Love the analysis of the implications for today’s scholars and advocates. Becoming familiar with double consciousness can energize anti racist movements and the work of social justice change agents.
Two things became apparent as I was thinking this through. The first was that Fanon’s work can be read as a radical elaboration of Du Bois’ double consciousness, applied to the colonial subject and refracted through psychoanalytic and existentialist lenses. The second was that there was obviously something interesting going on in T&T in the first half of the 20thC.
The real pity is that T&T has since not been able to replicate conditions for intellectual ferment that was on the side of justice. There is almost no public conversation about systems change and the mindset has literally shrunk.
Pan-Africanism is such a powerful idea and objective. I recently listened to a conversation between C.L.R. James and E.P. Thompson where James said, “If someone had told me in the 1950s, when I was with Padmore and Nkrumah, that in less than 25 years, all African states except South Africa would be free, I would have called them an imperialist informant (he used a French word I can’t remember).” This shows that even early contributors to Pan-Africanism were surprised by its reach and achievements. I believe Pan-Africanism, as we know it today, would not exist without the indefatigable Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. We truly cannot recognize and thank him enough.
I agree. Du Bois was a foundational voice. But I often wonder: would Pan-Africanism have evolved differently if it had centred African voices earlier, rather than diasporic ones based in the U.S. and Caribbean? The interplay of geography and ideology in its early years is intriguing.
Yes, for sure, Du Bois’ contributions were pivotal, though I find it equally compelling how figures like Padmore and Nkrumah operationalised Pan-Africanism into a tangible political project. Perhaps the real power of the movement lay in that fusion of intellectual imagination and political strategy.
That quote from James is really powerful. It makes me reflect on where Pan-Africanism stands today, whether its spirit continues in movements for reparations, cross-continental collaboration, or even digital solidarity across the diaspora.
That’s an interesting view. There were Africans on the continent involved in the early stages of Pan-Africanism, but I feel the Africans in the diaspora saw greater urgency for it because they had a clearer view of the forces at play than even some Africans on the continent. This is because colonialism didn’t operate the same way in every country on the continent. In some countries, the need to resist was very clear, given the objective conditions and how blatant the tyranny was, while in others, indirect rule was employed, so the people at the grassroots favored gradual reform. The likes of Dr. Blyden, Henry Sylvester Williams, and later W.E.B. Du Bois were in a better position to see the interconnectedness of the plight of all African people and came up with an ideological and political framework to combat it. What also impresses me about Du Bois was that he recognized that Africans were not alone in their struggle against imperialism and colonialism and that Asians were also confronting the same challenges. Thus, his approach was more scientific and practical than, say, Marcus Garvey’s, though I have great admiration for Garvey as well. Nonetheless, the pioneers of Pan-Africanism have done excellently well, and now it’s time for this generation to take up the baton and push Pan-Africanism to new heights. I agree with Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) when he says that Pan-Africanism is not just an ideology; it’s an objective, an achievable one. Pan-Africanism must mean something material for the people, and it must be tied to our material progress. I’m a new subscriber to your page, and I can’t get enough. Keep up the good work. Bless you!
Looking forward to this series.
Love the analysis of the implications for today’s scholars and advocates. Becoming familiar with double consciousness can energize anti racist movements and the work of social justice change agents.
Two things became apparent as I was thinking this through. The first was that Fanon’s work can be read as a radical elaboration of Du Bois’ double consciousness, applied to the colonial subject and refracted through psychoanalytic and existentialist lenses. The second was that there was obviously something interesting going on in T&T in the first half of the 20thC.
The real pity is that T&T has since not been able to replicate conditions for intellectual ferment that was on the side of justice. There is almost no public conversation about systems change and the mindset has literally shrunk.
Not TT alone, it's right across the region.
Yup. It’s a sad situation.
Very well written. Du bois was without a doubt the doyen of his time.
Absolutely. And what’s fascinating is how his legacy ripples into contemporary debates, he laid down frameworks we’re still unpacking.
Pan-Africanism is such a powerful idea and objective. I recently listened to a conversation between C.L.R. James and E.P. Thompson where James said, “If someone had told me in the 1950s, when I was with Padmore and Nkrumah, that in less than 25 years, all African states except South Africa would be free, I would have called them an imperialist informant (he used a French word I can’t remember).” This shows that even early contributors to Pan-Africanism were surprised by its reach and achievements. I believe Pan-Africanism, as we know it today, would not exist without the indefatigable Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois. We truly cannot recognize and thank him enough.
I agree. Du Bois was a foundational voice. But I often wonder: would Pan-Africanism have evolved differently if it had centred African voices earlier, rather than diasporic ones based in the U.S. and Caribbean? The interplay of geography and ideology in its early years is intriguing.
Yes, for sure, Du Bois’ contributions were pivotal, though I find it equally compelling how figures like Padmore and Nkrumah operationalised Pan-Africanism into a tangible political project. Perhaps the real power of the movement lay in that fusion of intellectual imagination and political strategy.
That quote from James is really powerful. It makes me reflect on where Pan-Africanism stands today, whether its spirit continues in movements for reparations, cross-continental collaboration, or even digital solidarity across the diaspora.
That’s an interesting view. There were Africans on the continent involved in the early stages of Pan-Africanism, but I feel the Africans in the diaspora saw greater urgency for it because they had a clearer view of the forces at play than even some Africans on the continent. This is because colonialism didn’t operate the same way in every country on the continent. In some countries, the need to resist was very clear, given the objective conditions and how blatant the tyranny was, while in others, indirect rule was employed, so the people at the grassroots favored gradual reform. The likes of Dr. Blyden, Henry Sylvester Williams, and later W.E.B. Du Bois were in a better position to see the interconnectedness of the plight of all African people and came up with an ideological and political framework to combat it. What also impresses me about Du Bois was that he recognized that Africans were not alone in their struggle against imperialism and colonialism and that Asians were also confronting the same challenges. Thus, his approach was more scientific and practical than, say, Marcus Garvey’s, though I have great admiration for Garvey as well. Nonetheless, the pioneers of Pan-Africanism have done excellently well, and now it’s time for this generation to take up the baton and push Pan-Africanism to new heights. I agree with Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) when he says that Pan-Africanism is not just an ideology; it’s an objective, an achievable one. Pan-Africanism must mean something material for the people, and it must be tied to our material progress. I’m a new subscriber to your page, and I can’t get enough. Keep up the good work. Bless you!