One of the first notes that comes to mind is the purposiveness of reading Freire before reading Cesaire. I say this because Freire observed that both the oppressed and the oppressors are marked by dehumanization. (Freire 2014, 44) This concept becomes more concrete for me, personally, when it is said by Cesaire that “colonialism works to ‘decivilize’ the colonizer: torture, violence, race hatred, and immorality constitute a dead weight on the so-called civilized.” (Cesaire 2001, 8-9) Growing up and hearing how my parents were referred to as animals and knowing that not so far back my ancestors were “property” and not people, I suppose I always thought (however incorrectly) that those in charge would be considered more human than those they oppressed. Now I see that the entire cycle of oppression strips away the humanity of all involved. 

- Lanita 

I must agree with one of my fellow classmates who stated that reading Freire prior to this text is very important as it allows one to better understand the relationship between oppressor and oppressed which so sadly is often the relationship taking place through colonization. Cesaire asks us whether or not colonization has really placed civilizations in contact and if it was the best way. I agree with Cesaire in the simple answer to such a question being no. With such a relationship being the case one often wonders how any individual could be capable of hurting populations in such a manner. Cesaire awakened me and reminded me of the fact that people can become decivilized much more easily than we may like to think. Cesaire discusses how actions as brutal as severing heads or taking out an eye of an individual simply because they are different than one’s self can lead to savagery very quickly (Cesaire 2001, 35). It truly is something how individuals carrying out such horrific actions were told and under the impression that others were the savages when truly they themselves were the population acting in a savage manner through their conquest. 

   
One of the key ideas that I took away from the early portions of Cesaire’s text is that no population colonizes another innocently (Cesaire 2001, 39). Colonization as mentioned by Cesaire dehumanizes men across the board. It truly is the action and desire of a morally diseased society to colonize as Cesaire states. We can see these types of actions throughout history relating to colonization and oppression of various populations for that matter not only the situations which Cesaire specifically discusses. Reading about colonization through this lens is important as the history revolving around colonization has impacted and still does nearly all corners of the world and many populations within it.

“Awareness – when we understand that the words we read create worlds in which these people exist in our minds. This is where we begin to see that the words we use create worlds in which the other must inhabit. It is the place where we truly think about how we think, and also the place where we are, at times, confronted with our own ignorance and bias. But also, the profundity of seeing our multiple perspectives brought to light.” (Meekins, 2018)

For this entry, I am attempting to look at the Cesaire text with the goal to filter it through the awareness process. To me, Cesaire created a world where not only the Bourgeoisie, but really all European people, are meant to be seen as these hulking monsters out to terrorize people of color. In his eyes, the various ethnic groups were existing and some were even flourishing before the dark times of colonialism set in. He had to create a view for the reader where the “enemy” is clear and identified within the world he described. Just the same as you wouldn’t colonize someone you like, you wouldn’t propose a revolution against an ally.   

* Just want to add I don’t agree that any one group of people should be considered a monolith that only destroys and harms. * 

The introduction prior to the discourse mentions Cesaire’s upbringing would be considered petite bourgeois yet he was also exposed to rural poverty. (Cesaire 2001, 11) I take from this that the world he describes in his work is created partially through his proximity to the plight of the oppressed. Adding to this his coming from a very turbulent time where a great deal of black diasporic material was being created (11-12) I get where he got this view and how it developed into his discourse.  

Being an African American, inhabiting this world of the past isn’t unreasonably different from the view today. The denouncements of racism in 1932 hold today. The text mentions the Scottsboro case where in 1932, 9 black men were accused of raping 2 white women and were initially sentenced to death even though there was evidence to the contrary. (Salter, 2017) I am old enough to have witnessed the story of the Central Park Five, where 4 black and 1 Hispanic juveniles were convicted of raping a white woman even though there was evidence to exclude them. (Chan, 2017) I have a living relative that was a victim of the Tuskegee syphilis “study.” It is still very hard for certain segments of today’s society to flourish. While I myself have been fortunate, I don’t have to look far to find people who could see and agree with the world-making of Cesaire. 

All of this is to say, could I personally inhabit a world framed in Cesaire’s beliefs? I tend to disagree with absolutes, meaning I don’t think all of any group act exactly alike. I won’t say that I’m completely free of bias, as that’s impossible, but I wouldn’t say that current cultural conditions are enough to turn me against an entire group of people. 

 
References

Cesaire, Aime. 2001. Discourse on Colonialism. New York: Monthly Review Press.

Chan, Sewell. 2017. "Central Park Rape Victim and Oprah, At Odds." The New York Times, Nov. 15.

Meekins, Darryl. 2018. Introduction Lecture. Jan.

Salter, Daren. 2017. "Scottsboro Trials." Encyclopedia of Alabama. Dec. 6. Accessed Jan. 18, 2018. http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1456.

Not to be too informal, but the world is weird, for lack of a better word, today. There is a great deal of turmoil. Old ideas that should not be acceptable (Nazism, Fascism as an example) are coming back. Old issues that shouldn’t be a problem (ex. fighting for women’s right, minority rights, etc.) are still being addressed. Problems that have existed in the past still haven’t been rectified. Added to this is the fact that colonial rule still technically exists (I’ve attached an interesting article) in “16 ‘non-self-governing territories’ across the globe.” (Quintero, 2012) We should know better by now, yet here we are, fighting the same fights. 

Based on this, Cesaire’s discourse could very well be applied to today’s issues. Of course, we have the benefit of hindsight, and can say how detrimental communism has been to several countries. However, the arguments about oppression in any form still hold up. The argument that a truly ‘civilized’ nation wouldn’t be willing to harm innocent people is applicable today. We are experiencing multiple refugee crises around the world due to invasions. Cesaire argues strongly against forced occupation.    

At one point, the book’s introduction notes that “The official apparatus might be removed, but the political economic, and cultural links established by colonial domination still remain with some alterations.” (Cesaire 2001, 27) This was true in Cesaire’s time and I would argue it’s valid today. The whole evil Europe aspect is still a step too far, today and in the past, but the urgency to fix the oppression of the marginalized stands. For me as a professional and a person, I can see this text as a means to recognize the continued damage that comes from the actions of the past. Societal problems don’t just spring up in a vacuum. Choices of the past effect the future. As someone that hopes to work internationally, this text, along with others, will help me to allow for additional world-building. I know to not only use my perspective, but to enquire about other’s perspectives. I cannot understand another’s position if I don’t take the time to explore how they’ve arrived at their world view.  

 

https://unu.edu/publications/articles/residual-colonialism-in-the-21st-century.html 

I’m going to be submitting the Padlet link for the graded assignment due on 1/21/18.

Next step: Each of us will individually create 3 PowerPoint slides that pull together our own personal reflective analysis of the book (as mentioned on the “Format of First Report” note here in Padlet). From there, we send it to Matthew to create the deliverable report for our first grade. The completed PowerPoint needs to be done and ready for upload for the other groups by Friday, 1/26/18. If we could shoot for slide completion by 1/23/18 – 1/24/18, it would allow Matthew 2-ish days to compile the slides and reach out with any questions to the rest of us. 

Thank you all!