Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights

by Keisha N. Blain

“An inspiring study of how Black women have continuously carried the torch of justice.”—Henry Louis Gates Jr.


Even before they were recognized as citizens of the United States, Black women understood that the fights for civil and human rights were inseparable. Over the course of two hundred years, they were at the forefront of national and international movements for social change. From worldwide travel and public advocacy in the global Black press to their work for the United Nations, they courageously and effectively moved human rights beyond an esoteric concept to an active, organizing principle. In Without Fear, acclaimed historian Keisha N. Blain tells the story of these Black women through the lives and experiences of a diverse cast—from the well-known, like Ida B. Wells, Madam C. J. Walker, and Lena Horne, to those who are still less known, including Pearl Sherrod, Aretha McKinley, and Marguerite Cartwright. Without Fear is an account of their aspirations, their strategies, and their struggles to combat systems of oppression.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Feminism, Social Justice, Race, American History

312 pages, Hardcover

Published September 16, 2025

About the author

Keisha N. Blain is professor of Africana studies and history at Brown University. She is a columnist for MSNBC, a Guggenheim Fellow, and author—most recently of the National Book Critics Circle Award finalist Until I Am Free. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Reviews

[Zana]

DNF @ 18%

This is written like a history book and that's not really my favorite nonfiction style. I wish it was more creative nonfiction.

[Tia Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible and important read! It covers two centuries of Black women activists whose stories are often left out of standard history texts. I loved its focus on lesser known figures and its very readable, in chronological format. This is vital history that needs to be shared, now more than ever. Highly recommend!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been seeing an increase in books being published about people forgotten in history--people who stood on the edges, assisting in more minor ways, helping the more well-known historical figures, or even people yelling loud from the inside who just get overlooked for who they are or what they look like. In this book, Blain presents several Black women who had a positive impact on the world, whether it was their own fight or a fight for global freedom.

This book has so many important facts and accounts to share, and most of what these women did was remarkable and worth sharing in the annals of history. I'm not a frequent reader of straightforward history texts, so my experience may be different from others, but despite the legacy of these women, I found it a boring read. I didn't feel like the voices jumped off the page for me, but felt more like reading an encyclopedia article in some places. The primary sources helped, but I found myself wishing for more commentary to make the stories more memorable. I felt like this would be a book I'd need to take extensive notes on to understand/remember everything, which was not the reading experience I went into this thinking I'd have.

Despite it being more difficult for me to engage with, I do think this type of book is important in the larger publishing industry. Keep producing books like these and showing people, especially in 2025 that change can be made by anyone, no matter how small.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book because I love to read history that is overlooked in standard texts. Blain brings to our attention two centuries of black women activists, from abolitionists to the mothers of those lost to police violence. As she says in the Afterword, "...one of the hallmarks of the twenty-first-century struggle for human rights is that Black women lead from the front - as activists on the ground, in official positions of authority, and sometimes both simultaneously." The women profiled in this book were early leaders-from-the-front.

The book is very readable, and is organized chronologically, with the women discussed in each section involved in the major issues of the time period in question. This organization makes it easy to follow the individual lives as well as the larger arc of American history. It also means that no one person can get a very full treatment, which the intent anyway.

She also focuses more on people we are less likely to have already heard of. For example, in the last section, where the issue at hand is unpunished police killings of black people, she focuses on Kadi Diallo, mother of Amadou Diallo, rather than the women who founded Black Lives Matter - they are mentioned and brought into the picture, but the ones who are lesser known to the broader readership receive the fullest coverage.

I was interested to see how many of these women actually gave speeches at events at the United Nations. No wonder white supremacists hate the UN!

Because I don't have a broad and deep knowledge of this subject, I don't know how much of this is "all the important black women activists framed the issue of racism as a human rights issue" vs. "all the activists I'm covering framed racism as a human rights issue." At this particular time in the US, it doesn't seem that the idea of human rights matters very much, as there are apparently a lot of people who will give up all their rights just to see someone brown have even fewer, so this idealistic framing feels like a fantasy.

