Sociological Focus
Special Issue on Black Movements
Edited by Joyce M. Bell
Sociological Focus invites papers for a special issue on black social movements. This special issue offers scholars an opportunity to both re-examine old movements and to bring new movements to our attention. Social movement theory has made significant advances in understanding how social movements relate to, affect and are shaped by a variety of social phenomena. Much of that theory was developed through a study of the black civil rights movement in the US, which means that we know less about other black movement formations. Even less attention has been paid to how racism and racial inequality keep shaping black social movements long beyond their emergence. Papers in this issue should focus on contemporary or historical movement formations that are explicitly created by black people, aimed at black issues, and/or rooted in black political traditions. We are particularly interested in papers that examine black movements against racism and racial inequality in all areas of social life both in the US and globally. We welcome papers that use a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches.
Topics may include (but are not limited to):
Black feminist movement
Black movements in Europe
Black movements in Latin America
Black movements in the United States
Black movements within organizations
Black radicalism
Black Arts movement
Black Power movement
Black nationalism
Civil Rights Movement
Environmental justice movement
Movements against the prison industrial complex
Movements to free political prisoners
Relationships between black movements and other areas of sociological study: education, the arts, family, the life-course, organizations, politics, religion, work, etc.
Relationships between black movements and other movements
Theorizing race and social movements
This special issue will be edited by Joyce M. Bell (jmb267@pitt.edu), a member of the Sociological Focus editorial board. The editor welcomes submissions engaged with sociological studies of social movements, race, and black movement formations from early career through established scholars.
The word limit for articles is 8,000 words, including bibliography. All manuscripts must be submitted through ScholarOne and are subject to the normal double-anonymous refereeing process, but potential authors are welcome to discuss their ideas in advance with the Editor. The deadline for submitting papers is Friday, February 21st. Please submit at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.