Sex and Race in the Black Atlantic: Mulatto Devils and Multiracial Messiahs(Routledge Studies on African and Black Diaspora)

About the Book

This is the first book to place the self-fashioning of mixed-race individuals in the context of a Black Atlantic. Drawing on a wide range of sources and a diverse cast of characters -- from the diaries, letters, novels and plays of femme fatales in Congo and the United States to the advertisements, dissertations, oral histories and political speeches of Black Power activists in Canada and the United Kingdom -- it gives particular attention to the construction of mixed-race femininity and masculinity during the twentieth century. Its broad scope and historical approach provides readers with a timely rejoinder to academics, artists, journalists and politicians who only use the mixed-race label to depict prophets or delinquents as "new" national icons for the twenty-first century.

Table of Contents:

1. New People? 2. An Individualistic Age? 3. “Je suis métisse" 4. “I. Am. A Light Grey Canadian.” 5. “I’m Black. Not Mixed. Not Canadian. Not African. Just Black” 6. “Yes, We’re All Individuals!” “I’m Not.” Conclusion

About the Author :
Daniel McNeil teaches Media and Cultural Studies at Newcastle University and is an Honorary Fellow of the Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation.

Review :
' McNeil illuminates harrowing accounts and insidious perceptions of mixed-race that exist across Canada, America and Britain. His monograph charts the transgression of the 'colour-line', exploring the subjectivity of those compelled to negotiate a mixed-race heritage while providing a critical intervention into the discourse of mixed-race as the contemporary cosmopolitan signifier of a post-racial future. These issues leap from the pages as he draws upon influential figures and popular culture ranging from Philippa Schuyler to Barack Obama ! the study is fruitful in its exploration of how mixed-race has been and is perceived as a battlefield, without tip-toeing around sensitive issues !This book will be of primary relevance to academics and students who require a refreshing critical alternative to the lingering racist perceptions of the mixing of races, as well as the multiculturalist normalisation and the "post-racial" consumption of mixed-race identity.' --Zaki Nahaboo, Runnymede Bulletin, Issue 365 "As a part of the Routledge Studies on African and Black Diaspora this book is a necessary and useful addition. The fact that it brings a lot of research and theory together makes it a good starting point for information on an important part of the Diaspora that is often overlooked, other than with curiosity or somewhat derogatory terms... McNeil has linked theories and philosophies to literature and contemporary TV/film in a way that provides the reader with understandable examples and brings the text to life. The writing is accessible and readable using language in a way that opens the book up from pure academia and puts it into the public sphere ! Overall this book is a comprehensive look at the mixed race population bringing the debate right up to date and offering a fresh look at theories and philosophies by introducing creative expression into the forum." --Muli Amaye