Thinking While Black: Translating the Politics and Popular Culture of a Rebel Generation, by Daniel McNeil

Abstract

Daniel McNeil has provided a detailed, expansive, and inspirational study of Black cultural critics Armond White (an American film and music critic) and Paul Gilroy (a British cultural critic). Going beyond an exploration of their work, McNeil delivers a nuanced investigation into these thinkers, considering how they evolved from ‘young soul rebels’ to ‘middle-aged mavericks’ (p. xvII). McNeil follows them as they rock against racism in the 1970s all the way to their current careers, reacting to the ever-changing world around them. Thinking While Black spans continents and decades of revolution, music, and film as McNeil takes a deep dive into not only the work of these two men, but also of the entire rebel generation to which they belonged. Drawing on hidden and little-known archives of resistance and resilience, this work sheds a new light on the politics and poetics of this generation, and how they came together often outside of conventional politics. Importantly, McNeil explores not only the writings of these men, but also how significant the popular culture they critique and examine is more broadly. This book is not only an exploration of important thinkers, but also it is a testament to the power of Black popular culture. The book also certainly occupies a vacant space in the current academic landscape. Indeed, at the launch, McNeil noted that he was motivated by the question ‘why don’t we know more about Gilroy before he was writing for The Black Atlantic, why don’t we know more about the films that Fanon watched?’ McNeil’s curiosity and desire to fill these gaps are present on every page.