(1969) - The Groundings with My Brothers - Walter Rodney
"To begin with, the white world defines who is white and who is black," Walter Rodney goes on in this highly provocative work highlighting the power dynamics present between Black and white people and the deeply rooted systemic pushbacks non-white people face. He hones in on the imperialist world and its desire to erase people and their history, through colonially oppressive means. There is constant pushback and funnelling of Black people when it comes to rising up and aiming to defeat colonialist terror. Black peoples have historically lacked power, to which Rodney calls on them to stand up against white capitalist imperialists and move away from the narrative of being inferior to white people. He calls for the rise of Black power and to shift from surviving to thriving.
It must be noted that once a person is said to be black by the white world, then that is usually the most important thing about him; fat or thin, intelligent or stupid, criminal or sportsman – these things pale into insignificance.