The Souls of Black Radical Folk

Abstract

provides an important, though often overlooked, Africana history, culture, and philosophy-informed framework for (a) redeveloping Africana studies and relating it to the crises and conundrums of the 21st century; (b) reconstructing critical social theory, making it more multicultural, transethnic, transgender, and non-Western European-philosophy focused; and (c) reinventing what it means to be an insurgent intellectualactivist (one who relates critical theory to radical political praxis). Du Bois has been hailed as an historian, sociologist, Marxist, and political activist but never an early interdisciplinary social theorist with concrete political commitments to not simply Black liberation and racial justice but to women's liberation, the poor masses and working classes, and colonized AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am indelibly indebted to several intellectual-activists who have contributed (either directly or indirectly) to my conception(s) of Africana studies, Du Bois Studies, radical politics, and critical social theory. A humble and heartfelt asante sana (many thanks) goes: in America at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Special mention must be made of Mark Christian, who graciously invited me to participate in the symposium, "The State of Black Studies," held at Miami University on October 26, 2005. I should openly thank him and state that I greatly appreciate and admire his camaraderie and kindness, as well as his erudition and integrity. Indeed, he is a rare and beautiful scholar-activist and brother-friend.

Origins of Critical Theory and the Exclusion of the Black Philosopher W. E. B. Du Bois

“…While critical theory espouses Marxism and a big umbrella of emancipation, it is unclear who this manumission included at its inception, with its founders, and subsequent leaders, being all German men. Western Marxism, however, viewed capitalism as the singular (Marcuse et al, 1964) cause of “human suffering and social misery” (Rabaka, 2006). It explains anti-Semitism (racism) but not racism against American Blacks.…”

Africana Digital Pedagogy: Cultural Exchange, Learning, and Innovation

“…In addition to critiquing domination, Africana critical theory also critiques anti-imperialist theory and practice (Rabaka, 2002 ). The theory draws upon the intellectual and political legacy of historic and contemporary African radicals and revolutionaries as they relate to key questions posed by multiple forms of domination such as racism, sexism, capitalism, and colonialism that have and continue to influence society (Rabaka, 2006 ). Rabaka ( 2002 ) explains that Africana critical theory is interested in how the thought processes and lived experiences of African people have been affected and influenced, corrupted, and conditioned by imperialism and the invasion and interruption of African history, culture and society, politics, economics, language, religion, familial structures, esthetics, and axiology and (2) may be used to critique domination and discrimination and provide a basis for theory and praxis in the interest of liberation.…”

Literacies of Interrogation and Vulnerability: Reimagining Preservice Teacher Preparation Designed to Promote Social Justice in Education

“…Although there are literacies of interrogation traditions that are not derived from the Western European philosophical canon (e.g., Rabaka, 2006Rabaka, , 2009, for our purposes here, "literacies of interrogation" are largely grounded in what many scholars refer to as the classic Foucauldian question: "Why are social phenomena the way they are and not some other way?" In other words, literacies of interrogation involve trying to understand the conditions of possibility that incline us to believe what we believe, think what we think, and do what we do and then to de/reconstruct those conditions of possibility to show that they are effects of particular historical-social-cultural forces and not universal, unchangeable facts.…”

“…This means that the assumptions that underpin the "New" in New Literacy Studies are fully situated as Western European and Anglo assumptions (Street, 2003b). As we mentioned in the opening section of this chapter, there are traditions of interrogation and literacies of interrogation that are not derived from the canon of European thinkers and their particular assumptions (e.g., Rabaka, 2006Rabaka, , 2009. Therefore, as with other examples of racialized Western European "discovery," the "New" in New Literacy Studies is a fully situated term.…”