The Mind of Oliver C. Cox: The African American Intellectual Heritage

McAuley’s approach to Cox’s life and work is shaped by his belief that Cox’s Caribbean upbringing and background gave him an unorthodox perspective on race, capitalism, and social change. Part 1 of the book chronicles Cox’s life in Trinidad and the United States. Part 2 analyzes Cox’s theory and history of the development of capitalism from thirteenth-century Venice to twentieth-century America. Part 3 provides an exposition of Cox’s typology of race relations, as well as his thoughts on the anti-Asian movement in California and the differences between black and Jewish experiences in the West. The last section of the book focuses on Cox’s theory of social transformation, highlighting his rejection of ethnic nationalism in favor of evolutionary socialism. offers a much needed analysis of Cox’s important scholarly writings as well as insight into the life of this remarkable figure.