Here at Boston Review, we are proud that our publication has helped lead the revival of writing about racial capitalism. Indeed, Race, Capitalism, Justice, our very first redesigned issue from January 2017 (and the first to sell out!) used the work of Cedric Robinson as its axis.

We are thrilled to announce that that issue is now available to purchase digitally! To celebrate, we have delved into our archive to bring you a reading list full of pieces that focus on racial capitalism. From South African apartheid to the War on Drugs, all of today’s essays start with the idea that Marx’s history of capital is incorrect—and that capitalism did not originate in eighteenth-century British factories, but began with the slave trade.

And if you’re hungry for more, be sure to preorder our upcoming issue Racist Logic, which continues the work of Race, Capitalism, Justice and features Donna Murch again, whose lead essay on how our “ideas of legal and illegal drug use are steeped in the metalanguage of race” is included below.

—Rosie Gillies