Radicalism in question — Alexis Magnum Azevedo de Jesus’s (Faculdade de Direito 8 de Julho) review of “Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra”, by Cedric J. Robinson
Cedric J. Robinson | Illustration by de Joe Ciardiello/The Nation
Abstract: The work Marxismo Negro: a criação da tradição radical negra, by Cedric J. Robinson, explores the intersection between Marxism and European radicalism, highlighting the black radical tradition. Criticism point to Marxist reductionism and a etpist view of black intellectual evolution. Nevertheless, it is essential for ethnic-racial studies, indicating reading for black community and adherents of revolutionary perspectives.
Keywords: Black Marxism, ethnic-racial studies, and black radical tradition.
The work Marxismo Negro: a criação da tradição radical negra, written by Cedric J. Robinson (1940–2016) was published by Perspective Publishing (2023) and integrates the genre Social Theory in the Human Sciences. Its goal is to “map the historical and intellectual contours of the meeting between Marxism and European radicalism” (p.77), highlighting the roots and the intellectual contribution of the black radical tradition.
The work arrives in Brazil in a context of strengthening the black movement and deepening the theoretical debate about the ethnic-racial issue after more than a decade of the racial quota system on public universities and their impact on scientific production. However, even within the black and anti-racist scientific production in Brazil, the work occupies a minority flank, as the Marxist epistemological perspective has not been the reference of most studies that currently seek support in postmodern, decolonial theories, decolonials, Post-colonial, non-Marxist black feminisms, among other approaches. This is an explanation for the delay of forty years of Portuguese translation. Thus, it is possible to extract the degree of importance to the field of ethnic-racial studies and, particularly, within the chain of Marxist thinking.
The work is divided into three parts, adding twelve chapters. The text contains a presentation to the Brazilian edition prepared by Muryatan Barbosa, a prologue written by Robin D. G. Kelley and a preface written by Damien Sojoyner and Tiffany Willoughby-Herarard. It also contains two prefaces by the author himself, referring to the 2000 edition and the third edition. The presentation to the Brazilian edition is short and objective, highlighting three theses: 1. The work “showed the veil of Eurocentric historiography (including the Marxist)” (p. 14); 2. It is inserted “in the debate on progressive alternatives from the 1980s and 1990s, involving Marxism, theories of decolonization of Africa, cultural studies and anti -racist activism” (p. 14); 3. It is important for the struggles present like Black Matter Free in the US.
The prologue is a long text, divided into five parts. Initially, Kelley points out that “the black radical tradition is moving” (p.17) with black struggles triggered after the murder of George Floyd. He mentions historical black organizations in the United States that were influenced by the work Marxismo negro, stressing that “the two key concepts, racial capitalism and black radical tradition, presented on these pages almost forty years ago, became an ordinary part of political language and shared ”(p. 20). It then has a brief biography of Cedric Robinson. Finally, the preface is a short text, has a more relaxed tone and is divided into four parts. Starting from “favorite reminiscences about what it was like to learn from him” (p. 47), Willoughby-Herarard offers readers a reconstruction of good times of coexistence and learning with Robinson: “Your pedagogy is inspired by mood, the conscience of the working class class in the thinking of black women ”(p. 63).
The set of introductory texts (presentation, prologue and preface) values the work positively: “fundamental” (p.13), “great impact on current and future generations of intellectuals” (p.17). The preface to the 2000 edition written by Robinson himself is short and highlights the importance of recovering the black radical tradition as a way of overcoming Marxism. The preface to the third edition has only one page, a paragraph on the importance of recovering black struggles for “the younger brothers and sisters” (p.74).
In preface and introduction, Robinson argues that in Marx there is “arrogance”, “Eurocentrism and messianism” (p.68). Although he considered “abominable slavery, he also pushed slaves from his discourse on human freedom” (p. 68). Robinson also stated that the universalism of Marx’s theory is apparent. About the black radical tradition, it states that “it was the result of an accumulation throughout generations, the intelligence obtained in the struggle” (p.70) and thus “began to emerge and overcome Marxism” (p.71). For Robinson, Marxism and Black Radicalism are distinct, “two revolutionary change programs” (p.77). By claiming the contributions of W. E. B. Dubois, C. L. R. James and R. Wright, the author maintains that his Marxist learning “proved to be significant but unsatisfactory. Over time, events and experiences attracted him to black radicalism ”(p.84).
