In The Tears of the Black Man, award-winning author Alain Mabanckou explores what it means to be black in the world today. Mabanckou confronts the long and entangled history of Africa, France, and the United States as it has been shaped by slavery, colonialism, and their legacy today. Without ignoring the injustices and prejudice still facing blacks, he distances himself from resentment and victimhood, arguing that focusing too intensely on the crimes of the past is limiting. Instead, it is time to ask: Now what? Embracing the challenges faced by ethnic minority communities today, The Tears of the Black Man looks to the future, choosing to believe that the history of Africa has yet to be written and seeking a path toward affirmation and reconciliation.
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In this slender but intellectually dense collection of 12 essays, Franco-Congolese novelist Mabanckou (Black Moses) reveals and reshapes notions of black identity, arguing that in today's global community, 'identity goes far beyond notions of territory or blood.' . . . Mabanckou's challenging perspective on African identity today is as enlightening as it is provocative.
" - Publishers Weekly
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Africa's Samuel Beckett ... one of the continent's greatest living writers
" - Guardian
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Mabanckou's challenging perspective on African identity today is as enlightening as it is provocative.
" - Publishers Weekly
