Martin R. Delany (1812-85) has been called the ""Father of Black Nationalism,"" but his extraordinary career also encompassed the roles of abolitionist, physician, editor, explorer, politician, army officer, novelist, and political theorist. Despite his enormous influence in the nineteenth century, and his continuing influence on black nationalist thought in the twentieth century, Delany has remained a relatively obscure figure in U.S. culture, generally portrayed as a radical separatist at odds with the more integrationist Frederick Douglass. This pioneering documentary collection offers readers a chance to discover, or rediscover, Delany in all his complexity. Through nearly 100 documents - approximately two-thirds of which have not been reprinted since their initial nineteenth-century publication - it traces the full sweep of his fascinating career. Included are selections from Delany's early journalism, his emigrationist writings of the 1850s, his 1859-62 novel, Blake (one of the first African American novels published in the United States), and his later writings on Reconstruction. Incisive and shrewd, angry and witty, Delany's words influenced key nineteenth-century debates on race and nation, addressing issues that remain pressing in our own time.

About the Author
Robert S. Levine is professor of English and director of graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. His books include Martin Delany, Frederick Douglass, and the Politics of Representative identity.

Reviews
"Levine's judicious selections and erudite annotations provide just the right accompaniment to Delany's strong and vibrant voice." - Frances Smith Foster, coeditor of The Oxford Companion to African American Literature



Book Information
ISBN 9780807854310
Author Robert S. Levine
Format Paperback
Page Count 520
Imprint The University of North Carolina Press
Publisher The University of North Carolina Press
Weight(grams) 752g