A blue book cover with white imagery and text featuring an illustration of feet in ripples of water and the text "In Slavery's Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World"
Editor(s)
Paul Gardullo, Johanna Obenda, and Anthony Bogues
Publisher
Smithsonian Books
Year

Explore the modern-day impact of slavery and colonialism in this panoramic Black history for anti-racist readers of 1619 Project and Caste

The companion book to a groundbreaking exhibition on African American history and culture, this powerful collection of essays brought to life with 170 color illustrations investigates the intertwined legacies of slavery, freedom, and capitalism. In Slavery’s Wake: Making Black Freedom in the World frames the history of slavery in a global context to show how it created systems of oppression that continue to shape the world today. Compelling essays from key historians and scholars trace the contemporary resonances of slavery but also the history of freedom-making, from abolitionism to enslaved and colonized people asserting their humanity to the Black Lives Matter movement. The history is humanized by: 

  • Art reflecting on liberation, including the gorgeous artwork of Daniel Minter 
  • Historic and contemporary artifacts that represent enslavement and resistance 
  • Poignant interviews of descendants of formerly colonized and enslaved people sharing their lived experiences 

This book posits that current matters of freedom and equality are only made possible by understanding how past injustices have defined the present, making it an essential read for anyone engaged in social justice. Poignant and insightful, In Slavery’s Wake examines the long shadow of slavery and looks toward building a freer future beyond it.

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