New Books in Intellectual History Martha Biondi, "We Are Internationalists: Prexy Nesbitt and the Fight for African Liberation" (U California Press, 2025)
Nov 8, 2025
Martha Biondi, a Professor of Black Studies and History at Northwestern University, dives into the compelling life of Prexy Nesbitt, an activist pivotal in the fight for African liberation. She discusses the power of using biographical storytelling to illuminate movements. Listeners learn about Nesbitt's impactful childhood in Chicago, his engagement with global liberation efforts in Mozambique and South Africa, and how his work reframed U.S. anti-apartheid activism. Biondi also reflects on the legacy of the anti-apartheid movement amid neoliberal challenges.
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Biography As Movement Lens
- Martha Biondi used Prexy Nesbitt's biography to humanize and organize a complex social movement history.
- Focusing on one activist provided a clear through-line while revealing dense local and global networks.
International Upbringing In Chicago
- Prexy grew up in a multiracial, international household on Chicago's west side with progressive parents who treated the building like an institution.
- His junior year abroad in Dar es Salaam in 1965 launched his lifelong solidarity with African liberation struggles.
Two Streams Of Black Solidarity
- Biondi distinguishes pan-Africanist and internationalist streams within U.S. Black activism regarding African liberation.
- Prexy identified as an internationalist critical of U.S. imperialism rather than a Pan-Africanist focused on racial affinity.
