Discourse on colonialism . A poetics of anticolonialism

Abstract

Cesaire's essay stands as an important document in development of third world consciousness--a process in which [he] played a prominent role. --Library Journal This classic work, first published in France in 1955, profoundly influenced generation of scholars and activists at forefront of liberation struggles in Africa, Latin America, and Caribbean. Nearly twenty years later, when published for first time in English, Discourse on Colonialism inspired a new generation engaged in Civil Rights, Black Power, and anti-war movements and has sold more than 75,000 copies to date. Aime Cesaire eloquently describes brutal impact of capitalism and colonialism on both colonizer and colonized, exposing contradictions and hypocrisy implicit in western notions of progress and civilization upon encountering savage, uncultured, or primitive. Here, Cesaire reaffirms African values, identity, and culture, and their relevance, reminding us that the relationship between consciousness and reality are extremely complex. . . . It is equally necessary to decolonize our minds, our inner life, at same time that we decolonize society. An interview with Cesaire by poet Rene Depestre is also included.

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