Sons of darkness, sons of light

by John Alfred Williams

This novel by one of the most significant African American writers of the twentieth century reflects the author's apocalyptic vision of black revolutionary impulses and reactionary white conspiracies in the late 1960s. Originally published in 1969, this parable of racial intrigue centers on the killing of an unarmed black youth by Sergeant Carrigan, a white policeman. The murder prompts Eugene Browning, second in command at the Institute for Racial Justice, a civil rights organization, to seek revenge by hiring a professional killer to assassinate Carrigan. Browning enlists the help of an aging Mafia don, who passes the hit to a former terrorist from Israel. This single act of retribution sets in motion a crisis of unprecedented proportions as a band of black militants proceeds to launch a violent plan of its own. As the dramatic events unfold, Browning struggles to put his troubled personal and professional life in order.