In the first part of the work, Robinson characterizes racism as an intrinsic element to the history of European peoples, sustaining the thesis that capitalism is racial since it was structured from existing racial differences in Europe, long before the capitalist era. Accordingly, European radicalism-including Marxism-would be limited by these socio-historical issues.
In the second part, the author highlights the roots of black radicalism, highlighting the process of enslavement, diaspora and black resistance in the former colonies. In the third part, the author establishes that the “black radical tradition” goes beyond the struggles in former colonies, thus conforming a black intellectuality, highlighting the figures of dubois, James and Wright as representatives.
In conclusion, the author establishes that the Black Radical Tradition “matured” (p.547) evolved “without him being aware of himself as tradition” (p.547) and that, finally, “experimentation with Western political inventories , like nationalism and class struggle, it is coming to an end. Black radicalism is transcending these traditions in order to adhere to its own authority ”(p.549)
Drawing the summary of the work, we can make some critical comments. Regarding the problematic points of the work, we highlight both the reductionism of Marxism to a form of European radicalism, and the conclusions of the work that understand black radicality as a tradition that surpasses Marxism. The author establishes a “etpist” relationship between Marxism and Black Radical Tradition, that is, the passage of black intellectuals through Marxism would be a kind of step in their processes of development of consciousness. Black radicalism would thus be a more advanced moment of understanding and action in black struggles.
For Robinson to maintain the coherence between the analysis it presents in the work and the title, it should explicit that there is no “black Marxism”, for for the author, or it is Marxism, with its own limitations of European radicalism, or its Overcoming, therefore, the black radical tradition. The fact that the “black radical tradition” is a subtitle of the expression “black Marxism”, gives a misconception that tradition would be black Marxism itself or, at the very least, a kind of black Marxism, when, in fact, to Robinson , it is its historical overcoming.
As for the positive aspects of the work, we highlight the chapter that addresses black struggles in former colonies, including citing the case of Brazil, establishing a common historical and political relationship between these movements, as well as the rescue of the political meaning of the black Marxist intellectuality of beginning of the twentieth century. Thus, the author highlights, on the one hand, that the black communities in diaspora never peacefully accepted the process of slavery, fighting daily for their freedom and, on the other hand, that the black resistance was also through theoretical production.
To readers most interested in deepening studies from a critical perspective, we suggest reading by Professor Nimtz Jr. in 1984, a year after the publication of Black Marxism. Interestingly, Nimtz Jr.’s critique arrived in Brazil before Robinson’s work, translated by researcher Mario Soares Neto (2022). Broadly speaking,
Nimtz Jr. maintains that Robinson’s work presents an “idealistic and static methodology” (Nimtz Jr., P. 2073), employs the concept “Black Radical Tradition” devoid of solid bases and misses that the chosen intellectuals broke with the Marxism: “Du Bois died a member of the Communist Party of the United States and James […] still considers herself a Marxist.” (Nimtz Jr., P. 2058).
Despite the misconceptions listed here, a work in question fulfills its central objective of establishing a relationship between Marxism, European radicalism and the importance of highlighting the black radical tradition. It is unavoidable reading for those and those who dream and fight for the end of racism and capitalism. For this reason, we recommend the work for the entire black community and other people interested in deepening ethnic-racial studies from a black and radical perspective, that is, revolutionary.
References
NIMTZ JR, August H. Marxism and the Black Struggle: The ‘Class vs. Race’ Debate Revisited. Journal of African Marxists. London, n. 7, p. 75-89., March, 1984.
ROBINSON, Cedric James. Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2023. Review by: JESUS, Alexis Magnum Azevedo de. Radicalism in question. Crítica Historiográfica. Natal, v.4, n.15, jan./feb., 2024. Available at <Radicalism in question — Alexis Magnum Azevedo de Jesus’s (Faculdade de Direito 8 de Julho) review of “Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra”, by Cedric J. Robinson – Crítica Historiografica (criticahistoriografica.com.br)>.
Radicalism in question — Alexis Magnum Azevedo de Jesus’s (Faculdade de Direito 8 de Julho) review of “Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra”, by Cedric J. Robinson
20 January 2024
Cedric J. Robinson | Illustration by de Joe Ciardiello/The Nation
Abstract: The work Marxismo Negro: a criação da tradição radical negra, by Cedric J. Robinson, explores the intersection between Marxism and European radicalism, highlighting the black radical tradition. Criticism point to Marxist reductionism and a etpist view of black intellectual evolution. Nevertheless, it is essential for ethnic-racial studies, indicating reading for black community and adherents of revolutionary perspectives.
