Abstract:This article recovers Anténor Firmin’s contribution to anticolonial political thought by excavating his liberal worldmaking project of global racial equality and anticolonial solidarity. I assess Firmin’s contrast between “true” and “false” liberalism in Haiti, reconstructing his understanding of true Haitian liberalism as committed to the core ideas of historical progress, national regeneration, and rehabilitation of the Black race globally. I contextualize his Equality of the Human Races in metropolitan Pari… Show more
“…Firmin is probably best known for his 1885 book "On the Equality of Human Races" in which he critiqued scientific racism (Firmin, 2000). But as Holley (2021) shows, Firmin also critiqued European discourses of solidarity. Firmin's essay, “European solidarity,” begins by theorizing solidarity as a form of patriotism:As civilization progresses, men develop a feeling of solidarity which becomes increasingly stronger.…”
Section: The Social Self Solidarity and The Globalmentioning
Sociology was born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a project in, of, and for empire. This essay excavates a tradition of social thought that grew alongside metropolitan sociology but has been marginalized by it: anticolonial thought. Emerging from anticolonial movements, writers and thinkers, anticolonial thought in 19th and 20th centuries emerged from a variety of thinkers (from indigenous activists in the Americas to educated elites in the American, Francophone and British colonies). I argue that this body of thought offers distinct visions of society, social relations, and social structure, along with generative analytic approaches to the social self, social solidarity and global relations-among other themes. Anticolonial thought offers the basis for an alternative canon and corpus of sociological thinking to which we might turn as we seek to revitalize and decolonize sociology.
“…Firmin is probably best known for his 1885 book "On the Equality of Human Races" in which he critiqued scientific racism (Firmin, 2000). But as Holley (2021) shows, Firmin also critiqued European discourses of solidarity. Firmin's essay, “European solidarity,” begins by theorizing solidarity as a form of patriotism:As civilization progresses, men develop a feeling of solidarity which becomes increasingly stronger.…”
Section: The Social Self Solidarity and The Globalmentioning
Sociology was born in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a project in, of, and for empire. This essay excavates a tradition of social thought that grew alongside metropolitan sociology but has been marginalized by it: anticolonial thought. Emerging from anticolonial movements, writers and thinkers, anticolonial thought in 19th and 20th centuries emerged from a variety of thinkers (from indigenous activists in the Americas to educated elites in the American, Francophone and British colonies). I argue that this body of thought offers distinct visions of society, social relations, and social structure, along with generative analytic approaches to the social self, social solidarity and global relations-among other themes. Anticolonial thought offers the basis for an alternative canon and corpus of sociological thinking to which we might turn as we seek to revitalize and decolonize sociology.
“…Across Latin America the embrace of solidarity can be observed in the common phrase "mi casa es su casa", which literally translates to "my house is your house" [48]. Sentiments of solidarity were infused in anti-slavery [49] and anti-colonial movements [50]. As the indigenous Mexican revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata said:…”
Steve is currently employed in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion office in the College of Engineering at UMass Amherst. He works on outreach, community engagement, and student support and he teaches a class in Engineering Service-Learning. His background is in sustainable energy engineering. Steve has worked on the modeling and design of stand-alone hybrid photovoltaic / wind turbine systems. His professional experiences include secondary school STEM education, collegiate service-learning, and sustainable energy installations in Latin America. Steve has experience in multi-disciplinary collaborations, in addition to collaborations with businesses, non-profit organizations, and communitybased organizations. Involved in efforts that engage communities in designing, implementing, and maintaining varied sustainable energy technologies and using them as vehicles for economic and community development.
Ankita KumarAnkita Kumar has bachelors degrees in Computer Science and English, and has experience working in education as a tutor. She is passionate about social justice, and is invested in bringing the compassion and empathy of the humanities into STEM.
Although a master category of contemporary social and political thought, the conceptual import of colonialism has long been contested. Turning to the political thought of Jawaharlal Nehru, this article reconstructs the surprising, and often surreptitious, intellectual transformations that rendered colonialism into a generic name for European rule over Asia and Africa. It demonstrates how the dual claims of colonialism—a historical reference for the global event of European expansion and a threadbare analytical definition for a particular form of rule—generated a powerful framework in the anticolonial age. While the expanded juridical uses of colonialism in the Cold War era undermined its historical claims, the priority would reverse with its postcolonial re-signification as a shorthand for studying the paradoxes of global modernity. Reframing these debates, this article argues that reflexive navigation between the dual claims of colonialism is key to a capacious appreciation of its historical and normative contentions.
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