New Books in History Peter D. Blackmer, "Unleashing Black Power: Grassroots Organizing in Harlem and the Advent of the Long, Hot Summers" (UVA Press, 2025)
Oct 21, 2025
Peter D. Blackmer, an associate professor at Eastern Michigan University, dives into the grassroots movements in Harlem that shaped the Black Power era. He discusses the hidden influences behind his research, like archival discoveries and transformative figures such as Malcolm X. Blackmer highlights the significant link between local struggles and global anti-colonialism. He emphasizes the importance of long-term organizing, revealing how systemic repression fueled uprisings. His insights offer a fresh perspective on the dynamics of race, resistance, and community identity.
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Archive Find Turned Personal Encounter
- Peter Blackmer first discovered an audio recording of a 1964 Militant Labor Forum that sparked his research into Harlem organizers.
- Years later he sat in Q.R. Hand's living room to hear the same story in person, a full-circle archival moment.
From Senior Thesis To New Research Direction
- Blackmer traced the book's origin to a senior thesis project at Wagner College and archival work at the Schomburg Center.
- A prompt from Robin D.G. Kelley redirected him to study organizing history rather than only repression, reshaping the dissertation.
Black Power Emerged Locally Before 1966
- Blackmer uses May Mallory's 1961 letter to show the term 'Black Power' predated its 1966 popularization and had local meaning in Harlem.
- He argues Black Power emerged alongside civil rights in the urban North as a response to local conditions and state repression.
