aime_cesaire_robin_d.g._kelley_discourse_on_col (1)

Title and Author

• Discourse on Colonialism

  • Author: Aimé Césaire

  • Translated by: Joan Pinkham

  • New Introduction by: Robin D.G. Kelley

  • Context: A Poetics of Anticolonialism

Background and Context

• Release Date & Historical Context

  • Published: 1950, during the period of decolonization following World War II.

  • Emerged as colonial empires began to collapse, particularly in Africa and Asia.

  • Influenced by global movements for freedom and equality, marking a significant historical moment for the colonized.

Key Themes and Arguments

Césaire's Exploration of Colonialism

• Colonization Defined

  • Césaire rejects the portrayals of colonization as humanitarian or civilizational.

  • Describes colonization as driven by economic interests, exploitation, and moral deception.

• Effects of Colonialism on the Colonizers

  • Claims that colonization dehumanizes both the colonized and the colonizer.

  • Suggests that colonialism fosters moral decay, race hatred, and violence in colonizers, leading to societal regression.

  • Césaire asserts that the very notion of "civilization" is undermined by colonial practices.

Critique of European Civilization

• Europe's Moral Indefensibility

  • Césaire states, "Europe is indefensible," criticizing its moral bankruptcy and hypocrisy.

  • He argues that colonial powers became complicit in fascism, creating a link between colonial oppression and European violence.

• Dependence on the Other

  • Suggests that Europe’s identity relies on the subjugation of the colonized.

  • Anticipates Frantz Fanon's views that colonial powers must view the colonized as less than human to sustain their superiority.

Césaire’s Approach to Anticolonialism

Poetics of Revolt and Emancipation

• The Role of Poetry

  • Césaire employs poetic language as a form of resistance and a medium for knowledge and awareness.

  • Discourse serves not just as a political text but as a lyrical expression of revolutionary thought.

• Negritude Movement

  • Co-founding the Negritude movement with Léopold Sédar Senghor and Léon Damas, promoting pride in African identity.

  • Aims to reclaim and celebrate African culture, history, and contributions to global civilization.

Robin D.G. Kelley’s Analysis

New Perspectives on Césaire's Work

• Césaire as a Revolutionary Voice

  • Kelley describes Césaire's work as foundational for the understanding of colonialism, fascism, and revolutions in the Third World.

• Revising Marxism

  • Argues that Césaire attempts to revise Marxist theory by focusing on the anticolonial struggle as central to historical change rather than the proletariat's movement.

Conclusion

• Legacy of Discourse on Colonialism

  • Césaire's work is crucial for postcolonial studies and the understanding of colonial impacts.

  • Emphasizes the necessity of imagining a new world post-colonization that respects and incorporates the values and histories of colonized people.