Readying the Revolution: African American Theater and Performance from Post-World War II to the Black Arts Movement.

This book examines African American theatre artists, public figures, and activists from the 1940s to the 1960s, highlighting their roles in both the civil rights movement and the emerging Black power movement. It challenges strict distinctions between these movements by showing how figures like Jackie Robinson and Nina Simone engaged in both nonviolent integration efforts and assertions of Black self-determination and self-defense. Through analyses of theatrical works and performances, the book reveals how African American artists expressed revolutionary ideas that prefigured the Black power era, often navigating tensions between commercial success and radical political expression. This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the long civil rights movement and the complex artistic and activist strategies employed by Black artists during this period.