Race, Class, and Nationalism in the Twenty-First-Century Caribbean

This collection of more than a dozen essays focuses on the political dynamics of race, class, and nationalism in the contemporary Caribbean. Despite the plethora of studies on nationalism in the Caribbean, few have attempted to look at the phenomenon as a political invention that does not—and cannot—serve the interests of all: how essentialist, reductive, overdetermining nationalism is a political and conceptual confusion that forever stalls the project of universal human emancipation. Editors Scott Timcke and Shelene Gomes gather and frame chapters that, in their collective expression, help trace the process of race, class, and nationalism through the contours of a broader political, economic, and social geography. These chapters argue that notions of racial identity have changed over time, but those reformations are not independent of class rule or nationalism. By using several case studies that span the Anglo, Dutch, French, and Spanish Caribbean and focus on the development of political organizations, hardships, and ideology, each of these essays continues the struggle for liberation against elite entrenchment.

About the Author :
Shelene Gomes (Editor) SHELENE GOMES is a sociocultural anthropologist at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago and 2023–24 visiting scholar in residence in anthropology at the University of Cape Town. She is the author of Cosmopolitanism from the Global South. Scott Timcke (Editor) SCOTT TIMCKE is a senior research associate at Research ICT Africa. He is the author of Algorithms and The End of Politics: The Shaping of Technology in 21st Century American Life and The Political Economy of Fortune and Misfortune: Prospects for Prosperity in Our Times. He is a Research Associate at the Centre for Social Change, University of Johannesburg

Review :
Rooted in the political philosophy of C.L.R. James, the contributions to this volume engage the enduring Caribbean echoes of the original sins of European colonialism right into the twenty-first century. Dependent capitalism, slavery, and other forms of forced labour, class exploitation and racism still define the daily realities for millions. What has changed, however, are the vacuous claims of sovereignty and independence that are today enunciated by local politicians and spokespersons, who have replaced their now-departed colonial masters. Cloaked in the garb of ‘blackness,’ bourgeois ethnic and cultural nationalisms now serve to mask the sufferers’ struggle for genuine freedom. Indeed, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Or, as Scott Timcke has quoted C.L.R. James as saying, 'The fundamentals have not changed.' This dynamic collection shows the continued relevance of critical approaches to advance Caribbean scholarship. The book helps us understand the nuances of persistent elements of colonialism in the politics and lived experiences of Caribbean peoples. It speaks of resistance and resilience to racial, class, and gender oppression through struggles for agency, transformation, and freedom. This volume brings together an impressive array of country case studies, themes, and disciplinary perspectives to challenge the ground on which Caribbean nationalism is based. Together the chapters work to show how nationalism has submerged critical inequalities in class, race, and gender, and why confronting these absences is necessary to construct a future based on genuine freedom and self-determination.