Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights

By Keisha N. Blain

Even before they were recognized as citizens of the United States, Black women understood that the fights for civil and human rights were inseparable. Over the course of two hundred years, they were at the forefront of national and international movements for social change. From worldwide travel and public advocacy in the global Black press to their work for the United Nations, they courageously and effectively moved human rights beyond an esoteric concept to an active, organizing principle. In Without Fear, acclaimed historian Keisha N. Blain tells the story of these Black women through the lives and experiences of a diverse cast--from the well-known, like Ida B. Wells, Madam C. J. Walker, and Lena Horne, to those who are still less known, including Pearl Sherrod, Aretha McKinley, and Marguerite Cartwright. Without Fear is an account of their aspirations, their strategies, and their struggles to combat systems of oppression.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393882292
• ISBN13: 9780393882292
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 320 Pages