Examining the situations of African Americans in the U.S.A., Lucius Outlaw's essays illustrate over twenty years of work dedicated to articulating a 'critical theory of society' that would account for issues and limiting-factors affecting African-descended peoples in the U.S. Outlaw envisions a democratic order that is not built upon racist projections of the past, but instead seeks a transformative social theory that would help create a truly democratic social order.

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Critical Social Thought in the Interest of Black Folks Chapter 3 Foundations of a New Black Movement: Theoretical and Practical Dimensions Chapter 4 African American Socio-Political Thought: A Critical Overview Chapter 5 On Race and Class (Or, On the Prospects of "Rainbow Socialism") Chapter 6 Toward a Critical Theory of Race Chapter 7 Critical Theory in a Period of Radical Transformation Chapter 8 Racial and Ethnic Complexities in American Life: Implications for Black Folks Chapter 9 "Conserve" Races?: In Defense of W.E.B. Du Bois Chapter 10 "Multiculturalism",Citizenship, Education, and U.S. American Liberal Democracy Chapter 11 Postscript: The Quest for a Partisan "Theory" of Society

Lucius T. Outlaw, Jr. is the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.