R.I.P. / Stereohyped

R.I.P.

Aime Cesaire

Aime Cesaire, the famous poet, politician, and anti-colonialist from Martinique, died yesterday at the age of 94. Cesaire was the founder of the negritude movement, which is similar in message to what we know as "black pride" and encouraged the development of a black consciousness and black identity under colonial rule.

His poems expressed the degradation of black people in the Caribbean and describe the rediscovery of an African sense of self. In his "Discourse on Colonialism", first published in 1950, Cesaire compared the relationship between the coloniser and colonised with the Nazis and their victims.

Cesaire was also mayor of Fort-de-France for nearly half a century. [Reuters]

Apr 18, 2008 · posted by Lauren Williams, Stereohyped · Link · 7 Responses

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Tagged: Aime Cesaire, RIP

Comments (7)

No. 1 · msim

Thank your Lauren for not only posting news related to the English-speaking world.
The négritude movement started in the 1930's and was inspired by the Harlem Renaissance.
The Black pride movement only came about in the 1960's.

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 10:10 am

No. 2 · chic noir

We are losing so many of our greats.

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 10:37 am

No. 3 · chic noir

Sengal's(West Africa)first president was apart of the negritude movement also.

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 10:38 am

No. 4 · The Cruel Secretary

@ chic noir–co-sign w/ we are losing so many of our greats." Cesaire helped us bring us back to ourselves. He's done his work here; it's up to us to continue that work in out-loud and quiet ways…

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 11:06 am

No. 5 · Mary

Lauren- Thank you; this post means a lot to me and had I not gone to your site it have probably been weeks before I found out that Aime Cesaire had passed away. He was a great man and I consider him
an integral player in shaping the history of black black people.

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 11:43 am

No. 6 · Rachel

Lauren, Aimé Césaire was a great poet and activist. In loving memory of whom i give you those humble translations :

english > french
Black = Noir
Negro = Nègre
Nigger/Nigga = Nègro

You quote it yourself, Césaire fought for
"the rediscovery of an AFRICAN sense of SELF"

He refered to himself as a Negro (Nègre) or as an African-West Indian a.k.a someone whose identity is not based on a black/white definition. Wich lead to the creation of "Negritude" wich could be translated to "Negroness".

Even if this "black-stuffed" post of yours hurts my feelings, thanks for showing a stranger that is not Robert Mugabe some "love".

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 3:56 pm

No. 7 · souldecirce

even though it sounds sweeter in French, this (Penguin) English translation of "Perdition" is wonderful:

we will strike the new air with our armour-plated heads / we will strike the sun with our wide-open palms / we will strike the soil with the bare foot of our voices / the male flowers will sleep in the coves of mirrors / and the very armour of the trilobites / will be lowered in the half-light of forever / on tender breasts swelled with lodes of milk / and will we not pass through the porch / the porch of perditions? a vigorous path with veiny yellowings / tepid / where the buffaloes of unsubdued angers bound / runs / gulping the bridle of ripe tornadoes / amid the ringing cannas of rich twilights.

Posted: Apr 18, 2008 at 4:26 pm

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