AfricaNow! March 27, 2024 Thinking Through CLR James with Matthew Quest Pt.III

Topic and Guest: Summary--Today, we present part three, the final installment of the three-part series where we are unpacking CLR James’s thought, paying specific attention to his articulation of notions of direct democracy, worker’s self-emancipation/management, and meditations on autonomy with Matthew Quest.  We are intentionally exploring CLR James as a frame of reference in the context of current labor struggles, the opportunities, and potential limitations of demands within labor movements [where we think through the limitations of labor demands being divorced from direct critique of imperialism and colonialisms]; and how does CLR James’s conceptualization of autonomy and direct democracy have an important part to play in conceptualization of labor movements today. 

Matthew Quest is an editor of Clash! a collective of writers who advocate for Caribbean unity from below. He has taught African, African American and Caribbean History at universities in the United States.

Part of Full Intro--Matthew Quest in CLR James and George Padmore: Hidden Disputes in The Black Radical Tradition, examines the collaboration between James and George Padmore since their partnership within the International African Service Bureau in the 1930s. Despite their joint activism in Pan-African affairs, political rifts emerged on democracy, socialism, and revolutionary strategy. 

Quest specifically explores James’ portrayal of Padmore to highlight the political tensions underlying their friendship. James’ and Padmore’s different perspectives on anti-imperialism reveal hidden disputes in the Black radical tradition, disputes that promoted evolution in thought and practice that must be taken up today.

In  London during the 1930s, the era of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia, CLR James (1901–1989) and George Padmore (1903–1959) worked together as activists in the International African Service Bureau. 

Quest goes on to highlight that “in 1957 a plan was hatched in Britain for Padmore to become chief of staff of Pan African affairs in Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana, and James to become the editor of The Nation, the organ of Eric Williams’s People’s National Movement (PNM), but also the secretary of the effort to federate the West Indies from 1958–1962. When Padmore passed away CLR James began to write him into history.”...

MUSIC ON THE SHOW: intro--“WATER” BY INNA MODJA commemorating World Water Day March 22; intro with CLR James's interview--SPACE BY HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE FEAT. YASIIN BEY; break--“MAI” CHIWONISO MARAIRE commemorating her birthday March 5 (March 5, 1976–July 24, 2013) and Women’s History Month; sign-off--“FORTIFY” BY NUBYA GARCIA; closing song--“THINK” BY ARETHA FRANKLIN commemorating her birthday which is March 25 (March 25, 1942–August 16, 2018) and Women’s History Month.

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AfricaNow! Mar. 27, 2024 Thinking Through CLR James with Matthew Quest Pt. III

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AfricaNow! Mar. 27, 2024 Thinking Through CLR James with Matthew Quest Pt. III

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