Traces Black political cultures in the US from slave resistances in the 16th and 17th centuries to civil rights movements of the late 20th century. The text argues that Blacks have constructed cultures resistance and accommodation based on the different experiences of slaves and free Blacks.

In Black Movements in America, Cedric Robinson traces the emergence of Black political cultures in the United States from slave resistances in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to the civil rights movements of the present. Drawing on historical records, Robinson argues that Blacks have constructed both a culture of resistance and a culture of accommodation based on the radically different experiences of slaves and free Blacks. Robinson concludes that contemporary Black movements are inspired by either a social vision - held by the relatively privileged strata - which holds the American nation to its ideals and public representation, and another - that of the masses - which interprets the Black experience in America as proof of the country's venality and hypocrisy.

"...stimulating...synthesis of African American protest...Robinson's framework forces one to consider black social movements from interesting perspectives." -- Rich Newman, The Historian
"Robinson's writing is crisp and his meaning is always crystal clear." -- Journal of American History
"Robinson...offers a compelling, concise look at the history of black activism in the U.S. Exploring nearly 400 years of this under-examined subject, Robinson reveals little-known, fascinating events in black activism, from pre-Revolutionary War America to the Civil War to the civil-rights movement era...a thoughtful, well-written work." -- Booklist