Black Power: Three Books from Exile: Black Power; The Color Curtain; and White Man, Listen!

“The time is ripe to return to [Wright’s] vision and voice in the face of our contemporary catastrophes and hearken to his relentless commitment to freedom and justice for all.” — Cornel West (from the Introduction)

Black Power: A Record of Reactions in a Land of Pathos is Richard Wright’s chronicle of his trip to Africa’s Gold Coast before it became the free nation of Ghana. It speaks eloquently of empowerment and possibility, freedom and hope, and resonates loudly to this day.

The Color Curtain: A Report on the Bandung Conference is a vital piece arguing for the removal of the color barrier and remains one of the key commentaries on the question of race in the modern era. “Truth-telling will perhaps always be unpopular and suspect, but in The Color Curtain . . . Wright did not hesitate to tell the truth as he saw it” (Amritjit Singh, Ohio University).

White Man, Listen! is a stirring assortment of Wright’s essays on race, politics, and other social concerns close to his heart. It remains a work that “deserves to be read with utmost seriousness, for the attitude it expresses has an intrinsic importance in our times” (New York Times).

This essential volume brings together Richard Wright's key works of existential journalism on global politics and the fight for freedom:

• A Journey into African Independence: In Black Power, Wright travels to the Gold Coast on the eve of its transformation into Ghana, offering a powerful, firsthand account of a nation on the brink of postcolonial freedom.
• The Birth of the Non-Aligned Movement: The Color Curtain provides an unparalleled report on the historic 1955 gathering of twenty-nine Asian and African nations, capturing the birth of a new force in global politics.
• The Psychology of Oppression: The piercing essays in White Man, Listen! dissect the complex legacy of colonialism and racism, delivering a stirring argument for justice that remains deeply relevant today.
• With an Introduction by Cornel West: A powerful new introduction frames Wright's work for a modern generation, highlighting his relentless commitment to freedom and his importance as a giant of twentieth-century literature.