Robin Davis Gibran Kelley wrote much of "Freedom Dreams" in 2000 when he taught at Dartmouth College. He is a history professor who focuses largely on African American history and popular culture, and has also taught at places like Emory University, the University of Michigan, and NYU. He is the author of eleven books on race relations, African American history, and his interpretation of Marxist ideologies.
"Freedom Dreams" focuses on the history of African American revolutionary intellectuals, specifically artists and scholars of the 20th century African diaspora. He blends his commentary on economic, sociological, and political ideas like Surrealism and feminism, with the teachings of historical black activists like Malcolm X. Kelley describes himself as a "Marxist, surrealist feminist who is not just anti something but pro-emancipation, pro-liberation," and this is a good indication of the viewpoint that "Freedom Dreams" comes from. The novel is influenced by and speaks to the visions of historical figures such as Aime Cesaire, C. L. R. James, and Malcolm X. His work studies the intersectional nature of many black American's struggle, but instead of solely discussing the struggle, he focuses on the hopes and dreams that arise from it.
In the Acknowledgements section of the book, Kelley attributes his writing to the Martin Luther King Jr. lecture he was asked to give at Dartmouth in 2000, where he spoke on legacies of activism and the "poetry of social movements." The title of "Freedom Dreams" as well as the book's dedication to "three dreamers who do" reflect the imagination and surrealism conveyed in the book.
