A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance

Hanif Abdurraqib organizes this collection of essays around the multifaceted history of Black artistry in the United States, utilizing the framework of minstrelsy, dance marathons, and public funerals. He documents specific cultural moments ranging from Josephine Baker’s performances in France to the high-energy choreography of Soul Train lines and the competitive spirit of schoolyard games. The text connects the physical movements of icons like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston to broader social realities of grief, joy, and the labor required to exist under a continuous public gaze.

This book serves readers interested in musicology and the technical evolution of American entertainment. It appeals to those who study how historical performance shapes modern identity and social belonging. By the final page, the reader possesses a detailed map of how Black creative expression functions as both a private refuge and a public defiance. It provides a technical appreciation for the physical precision of performers while detailing the political weight carried by their bodies on stage and screen throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.