Thinking Allowed - Black Emancipation

When 'Liberte, egalite, fraternite' first defined the ideals of French Revolution, it was over half century before they applied to the hundreds of thousands of slaves working in the French Colonies. Similarly the ideals of 'Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness', failed to encompass American slaves until as late as 1863. When these slaves were freed a complicated debate began on what freedom really meant, and how true freedom would be achieved. From Booker T Washington to Martin Luther King, from WEB Dubois to Frantz Fanon, ideas of black freedom have been defined, tested and fought for. In the first of a three part series tracing some of the key ideas of sociology, Laurie Taylor talks to Paul Gilroy, Brett St Louis and Gurminder Bhambra about ideas of black freedom and the impact they have had. Producer: Charlie Taylor.