America's First Black Socialist: The Radical Life of Peter H. Clark
""Clark's various ideological shifts in nineteenth century Ohio (and nationally) made him an unusual figure that has not been fully examined in depth. This extended biography corrects this omission." -- John Hardin, Professor of History at Western Kentucky University and author of Fifty Years of Segregation: Black Higher Education in Kentucky 1904-1954" --""Clark played an important role in nineteenth century African American history and the culture and history of the nation as well. Taylor exposes Clark, warts and all." -- William E. Ellis, Foundation Professor Emeritus at Eastern Kentucky University and author of A History of Education in Kentucky" --""Nikki M. Taylor's America's First Black Socialists: The Radical Life of Peter H. Clark makes an impressive contribution to the study of African American life in the 19th century as well as in fields of African American and American History. This meticulously researched and lucidly written book also is a must read for anyone interested in the histories of Cincinnati, the state of Ohio, and the country at-large. Without question, the author should be congratulated for producing such a powerful and path-breaking biography of such an important man in this history of our nation, whose political ideology and allegiance shifted numerous times throughout his adult life. Hopefully this volume will move scholars to explore the legacy of Clark rather than the current state of analysis where he has received only scant attention." -- Eric R. Jackson, Editorial Board and Book Review Editor - Journal of Pan African Studies" --""Peter Clark is a name long known to a minority of specialists, but despite his record of intellectual and political achievement, his career has been overlooked even by many experts in nineteenth century studies. Professor Taylor has performed a service to the profession with her brilliant restoration of this important figure to his deserved prominence." -- Wilson J. Moses, Penn State University" --""Providing a much needed corrective to the assumption that the socialist tradition in America was born in the early twentieth century, Nikki Taylor's study of Peter H. Clark simultaneously brings to life the interesting career of this important African American leader. Overshadowed in American memory by contemporaries such as Frederick Douglass and John Mercer Langston, this important study explores Clark's role as a sometimes-controversial African American leader, successfully demonstrating not only that he deserves a seat at the historical table, but also that biographic analysis provides a critical lens through which we can better understand the past. Uniquely influenced by the radicalism of Cincinnati's German immigrant community and his family's communitarian as well as traditional religion and nationalism, Clark was well-established as a socialist by the Civil War era, later shifting to become a socially and politically conservative Democrat at a time when most African Americans stood by the party of Lincoln. Taylor's examination of Clark's dynamic life story contributes much toward a greater understanding of the complexities of race relations in late nineteenth and early twentieth century America. The book is a welcome addition to a growing field revealing that biography can illuminate much more than a single life." -- L. Diane Barnes, Professor of history at Youngstown State University and editor of Ohio History" --"The book's account of Grant makes him come right off the page and explains his decisions in sympathetic detail." -- San Francisco Book Review