Oliver was begging for that gruel in the musical ‘Oliver’. In the same way that many of us still beg to be accepted. What is it with acceptance ? Whether it is on racial, political or social lines, there is a still a desperate need for people to want to be accepted.
Let me take the island of Martinique as an example: Martinique is still a DOM of France, which affectively means that it is still a region of France just like the way the Loire region is. However, the “jambe dlo” (which is Martinican creole for ‘exile’, when more than 100,000 of Martinicans and Guadeloupians left for France in the 80s and 70s) highlights to an extent that the islands are not reader yet for independence.
If you can read French, just check out some of the message board websites that discuss independence. Many Martinicans do not want independence, noting that they depend on their “mere patrie” for their survival. I think this is indicative of what I call a “cake colonial mindset”. To me, this is when someone wants to lick the crumbs of the big cake, in fear that on his or hers own, s/he will never be able to gain the big sumptuous BlackForest gateaus. According to theorists like John Breuilly, a nation must endeavour to be as independent as possible.
This leaves islands like Martinique in an absolute quagmire: how can they even be seen as nations, with languages when they are not free and essentially still tied to France ? This is herein which the problem lies. A territory or a department in Martinique’s case can never be free without letting go. I do not personally see the island letting go of France. Martinique is a place that gave birth to Fanon and Aime Cesaire yet it is an island that cannot come to terms with the future. The future is about being independent. What will happen if France decides that it wants to cut Martinique loose ?
I think post-colonial theory is thus an apt approach for topics such as this. Only after jumping out of the colonial mindset does the person have a chance of living by her or his self. The problem is many black people still suffer from the cake colonial mindset. How do we grab ourselves out of here ? Self-determination is the answer. I think doing things for oneself basically. Sure, it is easier for me to wax lyrical but I am not talking about poverty. I am talking about surviving indoctrination that black people still suffer. This therefore means making our own films, our own books, our websites. Blogging is just the beginning of the post-colonial revolution. Let’s make our own cakes.
I also agree with Marco’s last post.
I enjoy topics like this. You have a great blog.
I agree with Ana. This (post-colonial theory) could also apply to the United States, as we Black folk here (in general) are still eating the crumbs and not fighting for our cake (full rights and what’s been due to us for hundreds of years).
Interesting post aulelia.
@Aulelia
I wasn’t suggesting that we look at how western nations become wealthy in order to follow THEIR economic model. Rather, it is instructive to examine the history of (unfair) wealth accumulation in western nation to illuminate how it is inextricably bound with unjust non-western exploitation and domination.
In order to function autonomously we must be fully aware of the global system in which we operate.
On a tangential note, I am firm believer that the “past,” “present,” and “future” can never be divorced from one another.
I think we need to look at the fact that today many developing nations are only independent by name. Black people need to learn to define the word independence. Few black nations are really independent. I won’t knock Martinicians all the way because tomorrow they may want to change their status and fight for their complete independence(the real one).
Saludos.
@Felicity, I suppose I am questioning why they should be so happy. If France decided to let Martinique drown, what would she, the island, do ? Martinique should at least be searching for full autonomy to secure the island’s future.
@Orville, My mother and father lived in Sweden for a while when they were younger, and my mum to this day speaks Swedish as a 3rd lang as she got her PhD there. I am sure it was hard for them but I don’t think we should let language barriers stop us. As long as you can understand someone and you have a legal right to be in any country in the world, I do not see a problem in settling in x country. But this is the thing, who cares if Europeans don’t accept us ? I mean, really who cares ? I know I don’t. Honestly, this search for acceptance will only serve to hurt black people. Self-determination is the way forward, imo.
@Marco, you’re back! You have made some interesting points. I do agree with some of what you wrote but I diverge in regards to your question of how did western nations become “wealthy”. I think it is partly futile in looking at the history of these nations economic standing. Post-colonial nations and societies have to look at how they can change their situations to achieve economic and social independence. Which is why I use Martinique as an example. Martinique, to me is still a existing colonial state to me, and I do think Martinique could survive and do well like Barbados for example if they sought autonomy. I think looking back retrospectively can only serve to hurt us because we are not ”western” peoples. We have to look at how we can consolidate our own economic prowess our way.
[...] Crumbs of the CakeLet me take the island of Martinique as an example: Martinique is still a DOM of France, which affectively means that it is still a region of France just like the way the Loire region is. However, the “jambe dlo” (which is Martinican … [...]
Although I partially agree with some of the sentiments expressed by those who have left comments, there’s a conspicuous gap in what has been offered thus far.
I do agree with Aulelia, that a self-determinitive politics needs to be deployed if any semblance of liberation is to be realized. However, any type of agency or self-determination does not operate on an island (figuratively and literally). Rather, there is a global economic, political, and cultural structure in which colonized (or formally colonized) nations are situated.