Keywords: Black Marxism, ethnic-racial studies, and black radical tradition.
The work Marxismo Negro: a criação da tradição radical negra, written by Cedric J. Robinson (1940–2016) was published by Perspective Publishing (2023) and integrates the genre Social Theory in the Human Sciences. Its goal is to “map the historical and intellectual contours of the meeting between Marxism and European radicalism” (p.77), highlighting the roots and the intellectual contribution of the black radical tradition.
The work arrives in Brazil in a context of strengthening the black movement and deepening the theoretical debate about the ethnic-racial issue after more than a decade of the racial quota system on public universities and their impact on scientific production. However, even within the black and anti-racist scientific production in Brazil, the work occupies a minority flank, as the Marxist epistemological perspective has not been the reference of most studies that currently seek support in postmodern, decolonial theories, decolonials, Post-colonial, non-Marxist black feminisms, among other approaches. This is an explanation for the delay of forty years of Portuguese translation. Thus, it is possible to extract the degree of importance to the field of ethnic-racial studies and, particularly, within the chain of Marxist thinking.
The work is divided into three parts, adding twelve chapters. The text contains a presentation to the Brazilian edition prepared by Muryatan Barbosa, a prologue written by Robin D. G. Kelley and a preface written by Damien Sojoyner and Tiffany Willoughby-Herarard. It also contains two prefaces by the author himself, referring to the 2000 edition and the third edition. The presentation to the Brazilian edition is short and objective, highlighting three theses: 1. The work “showed the veil of Eurocentric historiography (including the Marxist)” (p. 14); 2. It is inserted “in the debate on progressive alternatives from the 1980s and 1990s, involving Marxism, theories of decolonization of Africa, cultural studies and anti -racist activism” (p. 14); 3. It is important for the struggles present like Black Matter Free in the US.
The prologue is a long text, divided into five parts. Initially, Kelley points out that “the black radical tradition is moving” (p.17) with black struggles triggered after the murder of George Floyd. He mentions historical black organizations in the United States that were influenced by the work Marxismo negro, stressing that “the two key concepts, racial capitalism and black radical tradition, presented on these pages almost forty years ago, became an ordinary part of political language and shared ”(p. 20). It then has a brief biography of Cedric Robinson. Finally, the preface is a short text, has a more relaxed tone and is divided into four parts. Starting from “favorite reminiscences about what it was like to learn from him” (p. 47), Willoughby-Herarard offers readers a reconstruction of good times of coexistence and learning with Robinson: “Your pedagogy is inspired by mood, the conscience of the working class class in the thinking of black women ”(p. 63).
The set of introductory texts (presentation, prologue and preface) values the work positively: “fundamental” (p.13), “great impact on current and future generations of intellectuals” (p.17). The preface to the 2000 edition written by Robinson himself is short and highlights the importance of recovering the black radical tradition as a way of overcoming Marxism. The preface to the third edition has only one page, a paragraph on the importance of recovering black struggles for “the younger brothers and sisters” (p.74).
In preface and introduction, Robinson argues that in Marx there is “arrogance”, “Eurocentrism and messianism” (p.68). Although he considered “abominable slavery, he also pushed slaves from his discourse on human freedom” (p. 68). Robinson also stated that the universalism of Marx’s theory is apparent. About the black radical tradition, it states that “it was the result of an accumulation throughout generations, the intelligence obtained in the struggle” (p.70) and thus “began to emerge and overcome Marxism” (p.71). For Robinson, Marxism and Black Radicalism are distinct, “two revolutionary change programs” (p.77). By claiming the contributions of W. E. B. Dubois, C. L. R. James and R. Wright, the author maintains that his Marxist learning “proved to be significant but unsatisfactory. Over time, events and experiences attracted him to black radicalism ”(p.84).
In the first part of the work, Robinson characterizes racism as an intrinsic element to the history of European peoples, sustaining the thesis that capitalism is racial since it was structured from existing racial differences in Europe, long before the capitalist era. Accordingly, European radicalism-including Marxism-would be limited by these socio-historical issues.
In the second part, the author highlights the roots of black radicalism, highlighting the process of enslavement, diaspora and black resistance in the former colonies. In the third part, the author establishes that the “black radical tradition” goes beyond the struggles in former colonies, thus conforming a black intellectuality, highlighting the figures of dubois, James and Wright as representatives.