Once in awhile Blain quotes someone and I think, "Well. Too bad they said THAT!" and no comment is made (there's one quote about ugly immigrants that made me go ??). Other times, she does try to acknowledge the uncomfortable parts of statements, or disagreements between participants in the activism covered. Despite these moments, it's important to know this history, especially now as it's likely to be erased.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

[S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without Fear is the kind of book that belongs permanently on a nightstand—ready to be reached for whenever the history of human rights feels fragile or under threat. It reminds us, again and again, that behind so many advances we now take for granted, there was a Black woman organizing, resisting, and refusing erasure. As the chapters unfold, the narrative expands outward: from local and national struggles to a broader, almost global grammar of justice. What begins as a specific political history gradually reveals itself as a foundational meditation on human rights itself—rooted, uncompromising, and deeply international in its scope.
It forced me to confront my own blind spots. For an entire year, I rode a bus without a second thought on Ida B Wells Drive, worked daily next to a building bearing the name of Ida B. Wells—without ever stopping to ask who she was. That quiet ignorance now feels telling.

[Monchichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!!! 🤗

[Oscreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keisha N. Blain has written a remarkable book here.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Keisha N. Blain delivers a masterful and essential work of scholarship in "Without Fear," illuminating the often-overlooked contributions of Black women to the global human rights movement. This comprehensive history spans two centuries, demonstrating how Black women understood and acted upon the interconnected nature of civil and human rights long before these connections were widely recognized.
Blain's research is both meticulous and accessible, weaving together the stories of well-known figures like Ida B. Wells and Lena Horne with lesser-known but equally important activists such as Pearl Sherrod and Marguerite McKinley. The author excels at showing how these women operated "outside the traditional halls of power," using innovative strategies including international travel, the global Black press, and work with the United Nations to advance their cause. The book effectively demonstrates how their unique position at the intersection of multiple forms of oppression gave them particular insight into the universal nature of human rights struggles.
"Without Fear" fills a crucial gap in both civil rights and human rights historiography. Blain's work challenges readers to reconsider traditional narratives about human rights activism and recognize the foundational role Black women played in shaping these movements. This is essential reading for anyone interested in civil rights history, women's studies, or human rights activism, and deserves a place in both academic and general collections.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keisha N. Blain has long been one of my most trusted voices in Black history, and Without Fear only deepens that trust. This book powerfully centers the often overlooked contributions of everyday Black women—mothers, daughters, wives, organizers—who transformed their lived experiences of oppression into catalysts for political and social change. Blain reminds us that the fight for human rights has never been solely about the African American struggle but is part of a global movement that Black women helped shape with courage and vision.

I appreciate how Blain highlights the cost of this labor: the toll of racism, sexism, and policing in our communities, alongside the undeniable impact of women like Mary Bumpurs, who turned personal grief into collective advocacy. Through both well-known figures and lesser-known trailblazers, she illustrates how Black women pushed human rights from abstract ideals into organizing principles that continue to guide justice movements today.

Without Fear honors the past but also roots us deeply and soberly in the present. Reading it left me excited to learn more about the everyday women whose names are not in most history books but whose legacies are everywhere in the ongoing struggle for freedom.

[Yvette Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and W. W. Norton for the ARC of Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights.

One of my favorite things about Without Fear was that Dr. Blain introduced us to women whose stories may not been amplified as much as others. The reader is introduced to public figures who have been recognized for their activism, such as Lena Horne and Mary McCleod Bethune, as well as names who may not have been as familiar to the public, including activist Pearl Sherrod and journalist Paulette Nardal. Sherrod and Nardal both made marks in their local communities; Sherrod as a activist based in Detroit, focusing on alliances with Blacks and Asians, and Nardal doing so as journalist based In France, covering issues impacting the Caribbean.

This book was a pleasure to read, and a reminder that history shows that many black women involved in human rights movements were prominent, front facing leaders, and not just persons in the background and behind the scenes.

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. I finished the first three chapters and I am just having a hard time with the format of this book. It is written in a very academic way that I really need to take notes to remember what I read. This is more of a personal problem than the book itself. The women I learned about I have never read about before! Very important book that I just don't have the brain power to finish in 3 weeks.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good and informative. Obviously most of these women’s stories are not well known. I learned a lot.

[Lorene · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many women and stories I was unfamiliar with. Highly recommend.

[Cole Lorimer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Great subject, tragically dull application. It felt almost like a mere catalog of names and dates. It's a shame as these stories deserve a robust telling.

[Veronicka Vega · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love black history but so often it’s just male centered. This was so refreshing and comforting. I knew women had a huge role in civil rights history but it was nice to read it all in one place.