Adom Getachew

Adom Getachew is a political theorist and the Neubauer Family Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Her research and scholarship focus on the history of political thought, theories of race and empire, and postcolonial political theory. Getachew gained significant recognition for her 2019 book "Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination," which won multiple awards including the Frantz Fanon Prize and the W.E.B. Du Bois Distinguished Book Award. The work examines how African and Caribbean anticolonial nationalists worked to create a new world order in the mid-twentieth century. Her articles and writings have appeared in major academic journals including Political Theory, Constellations, and Race & Class. She regularly contributes to public discourse through publications like The Nation, Boston Review, and Dissent magazine, where she writes about topics ranging from international politics to racial justice. Beyond her academic work, Getachew serves on the faculty board of the Chicago Center for Contemporary Theory and is a faculty affiliate at the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture. She received her PhD in Political Science from Yale University and her BA from the University of Virginia.

Readers highlight Getachew's fresh analysis of anticolonial nationalism and decolonization in "Worldmaking after Empire," particularly her reframing of well-known figures like Nkrumah and Nyerere. Readers appreciate: - Clear writing on complex political theory - New perspectives on post-colonial international relations - Strong historical research and documentation Common critiques: - Academic writing style can be dense for general readers - Some readers wanted more detail on specific regional cases - Limited coverage of non-English speaking anticolonial leaders Ratings: Goodreads: 4.5/5 (43 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (11 ratings) Multiple academic reviewers note the book's contribution to understanding decolonization as a project of international reorganization rather than just national independence. One doctoral student reviewer called it "required reading for anyone interested in Black political thought," while another reader found the theoretical sections "occasionally too abstract."

Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (2019) An examination of how anticolonial nationalists from Africa and the Caribbean attempted to transform the international order during decolonization in the mid-twentieth century, focusing on their vision of racial sovereignty and economic independence.

Achille Mbembe writes on postcolonial theory and African intellectual history, examining how power operates in the postcolony. His work on necropolitics and critique of colonial rationality shares conceptual ground with Getachew's analysis of anticolonial worldmaking.

Uday Singh Mehta analyzes liberalism's relationship to empire and colonialism through close readings of political thought. His examination of how liberal universalism enabled imperial exclusions connects to Getachew's interest in the paradoxes of international order.

Priyamvada Gopal studies anticolonial resistance movements and their intellectual contributions to political theory. Her work on insurgent empire and anticolonial thinkers parallels Getachew's focus on decolonization as a project of world-remaking.

Gary Wilder examines anticolonial movements and their visions for post-imperial futures through archival research. His work on French decolonization and pan-African federalism relates directly to Getachew's analysis of postcolonial internationalism.

Partha Chatterjee writes on nationalism, colonialism, and postcolonial politics with focus on South Asia. His theoretical framework for understanding anticolonial nationalism complements Getachew's analysis of self-determination and sovereignty.