Against and Beyond Recognition: Learning from the History of Black Freedom Struggles in the US
A BSA Activism, Social Movements, and Revolutions Study Group Event
28 May 2026 (5.30-7.00pm BST)
University College London, UK
About the Event
The Activism, Social Movements and Revolutions Study Group invite you to a talk entitled “Against and Beyond Recognition: Learning from the History of Black Freedom Struggles in the US” by AK Thompson, a movement-based scholar and organiser.
The talk will problematise the assumption that contentious politics always involves "claims." Focused on the historical lessons derived from Black freedom struggles in the United States, the talk urges us to envision a politics beyond recognition.
AK Thompson is a movement-based scholar, organiser, and author of numerous influential books including Black Bloc, White Riot: Anti-Globalization and the Genealogy of Dissent, Keywords for Radicals: The Contested Vocabulary of Late-Capitalist Struggle, and Premonitions: Selected Essays on the Culture of Revolt. He most recently contributed to the project Naming the Moment: Revolutionary Strategy in a Time of Crisis together with the Emergency Brake Collective.
Location
This event will take place on 28 May 2026, 5:30 pm, in person at the Institute of Education, Room C.3.14 at University College London (UCL). If you are joining us from outside UCL, please make sure to register.
Registration
This event is free to attend but registration is required.