This collection of essays investigates the historical strategies and persistent challenges African Americans have faced in their pursuit of economic autonomy and equality within the United States. Editor Michael Ezra compiles thirteen original essays that examine the economic dimensions of the Black freedom struggle from the World War II era through the Black Power movement and into the twenty-first century. The text argues that while legal and social barriers like segregation were addressed by the traditional Civil Rights Movement, the fundamental issue of economic disparity remains unresolved. By analyzing specific campaigns and organizational efforts, the contributors provide a framework for understanding how economic power has been central to the broader struggle for racial justice.

Scholars and historians identify this collection as a vital resource for understanding the often-overlooked economic facets of the Civil Rights Movement. Readers frequently note that the text provides a necessary, nuanced expansion of the traditional narrative by focusing on the practical mechanics of economic empowerment.