Riverside Book Club

Join the Riverside BookClub monthly for conversation around chosen books.

Join us online on Saturday, April 12, at 11:00 AM (ET) for a thought-provoking discussion led by Rev. Jabe Ziino as we explore Out of the Dark Night: Essays on Decolonization by Achille Mbembe.

Achille Mbembe is one of the world’s most profound critics of colonialism and its lasting consequences. A major figure in the rise of contemporary French critical theory, his work examines the complexities of decolonization, African identities, and the new possibilities emerging in its wake. In Out of the Dark Night, Mbembe offers a deep analysis of the paradoxes of the postcolonial moment, pointing toward liberatory models of community, humanity, and global belonging.

Through a nuanced examination of the African experience, Mbembe makes bold interventions in debates on citizenship, identity, democracy, and modernity. He critiques the limitations of European intellectual traditions, particularly France’s failure to acknowledge postcolonial critiques of exclusion and false universalism. He also expands on Afropolitanism, a dynamic way of being in the world that has emerged in decolonized Africa—navigating both destruction and the birth of new societies.

This discussion is an opportunity to engage with Mbembe’s insights and reflect on the futures made possible by decolonization. All are welcome to join the conversation!