"We finally have a careful, comprehensive, and complete history of black protest in the United States. Hawkins follows the trajectory of black social activism over many generations, reminding us that it is a rich and unbroken tradition. In this age of racial tribalism and reckoning, all Americans stand to benefit intellectually from readingUnbroken and Unbowed.It reminds us of not only how far we have come, but also how far we must go to become the nation we have long claimed to be. It offers scholars, students, and general readers a rare opportunity to examine the entire history of black protest in the United States, from the rebellions aboard slave ships up to the current protests of Colin Kapernick and LGBTQ activists. Carefully researched and gracefully written, this book is without parallel for its depth of analysis and thoroughness. I recommend it highly and without reservations." —Lewis V. Baldwin, professor emeritus of religious studies, Vanderbilt University, and author of There is a Balm in Gilead: The Cultural Roots of Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Unbroken and Unbowed is a wonderful exposition, summation, and interpretation of African American protest. Here, in a single volume, from enslaved past to engaged present, one traces the lineage and devastation of American racial animus toward Black people and the enduring African American protest against it. If, as the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins rightly argues, Black Protest is truth telling, this book is a scintillating record of a people proclaiming the truth of equality, in word and deed, to a country that has perpetually refused to acknowledge it. A historical survey steeped in contemporary reckoning, this book is an excellent resource for helping us understand and navigate our tumultuous time." —Brian Blount, president of Union Presbyterian Seminary and author of Can I Get a Witness? Reading Revelation through African-American Culture
"By chronicling the history of Black-led protest in America, Rev. Hawkins both reveals a tradition of struggle for a more perfect union and unmasks the lie that Black protest is "un-American." To receive this history is to know and know again that America would not be half the country she is if Black people had not believed her promises and worked with others to make them a reality. God bless Rev. Hawkins for telling the story and living it in his own leadership and witness today."—Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President, Repairers of the Breach, and author, We Are Called to Be a Movement
"This book is a must-read! Jimmie Hawkins' Unbroken and Unbowed: A History of Black Protest in America explores the history of Black protest over five hundred years in these yet-to-be United States. Articulately, definitively, and comprehensively, Hawkins shows that rather than solely victims of systemic racism and economic injustice, Black leaders are moral, political, and epistemological agents of change throughout every period of American history. This book documents that protest and resistance led by Black people has played a unique and key role in transforming the country into a more perfect union and inspires us to take action for justice and equality today." —Liz Theoharis, cochair, Poor People's Campaign, and Director, the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice, Union Theological Seminary, New York
"Readers will benefit not only from the level of detail on the page, but also from the rich footnotes and bibliography as suggestions for further reading. Many different audiences will find powerful inspiration in the creative and courageous history of Black protest and in African Americans’ recognition that despite this nation’s 'contradictions,' its ideals of freedom and democracy remain 'worth fighting for.'" - Interpretation
