History beyond borders, nations, and myths
BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF NATION
At a time when resurgent nationalism is narrowing how history, identity, and belonging are understood in the U.S. and around the world, The Black Atlantic: Modernity & Double Consciousness offers a timely look back at groundbreaking scholar Paul Gilroy’s landmark book of the same title. Over the course of an expansive, fully illustrated interview, Gilroy reflects on ideas that helped transform the study of race, diaspora, and modernity; shows how the histories that shaped the modern world have always crossed borders, oceans, and nation; and makes clear why understanding our interconnected histories matters now more than ever.
PRAISE FOR THE BLACK ATLANTIC
“Thirty years after the publication [of The Black Atlantic], Sut Jhally’s filmed interview is a fitting tribute to a book that has shaped academic debates for decades and Gilroy’s undeniable heritage of courageous thinking. It is a primer of sorts on living with differences and the contemporary complexities of climate migration, an ever-evolving diaspora, and how to not let our identities limit our potential to work together in solidarity.”
— Maitrayee Deka, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at University of Essex
“Paul Gilroy’s reflections on The Black Atlantic three decades after its initial publication resonate across and help deepen our collective understanding of the global African Diaspora. With inspiring clarity, he brilliantly expresses the complexity and flow of black agency that is helping us continue his work not only in the Atlantic but also reevaluate the ways in which blackness infuses the ancient Mediterranean and early modern Indian Ocean worlds. The documentary perfectly complements a reading of his book, whether for the first or the latest time.”
— Omar H. Ali, Professor at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Author of Malik Ambar: Power and Slavery across the Indian Ocean
“This concise yet deeply rich short film is a welcome companion to Paul Gilroy’s seminal 1993 The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness. Over the course of a captivating 38 minutes … it captures Gilroy’s warmth, humor, and enthusiasm as he thoughtfully walks us through the development of his influential theoretical constructions and how they relate to the real-world experiences of everyday Black folk. My highest compliment is that this film makes me regret never having been a student of Paul Gilroy.”
— Michael G. Vann, Professor of History at California State University, Sacramento
“The heart and soul of this film are Gilroy’s thoughtful responses, which reveal his encyclopedic and fluid mind. Deftly edited … Highly Recommended.”
— Educational Media Reviews Online
“Paul Gilroy reflects on the central themes of The Black Atlantic with brilliant clarity… As a European intellectual and a Black Londoner, Gilroy challenges the dominance of American categories of racial identity. His anti-essentialist, anti-nationalist view of culture as fundamentally mercurial is more important and relevant today than ever.”
— Alex Seago, Professor of Cultural Studies at Richmond American University London
“In a nuanced and poignant and discerning way, Gilroy reiterates the journey out of which [The Black Atlantic] was composed, the intellectuals who inspired him, and reaffirms his commitment to the planetary humanism that began to take shape in this book. In a moment of renewed modes of Black cultural-political exclusivism, the value of Gilroy’s intervention remains salient.”
— David Scott, Professor of Anthropology at Columbia University
“In this video, Paul Gilroy reveals the impulses behind writing the pioneering book The Black Atlantic. He looks back on how the book has influenced the global discussion of Blackness, the mutation and re-articulation of culture, the politics of knowledge, and the roles of public intellectuals. I highly recommend it.”
— Kwok Pui-lan, Author of Postcolonial Politics and Theology
“This lively video interview shows how Gilroy’s approach to cultural production gives us a robust lens for understanding new forms of expressive resistance as well as the neo-nationalism that dominates our contemporary moment. With rousing clarity, Gilroy speaks to urgent issues of social justice that reveal him to be one of the most original thinkers of our time, offering a planetary outlook that is not only an indispensable resource for activists worldwide but which also never loses sight of our potential to create future possibilities for a new ‘ecology of belonging.’”
— Kobena Mercer, Professor of Art History and Humanities, Bard College
