The Paralysis of Analysis in African American Studies

The Paralysis of Analysis in African American Studies provides a searing critique of the role political economy and socially irresponsive cultural entrepreneurs play in stifling and under-developing African American culture simply for gain. Stephen C. Ferguson II’s honest assessment takes no prisoners! A true must have for anyone interested in how cultural analysis should be done. * Anthony Neal, Beverly B. & Gordon W. Gulmon Humanities Scholar and Associate Professor of History, Mississippi State University, USA * Through sharp, rigorous, and careful analysis, Ferguson draws our attention back to an intellectual project rooted in struggle, one grounded in our “radical each-otherness.” Ferguson’s dialectical approach does not direct us toward the doom of despair, but instead, he reminds us that balancing the truth of the current moment of danger with the limits of the tools and instruments of this world is the place of possibility and creativity. * Johari Jabir, Associate Professor, Department of Black Studies, University of Illinois, USA * Ferguson effectively demonstrates why he continues to be the foremost scholar in the philosophy of African American Studies. He presents the most pivotal scholarly contribution on the matter of Black popular culture to date. Ferguson’s dialectical materialist approach provides valuable insights into the broad range of Black cultural/ideological tendencies today. By scrutinizing the class contradictions within the Black community, he examines Black cultural production and its relationship to the political economic interest of corporate capitalism. This book is a must read for scholars, cultural critics and significantly activists that are engaged as cultural workers in ongoing mass struggles. * John H. McClendon III, Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University, USA *