The Legacy of Plantation Politics and Black Political Identity

The Legacy of Plantation Politics and Black Political Identity

July 18, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

The episode features a discussion on the impact of plantation politics and Black political identity with Dr. Sharon Austin.

Host Makonnen Sankofa welcomes political scientist and author Dr. Sharon Austin for a discussion of her books The Transformation of Plantation Politics and The Caribbeanization of Black Politics . Dr. Austin examines the lasting impact of Mississippi's plantation system, sharecropping, segregation, voter suppression, and economic inequality, while exploring the political relationships between African Americans and Black Americans of Caribbean descent in major U.S. cities. Together, they discuss race, identity, political participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and representation in American democracy.

People in this episode

Host: Makonnen Sankofa

Guest: Dr. Sharon Austin

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Transformation of Plantation Politics, The Caribbeanization of Black Politics

Places: Mississippi, U.S. cities

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