Literature / Civil rights & activism
Bob Black
born 1951 · anarchist writer
Detroit-born anarchist essayist best known for 'The Abolition of Work' (1985), who grew up in suburban Oak Park.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan
age 75- Birth name
- Robert Charles Black Jr.
- Detroit years
- 1951–1969
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Bob Black was born in Detroit in 1951 and grew up in the inner suburb of Oak Park, graduating from Oak Park High School in 1969. He went on to the University of Michigan and then collected an unusual string of law and social-science degrees, from a law degree at Georgetown to graduate work at Berkeley, Albany and Buffalo. In the 1980s he became a prominent voice of 'post-left' anarchism with provocative, satirical essays. His 1985 essay 'The Abolition of Work,' arguing for a society built on play rather than compulsory labor, has been reprinted and translated many times. His reputation within anarchist circles is contested, partly because of his documented history of informing on fellow writers to the police, which has drawn extensive commentary.
Highlights
- Author of the essay 'The Abolition of Work' (1985)
- Leading voice of post-left anarchism
- Graduated from Oak Park High School (1969) and the University of Michigan (1973)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 1
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1965–1969
Oak Park High School
The suburban public high school he attended until 1969.