Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff Part One: Ben Passmore on Black History
Feb 2, 2026
Ben Passmore, a celebrated comics author and cartoonist, discusses his graphic history Black Arms to Hold You Up. He explores why he wrote the book and traces armed self-defense from Watts to modern uprisings. Conversations cover New African ideas, Marcus Garvey’s legacy, local controversies, ideological fluidity in Black movements, and his surreal narrative choices.
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Black Resistance Is A Long, Intertwined Tradition
- Ben Passmore connects modern uprisings to a long Black radical tradition that includes Black nationalism and New African movements.
- He argues these strains — cultural nationalism, armed self-defense, and separatism — coexisted and seeded later formations like the Panthers.
Multiple Strategies Existed Early On
- Passmore emphasizes simultaneity: early 20th-century Black leaders combined rejection of Americanness, calls for armed self-defense, and spiritual organizing.
- He uses Henry Turner to show how multiple strands coexisted even in 1900.
Book Framed By A Historical Loop
- Passmore structures the book to loop from Robert Charles in 1900 to Mike Xavier Johnson in 2016 to show recurring responses to police violence.
- He intentionally begins and ends with individuals who fought back against cops to highlight continuity.
