This collection demonstrates the strong influence that humanism and freethought had in developing the history and ideals of black intellectualism.

Most people are quick to note the profound influence that religion has played in African-American history: consoling the downtrodden slave or inspiring the abolitionists, the underground railroad, and the civil rights movement. But few are aware of the role humanism played in shaping the black experience: developing the thought and motivating the actions of powerful African-American intellectuals.

Section One of this book offers...