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Acknowledgments

This book would not have been completed without the support, guidance, wisdom, and patience of numerous scholars, family members, and friends. Manisha Sinha first encouraged me to take up this study of the colonization movement during the antebellum era. For that reason, this book reflects her tremendous wisdom and guidance about how best to write about the colonization movement from the vantage point of black abolitionists and community leaders during that period. John Bracey’s patience and enthusiasm for this project had an immeasurable impact on my desire to see it to completion. Like all master teachers, John challenged me on nearly every idea I had on this topic, pushing me to be more clear in my thinking and in the way I expressed my ideas. While I am certain he will find many points I have made in this book worthy of rethinking and further conceptualization, I am thankful for his unquenchable desire to see me do the best work I am capable of doing. Ernie Allen’s ideas about African American social and political movements remain a crucial foundation upon which this book has been built. Ernie has been a wonderful mentor, and I am very fortunate to have been encouraged by his example. Bill Strickland’s honest, frank criticism of this work has compelled me to remember the big picture and its relevance to the black community. John Higginson provided me with my first lessons of scholarly inquiry a year before I joined the African American Studies Department, and for those formative lessons about writing and research I am extraordinarily grateful. Bruce Laurie’s seminar on the abolition movement provided me with early guidance about nineteenth-century history and how best to approach the study of the antislavery movement. My other mentors and teachers at the African American Studies Program at Umass—Michael Thelwell, James Smethurst, Steve Tracy, Esther Terry, Robert Paul Wolff, and Joy Bowman—have offered wisdom and guidance that extend beyond this book, yet remain crucial to its completion. For all of their words of encouragement and advice, I am very grateful.

The graduate program in the W.E.B. DuBois Department of African American Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst provided me an ideal intellectual environment to learn much of what underpins this study. Its broadly trained graduate students, passionate about African American history, culture, and politics as well as the importance of scholar-activism, had an immense impact on my approach to researching and writing this book. While all of my peers have formed a wonderful support network, I am especially grateful for the camaraderie and insights of Shawn, David, Dan, Stephanie, Jen, Rita, Carolyn, W.S., Tkweme, Andrew, Zeb, Sandra, Trimiko, Christy, Karla, Anthony, Allia, Chris, Johnathan, McKinley, Zarrah, Deroy, David S., and David L. Tricia Loveland deserves special mention for her support during graduate school.

My colleagues in the History Department at Clark University have proven themselves to be indispensable allies in my effort to complete this book. Thus, I extend my thanks to Norm Apter, Taner Akcam, Deborah Dwork, Janette Greenwood, Wim Klooster, Nina Kushner, Thomas Kuehne, Doug Little, Olga Litvak, Drew McCoy, Amy Richter, and Paul Ropp. Each of them have in their own way provided me with guidance on how best to negotiate the challenges of teaching history while managing ambitious research projects. I owe a special debt of gratitude to Amy, Drew, Janette, and Wim, who read drafts of the manuscript and offered important insights that helped me make this a stronger book. My students at Clark University have each challenged me with wonderful and at times provocative questions about the study of African American social and political movements, which have compelled me to rethink many of the ideas in this book. While space does not permit me to mention all of them, I am particularly thankful to undergraduates Brady, Frank, Tibby, Natalie, Natasha, Rosaly, Tim, and Stephon, and graduate students Steve, Diane, Lindsay, Chris, Brooks, and Mike.

Those scholars of African American history and culture whom I have come to know over the course of this study have helped me place my work within the broader context of African American history. Special thanks go to Hilary Moss and Amani Whitfield, both of whom read or commented on this work early on. In addition, Winston James provided me with crucial insights about the limitations and possibilities of this project in my effort to make this a worthwhile contribution to the history of the pan-African protest tradition; for his advice and suggestions I am truly in debt. Similarly, I am thankful for the support of scholars Colin Palmer, Fred Opie, Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, and Amy Jordan, who engaged me in lively discussions about African American history in ways that have shaped this book.

My editor at NYU Press, Clara Platter, had the burden of picking up this project while only having been at the Press for a short time. I am indeed thankful for her patience and her willingness to shepherd the book to completion. Likewise, I’d like to thank her excellent assistant Constance Grady, who has provided me with courteous and gentle reminders about deadlines, documents, and other details needed for the publication of this book. The two blind reviewers at NYU Press have offered the exact sort of critique that a first-time author needs when trying to complete a book with ambitious, far-reaching implications. Although I am certain there are portions of the book that they may find tenuous, I do hope that this study reflects my earnest attempt to make a useful contribution to the study of nineteenth-century African American history. For their advice and support, I am truly appreciative.

I am blessed with a large and incredible family and group of friends who support my work with passion and enthusiasm. My in-laws, Phil and Diana Power, have championed my accomplishments with much enthusiasm, while being there to support me whenever I’ve needed it. My father and mother, Bill and Gwen Greene, to whom this book is dedicated, did all in their power to allow me to follow my passion for studying African American history and culture. My father offered unwavering support for the project, reading portions of the manuscript from the vantage point of those outside the academy who may not be familiar with the topic. For his eagerness to dive into a subject that he had not previously been familiar with, I am much appreciative. My mother drove from New York to Massachusetts whenever we needed her in order to support my quest for a little bit of quiet time to work on the manuscript. Words cannot fully express how thankful I am for having such a wonderful person in my life. In the final year of the completion of this book, I was fortunate enough to have my brother Maurice Greene nearby to help me work through my arguments and remind me of the importance of my book for artists and intellectuals interested in understanding African American history. Much love goes out to him for those numerous mornings siting at my kitchen table discussing history and politics. I am also very thankful for the support of my sister-in-law Jodi Power who remained always eager to hear about the progress of this work. All of my friends, especially Andy, Hank, Jim, Kevin, Matt, Mike, Rocco, and Stephanie have provided me with very much support throughout the completion of this book. A big thank-you goes out to my Fresh Air Fund coworkers, who have helped me find time to work on this book each of the past eight summers. My sincere gratitude goes out to Kshinte, Akara, Terna, Raphael, Megan, Orien, Dion, Allia, Jonathan, Karolina, Shay, Brandyn, and Max for encouraging and supporting me as I worked through the ideas in the book.

Through the course of the research and writing of this book, my children Kyla, Coletrane, and Imanni have helped me remain grounded by reminding me of the importance of being more than a scholar and professor. Kyla was there from my entrance to graduate school, Coletrane was born when I first started this project, and Imanni arrived just as I began shaping the manuscript into a book. I am very thankful for having such wonderful children in my life. This short space will not allow me to express my thanks adequately to Melissa for doing all those things needed to balance my work with my family duties. To her, I am immensely grateful. This book would not have been possible without her.