Back to Black seeks to show us the long, powerful and painful history of Black radical politics. Born out of resistance to slavery and colonialism, its rich past encompasses figures such as Marcus Garvey, Angela Davis, the Black Panthers and the Black Lives Matter activists of today.

At its core, the book argues that racism is inexorably embedded in the fabric of society, and that it can never be overcome unless by enacting change outside of this suffocating system. Yet Kehinde Andrews shows how Black radicalism has been diluted and moderated over time; wilfully misrepresented and caricatured by others; divested of its legacy, potency, and force.

Immensely readable and shocking, Andrews traces the true roots of this tradition in this new edition, and connects the dots to today’s struggles by showing what a renewed politics of Black radicalism might look like in the 21st century.