Ready for Revolution

From the prison farms and lynch mobs of Mississippi to the political intrigue of the African liberation wars, Stokely Carmichael’s remarkable life story covers the full range of the black liberation struggle in our time. Carmichael recounts his development from immigrant kid to impassioned activist in his own unmistakeable voice – clear, informed and good humoured. He also reveals his encounters with other freedom fighters. This is a fascinating personal testimony of a supremely committed black freedom fighter and a radical and engaging human being.

Author Biography

Stokely Carmichael, was among the most fiery and visible leaders of Black militancy in the United States in the 1960s, first as head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and then as prime minister of the Black Panther Party, where he coined the phrase “Black Power.” In 1969 he cut his ties with American groups over the issue of allying with White radicals and moved to Guinea. He declared himself a pan-Africanist. In 1978 he changed his name to Kwame Ture, to honor African socialist leaders Kwame Nkrumah and Ahmed Sekoe Toure. He lived in Guinea for 33 years, until his diagnosis with prostate cancer. He died on November 15, 1998. Michael Thelwell has been a professor of Afro-American studies at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, since 1969. Before that he was a civil rights worker. He writes on topics such as politics and civil rights.

John Edgar Wideman’s books include American Histories, Writing to Save a Life, Philadelphia Fire, Brothers and Keepers, Fatheralong, Hoop Dreams, and Sent for You Yesterday. He is a MacArthur Fellow, has won the PEN/Faulkner Award twice, and has twice been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and National Book Award. He divides his time between New York and France.