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A review by girlnouns
The Groundings with My Brothers by Walter Rodney
5.0
The Groundings with My Brothers is a collection of essays from activist/academic/revolutionary Walter Rodney. I loved reading it and learned a lot about liberation from Rodney's struggles in the Caribbean. Some of my highlights are:
1) Rodney's Article defining Black Power -> In multiple chapters, Rodney writes a broad critique against colonialism, capitalism, and white power. I love how he expresses solidarity with non-black poc in his definition of Black Power
The Black people of whom I speak, therefore, are non-whites - the hundreds of millions of people whose homelands are in Asia and Africa, with another few millions in the Americas. A further subdivision can be made with reference to all people of African descent, whose position is clearly more acute than that of nonwhite groups."
but also addresses how some nonwhite groups have become more welcomed into society than black people.
When we go to Britain we don't expect to take over all of the British real estate business, all their cinemas and most of their commerce, as the European, Chinese and Syrian have done here. All we ask for there is some work and shelter, and we can't get that. Black Power must proclaim that Jamaica is a black society - we should fly Garvey's Black Star Banner, and we will treat all other groups in the society on that understanding - they can have the basic right of all individuals but no privileges to exploit Africans as has been the pattern during slavery and ever since."
2) I loved Chapter 4 since Rodney explains that learning African History is not to be used in defense against white supremacy or to follow European measurements of cultural relevancy/power. The importance of history is instead to unlearn the inaccurate portrayal of Africa and gain confidence in historical achievements/structures that colonialism removed. Chapter 4's theme could apply to other colonialized countries that had their histories and self-image taken away.
3) I also liked how "The Groundings with My Brothers" neatly connects from the last book I read, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed", and further details how to work with the people. Rodney details what intellectuals should do in their systems and what they should do alongside the masses. As Patricia Rodney states in the commentaries :
" groundings exemplified his approach to life: one where academics and activism were integrated and inseparable in the pursuit of equality, justice, and a common humanity."
1) Rodney's Article defining Black Power -> In multiple chapters, Rodney writes a broad critique against colonialism, capitalism, and white power. I love how he expresses solidarity with non-black poc in his definition of Black Power
The Black people of whom I speak, therefore, are non-whites - the hundreds of millions of people whose homelands are in Asia and Africa, with another few millions in the Americas. A further subdivision can be made with reference to all people of African descent, whose position is clearly more acute than that of nonwhite groups."
but also addresses how some nonwhite groups have become more welcomed into society than black people.
When we go to Britain we don't expect to take over all of the British real estate business, all their cinemas and most of their commerce, as the European, Chinese and Syrian have done here. All we ask for there is some work and shelter, and we can't get that. Black Power must proclaim that Jamaica is a black society - we should fly Garvey's Black Star Banner, and we will treat all other groups in the society on that understanding - they can have the basic right of all individuals but no privileges to exploit Africans as has been the pattern during slavery and ever since."
2) I loved Chapter 4 since Rodney explains that learning African History is not to be used in defense against white supremacy or to follow European measurements of cultural relevancy/power. The importance of history is instead to unlearn the inaccurate portrayal of Africa and gain confidence in historical achievements/structures that colonialism removed. Chapter 4's theme could apply to other colonialized countries that had their histories and self-image taken away.
3) I also liked how "The Groundings with My Brothers" neatly connects from the last book I read, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed", and further details how to work with the people. Rodney details what intellectuals should do in their systems and what they should do alongside the masses. As Patricia Rodney states in the commentaries :
" groundings exemplified his approach to life: one where academics and activism were integrated and inseparable in the pursuit of equality, justice, and a common humanity."