We need to understand impendiments to any type of liberation, not simply as some type of deficiency of the nation or its people, but as a function of (to put it quite bluntly) white global economic imperalists supremacy. The questions we need to be asking, at the very least, are: What is it about our global system that consistently disadvantages, by and large, non-Western countries? How have Western nations come to be “wealthy,” at whose expense, and from what labor?
The way I’ve been reading the comments posted thus far goes something like: “Well if the nations and the people of the African Diaspora work hard enough, everything will be okay. Therefore, the aforementioned countries and people are in such horrible conditions because they do not work hard enough.”
I think we need to think a little bit more critically when discussing colonization, decolonization, and the post-colonial condition. Like you said Aulelia, much of the work of post-colonial thought radically (re)thinks the possibilities for justice and liberation for colonized and (in)formally colonized peoples.
One Love,
Marco
Most West Indians indeed move to Canada, USA, or UK but we don’t want to live in non English speaking countries. There is a lot of racism in the European nations. For example, Belgium is very racist along with the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, I mean I can go on. Anyway, in a lot of European non English speaking countries they want blacks to speak their language and assimilate into their culture. However, the Europeans also don’t “want” to accept the blacks as equals and treat blacks as inferior.
Yes there is racism in England, Canada, and the USA but I believe it is better for blacks to live there then to live in some of those other European nations.
@Aisha, West Indians are hard working, no doubt about it, but we have to face facts here. Our parents came here for a better life, they put up with a lot of racism, my dad came over in the last 1950s. Are anyone of us going back to the West Indians, I doubt it. My mother died about 10 years ago and she despite all what she went through, she got the life she wanted and if she had her time again, she would still do the same thing, maybe she would have gone to California. Martinique, are part of the France, part of the EU, they get all the benefits in a warm country.
@Aulelia, we don’t have thirty years plus. Black people’s lives have always been hard, and at the end of the day, who is going to suffer, the women. If it is in Martinque’s interest to be part of France, so be it. The majority are quite happy living in Martinique and they don’t want to live in France
Wow, there are some illuminating comments here that deserve to be posts. Cheers all of you
@Felicity, Independence may be initially hard for all lot of countries but it will take decades for countries to improve. We are still in the incubating phase for many 30+ year old nations. I do agree with you on the fact that African people do not think a lot of shit like where the place is. Man, some african people are even in places like Poland that is extremely racist! I just think that while it may be good for Martinique to be french for now, it will never last. 100 years from now ? it just won’t last.
@lechatnoir, lol, you are fiery! LOL @ the common wealth joke. but seriously Martinique NEED to be independent imo because they will never be seen as a nation or taken seriously until then. why does the island still want to be breastfed by france ?
@aisha, exactly. that is what i think. we need to forge it. blogs are at the start but it is not enough. we need to selflessly construct blackness again.
Aulelia you are so right. There has to be a complete overhaul on the mentality of Black people. After that, economic independence will come. We have to create our own positive vision because no one else will do it for us. I think a lot of former territories flounder when they receive their independence because they don’t know how to run a country successfully.
@Felicity-Most West Indians actually relocate to cold climates such as New York, Toronto and England. And many take advantage of educational and professional opportunities and go on to be successful. West Indians are some of the most ambitious, hard-working people on this planet. They can survive and prosper anywhere.
Hum.. if Martinicans should be independant the US blacks should learn how to swim too.
when I looked at the retrospective of Ghana’s 50th independance day it really wasn’t all that. Sierra leone , Tanzania, Malawi Congo etc.. are not the best example of independant countries and each one of them is full of blacks, wasn’t Namibia a colony until 1985 ? is this country prosperous in 2008 ? now that its “black owned” ?
if you look around Jamaica is a complete disaster. and each one of these countries is a part of the “common wealth” where the hell is that money?
the US blacks are in really bad shape , I don’t understand why they would total 55% of Athe HIV cases when they live in the most envied western country.
Now with that why would Martinicans want to be independant just yet when there are RED signs everywhere?
shit gotta go
I do agree with what you are saying however, in Guyana’s case, independance was a total disaster, because Mr Burham, when he took away the railways, which was the oldest railway in the whole of South America, plus he made some terrible decisions with the Bauxite, he didn’t want to get the share holders 51%. From an African prospective, although there have been some problems, independence has worked for most African countries. You have to remember, they are French West Indians and British West Indians, they have a different mindset. African people can go to Iceland and be successful, with West Indians ‘I can’t take the cold’. Lot African people living in Norway, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, they have business, despite all the racism, they are curving out an extension, even in Eastern Europe, one African man has 2 million members. Best let them stay under the French.