In conclusion, the author establishes that the Black Radical Tradition “matured” (p.547) evolved “without him being aware of himself as tradition” (p.547) and that, finally, “experimentation with Western political inventories , like nationalism and class struggle, it is coming to an end. Black radicalism is transcending these traditions in order to adhere to its own authority ”(p.549)
Drawing the summary of the work, we can make some critical comments. Regarding the problematic points of the work, we highlight both the reductionism of Marxism to a form of European radicalism, and the conclusions of the work that understand black radicality as a tradition that surpasses Marxism. The author establishes a “etpist” relationship between Marxism and Black Radical Tradition, that is, the passage of black intellectuals through Marxism would be a kind of step in their processes of development of consciousness. Black radicalism would thus be a more advanced moment of understanding and action in black struggles.
For Robinson to maintain the coherence between the analysis it presents in the work and the title, it should explicit that there is no “black Marxism”, for for the author, or it is Marxism, with its own limitations of European radicalism, or its Overcoming, therefore, the black radical tradition. The fact that the “black radical tradition” is a subtitle of the expression “black Marxism”, gives a misconception that tradition would be black Marxism itself or, at the very least, a kind of black Marxism, when, in fact, to Robinson , it is its historical overcoming.
As for the positive aspects of the work, we highlight the chapter that addresses black struggles in former colonies, including citing the case of Brazil, establishing a common historical and political relationship between these movements, as well as the rescue of the political meaning of the black Marxist intellectuality of beginning of the twentieth century. Thus, the author highlights, on the one hand, that the black communities in diaspora never peacefully accepted the process of slavery, fighting daily for their freedom and, on the other hand, that the black resistance was also through theoretical production.
To readers most interested in deepening studies from a critical perspective, we suggest reading by Professor Nimtz Jr. in 1984, a year after the publication of Black Marxism. Interestingly, Nimtz Jr.’s critique arrived in Brazil before Robinson’s work, translated by researcher Mario Soares Neto (2022). Broadly speaking,
Nimtz Jr. maintains that Robinson’s work presents an “idealistic and static methodology” (Nimtz Jr., P. 2073), employs the concept “Black Radical Tradition” devoid of solid bases and misses that the chosen intellectuals broke with the Marxism: “Du Bois died a member of the Communist Party of the United States and James […] still considers herself a Marxist.” (Nimtz Jr., P. 2058).
Despite the misconceptions listed here, a work in question fulfills its central objective of establishing a relationship between Marxism, European radicalism and the importance of highlighting the black radical tradition. It is unavoidable reading for those and those who dream and fight for the end of racism and capitalism. For this reason, we recommend the work for the entire black community and other people interested in deepening ethnic-racial studies from a black and radical perspective, that is, revolutionary.
References
NIMTZ JR, August H. Marxism and the Black Struggle: The ‘Class vs. Race’ Debate Revisited. Journal of African Marxists. London, n. 7, p. 75-89., March, 1984.
ROBINSON, Cedric James. Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 2023. Review by: JESUS, Alexis Magnum Azevedo de. Radicalism in question. Crítica Historiográfica. Natal, v.4, n.15, jan./feb., 2024. Available at <Radicalism in question — Alexis Magnum Azevedo de Jesus’s (Faculdade de Direito 8 de Julho) review of “Marxismo negro: a criação da tradição radical negra”, by Cedric J. Robinson – Crítica Historiografica (criticahistoriografica.com.br)>.
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Alexis Magnum Azevedo de Jesus is a PhD in Education (UFS), Master in Education (UFS), Specialist in Constitutional Law (EJUSE) and Graduated in Law (UFS). He is a professor at the Faculdade de Direito 8 de Julho and a militant of the Black Movement. Published, among other texts, Apontamentos teóricos sobre o genocídio da população negra no Brasil: (re) pensando a necropolítica a partir da crise estrutural do capital (2022), Racismo e Covid-19 em Sergipe: a não divulgação do indicador cor/raça e a luta da população negra pela vida (2022) e 20 anos da lei 10.639: por uma educação das relações étnico-raciais para além do capital” (2023). ID Lattes: https://lattes.cnpq.br/0989008334842080 ID Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3559-1221 Instagram: @alexispedrao Twitter: @alexispedrao E-mail: alexisazevedodejesus@gmail.com.
