This Era of Black Activism

The Valente Center for Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the upcoming publication of This Era of Black Activism, which includes chapters on this era of Black activism from 2000-2022, partly based on works sponsored by the Valente Center for Arts & Sciences and is co-edited by Bentley University professor Mary Marcel. While much focus has been placed on Black Lives Matter activism in response to police and civilian murders of Black men and women, the contributors to This Era of Black Activism argue that Black activism in this era has addressed a broader range of issues in a wide array of settings, both on the street and inside institutions and communities. It describes how previous activism has influenced this generation, while showing innovations in political approaches, leadership and organizational formations, and the use of social and other media for movement purposes. Topics include the innovations of #BlackLives Matter as a movement; the Florida activist group Dream Defenders; policing and discrepancies in reporting on Ferguson; the role of citizen cameras in Black activism; social media for Black community coping and well-being; BIPOC Gay Power activism vs. Gay Pride; academic activism by Black and White professors; corporate responses to #BLM; #MeToo and healing within the Black community; Black health activism and the Covid pandemic; and bridging activism and policy for a new social contract. It also offers an additional bibliography on Black activism for environmental justice, athlete anti-racist activism, and the role of the Black Church in this era.