About The Book

Originally published in 1972, Gil Scott-Heron’s striking second novel, The Nigger Factory, is a powerful parable of the way in which human beings are conditioned to think, drawing inspiration from Scott-Heron’s own experiences as a stu­dent in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

Earl Thomas, student body president at Sutton University, is in a difficult position: struggling with the fact that even a histori­cally black college could be part of a system that still privileges whites, he’s also threatened by his fellow students, members of the radical activist group MJUMBE. Claiming the time has come for revolution, not reform, the leaders of MJUMBE are poised not only to bring Earl down personally, but also to instigate large scale acts of violence.

An electrifying novel, The Nigger Factory is a penetrating examination of the different forms of resistance and the motiva­tions behind them. It is a major document of an era of black thought.

Praise

“[Scott-Heron] has been committed to examining those facts of the human condition that most of us would rather forget . . . Witty but crucial insights for Black America.” —The Washington Post

“There’s plenty of tension and sex, but also a whole heap of politics. These are ace period pieces.” —Select

“The books are drenched with the dark overtones of America’s underworld, battered by the storms of politics and race. They are as sexy as they are psychotic.” —City Life

“A biting social satire.” —Daily Express

“With the pace of cleanly constructed thrillers they wield the force of a highly focused political consciousness . . . the clash of voices gives them a potency, both political and literary, which has survived changes in fashion.” —Herald

“They are impressive and ambitious works that vigorously mix street savvy and intellectual flair.” —GQ