Offers an examination of the complexities of race and ethnicity in the context of black nationalist movements in the United States. This book traces how Blackness was defined by cultural ideas, social practices and shared identities, as well as shaped in response to the social and historical conditions at different moments in American history.

In a refreshing and final move, he makes a compelling argument for rethinking contemporary theories of race away from the current fascination with physical difference, which he contends sweeps race back to its misconceived biological underpinnings. "Achieving Blackness" is a wonderful contribution to the sociology of race and African American Studies.