The American Prejudice Against Color (eBook)

William G. Allen, active predominantly in the antebellum period between 1849 and 1853, is best recognized for his trenchant critique of racial discrimination in his seminal work, 'The American Prejudice Against Color'. In this impassioned treatise, Allen, himself an African American and a scholarly figure of his era, dissects the multifaceted manifestations of racism that plagued American society during the 19th century. His literary style combines persuasive rhetoric with a strong ethical appeal, aiming at the hearts and minds of his readers in an effort to articulate the injustices imposed upon people of color, and to promote an egalitarian vision for society. Scholarly review of his work contextualizes it within a wider abolitionist movement, where his voice contributed to the heated discourse on race, freedom, and equality in pre-Civil War America. Allen's efforts as an educator, especially his professorship at New York Central College – one of the first to accept African American faculty – and his personal experiences, notably his own controversial interracial marriage, which stirred public outcry, informed his acute observations in 'The American Prejudice Against Color'. The book remains a critical historical document, reflecting not only the intellectual resistance to entrenched racial biases but also serving as an enduring call for social reform. Allen's contribution to American literature and social justice is marked by his deep understanding of the complexities of prejudice and his resolve to expose and challenge its roots.