The End of Empires: African Americans and India by Gerald C Horne

Martin Luther King Jr.’s adaptation of Gandhi’s doctrine of non-violent resistance is the most visible example of the rich history of ties between African Americans and India. In “The End of Empires”, Gerald Horne provides an unprecedented history of the relationship between African Americans and Indians in the period leading up to Indian independence in 1947. Recognizing their common history of exploitation, Horne writes, African Americans and Indians interacted frequently and eventually created alliances, which were advocated by W.E.B. Du Bois, among other leaders. Horne tells the fascinating story of these exchanges, including the South Asian influence on the Nation of Islam and the close friendship between Paul Robeson and India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Based on extensive archival research in India, the United States and the United Kingdom, “The End of Empires” breaks new ground in the effort to put African American history into a global context.