Never Meant to Survive - Genocide and Utopias in Black Diaspora Communities

João H. Costa Vargas

Summary

Never Meant to Survive presents a historical, political, and social assessment of anti-black genocide and liberatory struggles that arose to resist it. Based on fine-grained accounts of community life at the street level, Costa Vargas's work presents crucial examples of political resistance and community activism.  By examining two cities linked by common experiences of Blackness, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro, this book identifies a prevailing genocidal force that organizes individuals and groups across society. The 1965 and 1992 riots in Los Angeles, the work of the Black Panther Party and favela activists in Brazil, and police brutality in struggles between black communities and the state in both L.A. and Rio de Janeiro all figure importantly in Costa Vargas's compelling account. What emerges from this analysis is a call for the destruction of the conditions that foster the marginalization of black communities and a halt to the internal conflicts between black social groups themselves.

Available since: 06/14/2023.

Print length: 266 pages.

Humanities & Social Sciences

Other books that might interest you

American Indians and the...

Kasey R. Keeler

Nearly seven out of ten American Indians live in urban areas, yet studies of urban Indian experiences remain scant. Studies of suburban Natives are even more rare. Today's suburban Natives, the fastest-growing American Indian demographic, highlight the tensions within federal policies working in tandem to move and house differing groups of people in very different residential locations. In American Indians and the American Dream, Kasey R. Keeler examines the long history of urbanization and suburbanization of Indian communities in Minnesota.American Indians and the American Dream analyzes the dispossession of Indian land, property rights, and patterns of home ownership through programs and policies that sought to move communities away from their traditional homelands to reservations and, later, to urban and suburban areas. Keeler begins this analysis with the Homestead Act of 1862, then shifts to the Indian Reorganization Act in the early twentieth century, the creation of Little Earth in Minneapolis, and Indian homeownership during the housing bubble of the early 2000s.American Indians and the American Dream investigates the ways American Indians accessed homeownership, working with and against federal policy, underscoring American Indian peoples' unequal and exclusionary access to the way of life known as the American dream.

Show book

The Texas City Disaster 1947

Hugh W. Stephens

On April 16, 1947, a small fire broke out among bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer in the hold of the ship Grandcamp as it lay docked at Texas City, Texas. Despite immediate attempts to extinguish the fire, it rapidly intensified until the Grandcamp exploded in a blast that caused massive loss of life and property. In the ensuing chaos, no one gave much thought to the ship in the next slip, the High Flyer. It exploded sixteen hours later. The story of the Texas City explosions—America’s worst industrial disaster in terms of casualties—has never been fully told until now. In this book, Hugh W. Stephens draws on official reports, newspaper and magazine articles, personal letters, and interviews with several dozen survivors to provide the first full account of the disaster at Texas City. Stephens describes the two explosions and the heroic efforts of Southeast Texans to rescue survivors and cope with extensive property damage. At the same time, he explores why the disaster occurred, showing how a chain of indifference and negligence made a serious industrial accident almost inevitable, while a lack of emergency planning allowed it to escalate into a major catastrophe. This gripping, cautionary tale holds important lessons for a wide reading public.

Show book

Summary and Analysis of...

Worth Books

So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Unbroken tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Laura Hillenbrand’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption includes: Historical contextChapter-by-chapter overviewsDetailed timeline of eventsCharacter profilesImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original workAbout Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand: Louis Zamperini was a true American hero: He proudly represented the United States as a champion runner in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, served his country as a skilled Air Corps bombardier during World War II, and survived more than a month lost at sea after his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean—only to end up as a prisoner of war in Japan. When he was finally released, Zamperini was tormented by personal demons and wracked by post-traumatic stress disorder. After meeting evangelical minister Billy Graham, he became a born-again Christian and was able to forgive the captors who tortured him. More than a military biography, Unbroken is a timeless, engrossing, and inspiring story of bravery, endurance, and resilience. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.

Show book

How to Master the Concepts of...

Eric Simpson

This is a guidebook written from years of experiences, some good, and some bad, but always entertaining and eventful. I will advise the next generation of students, artists, athletes, or business personnel who are preparing to move away be it in another city, state, province, or country. Leaving your daily routine, surrounded by the places, and faces that you’ve grown so accustomed to is certainly not an easy transition, nor should it be, but hopefully this book will give you some idea of what it takes, and what you need to do to be better prepared.

Show book

A Rare Recording of John...

John Alexander Dowie

John Alexander Dowie (1847-1907) was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer who came to San Francisco in 1888 and built up a following by performing faith healing across the state. Later, Dowie gained fame by renting property adjacent to the World's Fair in Chicago in 1893. There he staged elaborate "divine healings" in front of large audiences. 
In 1900 he announced the founding the city of Zion, 40 miles from Chicago, where he owned all the property personally. He established a range of businesses and healing homes and a large tabernacle. Dowie was for total reliance on divine healing and against the use of all forms of medicine. Dowie was a forerunner of Pentecostalism, and many of his followers became influential figures in the early 20th century revival. 
©2016 Listen & Live Audio (P)2016 Listen & Live Audio

Show book

The Prince

Niccolo Macchiavelli

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. However, the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after Machiavelli's death. Although The Prince was written as if it were a traditional work in the mirrors for princes style, it is generally agreed that it was especially innovative. This is partly because it was written in the vernacular Italian rather than Latin, a practice that had become increasingly popular since the publication of Dante's Divine Comedy and other works of Renaissance literature. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the "effectual" truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It is also notable for being in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those concerning politics and ethics.

Show book