I am enjoying reading Marcus Hunter’s\u00a0argument in Black City-Makers, which centers on his conception of black Philadelphians’ political agency. His\u00a0interpretation of\u00a0black Philadelphians as a collective, historical player assigns African-Americans a uniquely powerful historical and political role.<\/p>\n
Usually when I hear the word “agency” in a discussion of African-American social issues, I anticipate a structure-blind argument that black people are at fault for the inequalities we experience as communities. (This sentiment is not new, of course. In fact, it was this same notion\u00a0of “the Negro Problem” that Du Bois turned on its face by illuminating broader social problems in The Philadelphia Negro.) On the other hand, I am often conflicted by the awkward\u00a0balance of group victimization and individual triumph that I believe we, as African-Americans, tend to narrate in our own history. Hunter seems to cut through this false dichotomy and highlights complicated group triumphs in the context of discrimination.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am enjoying reading Marcus Hunter’s\u00a0argument in Black City-Makers, which centers on his conception of black Philadelphians’ political agency. His\u00a0interpretation of\u00a0black Philadelphians as a collective, historical player assigns African-Americans a uniquely powerful historical and political role. Usually when I hear the word “agency” in a discussion of African-American social issues, I anticipate a structure-blind argument … Continue reading Political Agency in Black City-Makers<\/span>