author Information

Kellie Carter Jackson is the Knafel Assistant Professor of the Humanities at Wellesley College. She is coeditor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory. Kellie Carter Jackson is the Knafel Assistant Professor of the Humanities at Wellesley College. She is coeditor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory. Kellie Carter Jackson is the Knafel Assistant Professor of the Humanities at Wellesley College. She is coeditor of Reconsidering Roots: Race, Politics, and Memory.

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