Abstract
The phenomenon of radicals and leftwing political activists recanting earlier allegiances to shift in a rightwards direction has often been commented upon, with explanations that veer from identifying a convergence between extreme-left and extreme-right positions; to wider social and economic changes; to psychological factors intrinsic to each particular individual. One of the most startling examples of such a change in political orientation - and made not once, but on numerous occasions - is that of Eldridge Cleaver, the former Black Panther party leader. What lay behind the startling transitions in Cleaver's story is here discussed with reference to a psychohistorical framework that can help explain the broader phenomenon of Left-Right political conversion.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 55-74 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Journal | Race and Class |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2012 |