In a review of the book, Hanes Walton Jr. called it a "pioneering and pathbreaking work".
[3] The book advances the argument that, because "race was the decisive factor in determining the opportunities and life chances available to virtually all African Americans" for much of American history up through the twentieth century, therefore it has historically been more efficient for African Americans to evaluate political alternatives based on what was best for the group that they were a member of rather than deciding what is the best for them individually.
[4] Dawson argues that Black nationalism has been omitted from dominant historical narratives about the recent history of the American left, and advocates for its inclusion in future leftist coalitions, citing certain coalitions of black and white radicals that existed before the Civil Rights Movement as a potential model.
He is the founder and co-editor of the Du Bois Review: Social Science Research on Race, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Cambridge University Press that features research on race and politics.
In 2006, Dawson was named a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.