Glossary
African Socialism
A political ideology promoted by Léopold Sédar Senghor, based on traditional African values of community, sharing, and collective responsibility, as an alternative to Western capitalism and Soviet communism.
Example:
African Socialism sought to build a new social order in post-colonial Africa that was rooted in indigenous communal values rather than imported ideologies.
African diaspora
The global dispersion of people of African descent, largely due to the transatlantic slave trade, whose shared heritage and experiences connect them across continents.
Example:
Négritude and Negrismo focused on the broader African diaspora, highlighting shared experiences of colonialism and cultural resilience.
Aimé Césaire
A Martinican poet, author, and politician, and a foundational figure of the Négritude movement, known for his powerful critiques of colonialism and advocacy for Black liberation.
Example:
Students often study Aimé Césaire's "Discourse on Colonialism" to understand the intellectual foundations of anti-colonial thought.
Anti-colonialism
A political and intellectual movement advocating for the independence of colonized territories and peoples from imperial rule, often challenging the legitimacy and morality of colonialism.
Example:
The Négritude movement had a strong anti-colonialism stance, directly protesting French colonial policies and cultural superiority.
Assimilation (French colonial policy)
A French colonial policy that aimed to integrate colonized peoples into French culture, language, and values, often at the expense of their indigenous identities.
Example:
The Négritude movement directly rejected the French policy of assimilation, asserting the distinct value of African and Caribbean cultures.
Discourse on Colonialism
A searing 1950 essay by Aimé Césaire that provides a foundational critique of European colonialism, exposing its brutality, hypocrisy, and dehumanizing effects on both colonizer and colonized.
Example:
Discourse on Colonialism remains a crucial text for understanding postcolonial studies and the interconnectedness of racism and capitalist exploitation.
Eurocentrism
A worldview centered on Western civilization, often implying a bias or prejudice in favor of European culture, history, and values over others.
Example:
Negrismo writers challenged the dominant Eurocentrism in Latin American culture by celebrating African influences in art and music.
Global Capitalism (Critique of)
The economic system characterized by private ownership and profit-seeking on an international scale, which Négritude and Negrismo writers critiqued for its exploitative nature and connection to the oppression of Black people.
Example:
Aimé Césaire linked the liberation of colonized peoples to a broader struggle against Global Capitalism, seeing it as a tool of imperialism.
Harlem Renaissance (New Negro movement)
An intellectual, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York, during the 1920s, which celebrated African American culture and identity, inspiring global Black movements.
Example:
The Harlem Renaissance saw a flourishing of Black literature, art, and music, demonstrating the rich cultural contributions of African Americans in the U.S.
Jim Crow laws
State and local laws enacted in the Southern and some border states of the United States from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries, enforcing racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.
Example:
The New Negro movement primarily focused on fighting against the injustices of Jim Crow laws and lynching in the U.S.
Les Fétiches
A 1938 painting by Loïs Mailou Jones, created during the Harlem Renaissance, which showcases her exploration of cultural heritage by incorporating traditional African masks and sculptures.
Example:
Les Fétiches challenged prevailing notions of "primitive" art, asserting the sophistication and beauty of African artistic traditions.
Loïs Mailou Jones
An influential African American artist associated with the Harlem Renaissance, known for her exploration of African and African American artistic traditions and modernist aesthetics.
Example:
Loïs Mailou Jones's "Les Fétiches" exemplifies her commitment to reclaiming and celebrating African roots within her art.
Luis Palés Matos
A Puerto Rican poet and a significant figure in the Negrismo movement, known for his "poesía negrista" which celebrated Afro-Caribbean culture and rhythms.
Example:
Through his "poesía negrista," Luis Palés Matos explored and celebrated the African roots deeply embedded in Puerto Rican identity.
Léon Damas
A French Guianese poet and writer, one of the co-founders of the Négritude movement, whose work often expressed anger and disillusionment with colonial society.
Example:
Along with Césaire and Senghor, Léon Damas helped lay the groundwork for the Négritude movement's literary and political resistance.
Léopold Sédar Senghor
A Senegalese poet, cultural theorist, and the first president of Senegal, who was a key figure in the Négritude movement and promoted "African socialism."
Example:
As a leader of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor sought to implement policies that reflected the communal values he championed through Négritude.
Motivos de son
A 1930 poetry collection by Nicolás Guillén, a landmark work of Negrismo literature that incorporated Afro-Cuban rhythms and language to celebrate Black culture and critique social inequalities.
Example:
The rhythmic verses of Motivos de son captured the essence of Afro-Cuban music and daily life, making it a cornerstone of Negrismo.
Negrismo
A cultural and literary movement that emerged in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean around the same time as Négritude, celebrating African contributions to Latin American culture.
Example:
Nicolás Guillén's poetry, rich with Afro-Cuban rhythms, is a prime example of the Negrismo movement's vibrant celebration of African influences in the Caribbean.
Nicolás Guillén
A Cuban poet, journalist, and political activist, considered Cuba's national poet and a central figure of the Negrismo movement, known for incorporating Afro-Cuban rhythms and themes into his poetry.
Example:
Nicolás Guillén's "Motivos de son" brought the vibrant sounds and experiences of Afro-Cuban life into mainstream literature.
Notebook of a Return to the Native Land
A seminal 1939 poem by Aimé Césaire, considered a foundational text of the Négritude movement, which celebrates African roots and condemns colonial oppression.
Example:
Notebook of a Return to the Native Land powerfully articulated the psychological liberation that came with embracing one's African heritage.
Négritude
A political, cultural, and literary movement from the 1930s-1950s, originating among French-speaking Caribbean and African writers, that celebrated Black identity and protested colonialism and assimilation.
Example:
Aimé Césaire's poetry is a powerful example of the Négritude movement's embrace of African heritage and rejection of European cultural dominance.
Santería/Vodou
Afro-Caribbean religious traditions that originated among enslaved Africans and their descendants, blending West African spiritual beliefs with elements of Catholicism.
Example:
Negrismo artists like Wifredo Lam incorporated symbols and figures from Santería/Vodou into their works, celebrating these vibrant spiritual traditions.
The Jungle (La Jungla)
A 1943 painting by Wifredo Lam, a masterpiece that captures the complex cultural identity of Afro-Cuban society, blending African, Caribbean, and European influences with a surrealist style.
Example:
The Jungle is often analyzed for its powerful commentary on colonialism, slavery, and the resilience of African diaspora spiritual traditions.
Wifredo Lam
A Cuban artist of Chinese, European, and African descent, whose surrealist paintings explored Afro-Cuban identity, spirituality, and the impacts of colonialism.
Example:
Wifredo Lam's art, like "The Jungle," visually represented the complex blend of cultures and spiritual traditions in Afro-Cuban society.