African American Intellectual History and Black Studies Formation, The Black Scholar Periodical Archive, 1971–1978

The Black Scholar Archive

Archive

Various contributors. The Black Scholar, 1971–1978, documents the development of Black intellectual and academic discourse in the post–Civil Rights era, particularly the emergence of Black Studies as an institutional and ideological system within American higher education. The material reveals how Black scholars, activists, and writers created a sustained publication platform to analyze racial inequality, critique institutional structures, and advance interdisciplinary scholarship. Through essays, editorials, and visual material, the journal demonstrates the process by which Black intellectual networks operated, circulated ideas, and engaged with issues of race, class, gender, and political ideology, providing primary-source evidence for the study of Black Studies, radical thought, and academic activism in the late twentieth century.
Various contributors. The Black Scholar. Sausalito, California: The Black World Foundation, 1971–1978. Archive of 8 issues: June 1971 (Vol. 2, No. 10); February 1972 (Vol. 3, No. 6); September 1974 (Vol. 6, No. 1); November 1974 (Vol. 6, No. 3); December 1974 (Vol. 6, No. 4); January/February 1975 (Vol. 6, No. 5); November 1975 (Vol. 7, No. 3); November/December 1978 (Vol. 10, Nos. 3–4). Illustrated periodicals in pictorial wrappers, several featuring prominent figures including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Contents include scholarly essays, political analysis, poetry, visual art, and advertisements addressing multiple dimensions of Black life and thought. Notable contributions include Herbert Aptheker’s article “The History of Anti-Racism in the United States,” which examines long-term struggles against racial oppression, and an article titled “The Black Administrator in the White University,” addressing systemic exclusion within academic institutions. The range of topics and contributors illustrates the journal’s function as a forum for critical debate and intellectual exchange, combining academic inquiry with activist perspectives.
The archive emerges from a period of institutional transformation following the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, when demands for representation led to the establishment of Black Studies programs across American universities. The Black Scholar, founded in 1969, operated as a key communication system within this movement, linking scholars and activists while shaping discourse on race and power. Its interdisciplinary scope reflects broader efforts to redefine academic inquiry around Black experiences and global diasporic connections. Four issues show postage remnants; February 1972 issue exhibits discoloration, chipping, and penned markings affecting the front cover text; remaining issues show light wear; overall very good condition. A cohesive group of issues documenting the formation and operation of Black intellectual publishing and academic activism in the 1970s.

Item #19405

Price: $420.00