The emergence of Haiti as a
sovereign Black nation lit a beacon of hope for Black people
throughout the African diaspora. Leslie M. Alexander’s study
reveals the untold story of how free and enslaved Black people in the
United States defended the young Caribbean nation from forces intent
on maintaining slavery and white supremacy. Concentrating on Haiti’s
place in the history of Black internationalism, Alexander illuminates
the ways Haitian independence influenced Black thought and action in
the United States. As she shows, Haiti embodied what whites feared
most: Black revolution and Black victory. Thus inspired, Black
activists in the United States embraced a common identity with
Haiti’s people, forging the idea of a united struggle that merged
the destinies of Haiti with their own striving for freedom.
A
bold exploration of Black internationalism’s origins, Fear
of a Black Republic links
the Haitian revolution to the global Black pursuit of liberation,
justice, and social equality.
