Three Issues of “Freedomways” Journal on Black Art, Literature & Politics
Freedomways. New York: Freedomways Associates, Inc. (1964-1969). Important journal for African-American politics and culture. Summer 1964 (Vol. 4, No. 3), Winter 1968 (Vol. 8, No. 1), Summer 1969 (Vol. 9, No. 3). Octavo. Original color wrappers with photo-illustrations. The magazine was founded in 1961 by W.E.B. DuBois and attracted prominent figures such as Alice Walker, James Baldwin, and Charles White as contributors. In print for almost 20 years, this magazine was especially notable for not only covering a wide range of progressive issues centered around the civil rights struggle in the United States, but also covering issues affecting Black people all over the world.
One notable trait of this magazine was the coverage of international issues in addition to movements in the US. The Summer 1964 issue focuses on “The People of the Caribbean Area” with 19 essays on Afro-Caribbean identity and the lingering effects of colonialism and slavery in the islands, as well as entries from Caribbean poets Ernest Carr, George W. Lamming, and Derek Walcott. This issue is not unique though, as other issues also deal with issues happening in Nigeria and a contribution from the publication’s founded W.E.B. DuBois on “The African Roots of War.”
The magazines also featured and promoted contemporary African-American art and literature, giving an important platform for academics and intellectuals to critically engage with this creative output. The Summer 1969 issue features an oft-cited article one of the co-founders of the Black Arts Movement, Amiri Baraka (a.k.a. LeRoi Jones) “LeRoi Jones and the New Black Writers of the Sixties”; this article analyses the shift in tone and theme for the writer over the course of the decade as his own political identity radicalized as he became involved with the Nation of Islam. This level of analysis and engagement set Freedomways apart from other publications at the time as a place to celebrate and critique black culture and history. Very good condition. Tight binding. Crisp pages.
Item #16368
Price: $285.00
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