About the book
In the mid-1960s, African American artists and intellectuals formed the Black Arts movement in tandem with the Black Power movement, with creative luminaries like Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Cade Bambara, and Gil Scott-Heron among their number. In this follow-up to his award-winning history of the movement nationally, James Smethurst investigates the origins, development, maturation, and decline of the vital but under-studied Black Arts movement in the South from the 1960s until the early 1980s. Traveling across the South, he chronicles the movement’s radical roots, its ties to interracial civil rights organizations on the Gulf Coast, and how it thrived on college campuses and in southern cities. He traces the movement’s growing political power as well as its disruptive use of literature and performance to advance Black civil rights.
Though recognition of its influence has waned, the Black Arts movement’s legacy in the South endures through many of its initiatives and constituencies. Ultimately, Smethurst argues that the movement’s southern strain was perhaps the most consequential, successfully reaching the grassroots and leaving a tangible, local legacy unmatched anywhere else in the United States.
Editions of Behold the Land
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469663036
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469663043
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469663067
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890861023
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469663050
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890861016
Read an Excerpt
In the mid-1960s, African American artists and intellectuals formed the Black Arts movement in tandem with the Black Power movement, with creative luminaries like Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Cade Bambara, and Gil Scott-Heron among their number. In this follow-up to his award-winning history of the movement nationally, James Smethurst investigates the origins, development, maturation, and decline of the vital but under-studied Black Arts movement in the South from the 1960s until the early 1980s. Traveling across the South, he chronicles the movement’s radical roots, its ties to interracial civil rights organizations on the Gulf Coast, and how it thrived on college campuses and in southern cities. He traces the movement’s growing political power as well as its disruptive use of literature and performance to advance Black civil rights.
Though recognition of its influence has waned, the Black Arts movement’s legacy in the South endures through many of its initiatives and constituencies. Ultimately, Smethurst argues that the movement’s southern strain was perhaps the most consequential, successfully reaching the grassroots and leaving a tangible, local legacy unmatched anywhere else in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Behold the Land about?
In the mid-1960s, African American artists and intellectuals formed the Black Arts movement in tandem with the Black Power movement, with creative luminaries like Amiri Baraka, Gwendolyn Brooks, Toni Cade Bambara, and Gil Scott-Heron among their number. In this follow-up to his award-winning history of the movement nationally, James Smethurst investigates the origins, development, maturation, and decline of the vital but under-studied Black Arts movement in the South from the 1960s until the early 1980s. Traveling across the South, he chronicles the movement’s radical roots, its ties to interracial civil rights organizations on the Gulf Coast, and how it thrived on college campuses and in southern cities. He traces the movement’s growing political power as well as its disruptive use of literature and performance to advance Black civil rights.
Though recognition of its influence has waned, the Black Arts movement’s legacy in the South endures through many of its initiatives and constituencies. Ultimately, Smethurst argues that the movement’s southern strain was perhaps the most consequential, successfully reaching the grassroots and leaving a tangible, local legacy unmatched anywhere else in the United States.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Behold the Land?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity
Where can I read a sample of Behold the Land?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469663036
How long is Behold the Land and how many pages does it have?
Behold the Land has 244 page(s)
Is Behold the Land part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Behold the Land?
James Smethurst
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Behold the Land is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469663036) and paperback(ISBN 9781469663043) and ebook(ISBN 9781469663067) and ebook(ISBN 9798890861023) and ebook(ISBN 9781469663050) and pdf(ISBN 9798890861016)
Where can I buy Behold the Land online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Behold the Land from below
Where can I buy Behold the Land?