Holding Aloft the Banner of Ethiopia : Caribbean Radicalism in Early Twentieth Century America

Marcus Garvey, Amy Jacques Garvey, Claude McKay, Claudia Jones, C.L.R. James, Stokely Carmichael—the roster of immigrants from the Caribbean who have had a profound impact on the development of radical politics in the United States is a long one. In this magisterial work, Winston James focuses on the twentieth century’s first wave of inspirational writers and activists from the Caribbean and their contribution to political dissidence in America. Examining the way in which the characteristics of the societies they left shaped their perceptions of the land to which they traveled, Winston James draws sharp differences between Hispanic, Anglophone, and other non-Hispanic arrivals. He explores the interconnections between the Cuban independence struggle, Puerto Rican nationalism, Afro-American feminism, and black communism in the first turbulent decades of the twentieth century. He also provides fascinating insights into the peculiarities of Puerto Rican radicalism’s impact in New York City and recounts the remarkable story of Afro-Cuban radicalism in Florida. Virgin Islander Hubert Harrison, whom A. Philip Randolph dubbed “the father of Harlem radicalism,” is rescued from the historical shadows by James’s analysis of his pioneering contribution to Afro-America’s radical tradition. In addition to a subtle re-examination of Garvey’s Universal Negro Movement Association—including the exertions and contributions of its female members—James provides the most detailed exploration so far undertaken of Cyril Briggs and his little-known but important African Blood Brotherhood. This diligently researched, wide ranging and sophisticated book will be welcomed by all those interested in the Caribbean and its émigrés, the Afro-American current within America’s radical tradition, and the history, politics, and culture of the African diaspora. "A major history of the impact of Caribbean migration to the United States. Marcus Garvey, Claude McKay, Claudia Jones, C.L.R. James, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farakhan--the roster of immigrants from the Caribbean who have made a profound impact on the development of radical politics in the United States is extensive. In this magisterial and lavishly illustrated work, Winston James focuses on the twentieth centurys first waves of immigrants from the Caribbean and their contribution to political dissidence in America. Examining the way in which the characteristics of the societies they left shaped their perceptions of the land to which they traveled, Winston James draws sharp differences between Hispanic and English-speaking arrivals. He explores the interconnections between the Cuban independence struggle, Puerto Rican nationalism, Afro-American feminism, and black communism in the first turbulent decades of the twentieth century. He also provides fascinating insights into the impact of Puerto Rican radicalism in New York City and recounts the remarkable story of Afro-Cuban radicalism in Florida." --Amazon.com PREFACE TO THE NEW EDITION PREFACE and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PROLOGUE 1 • Caribbean Migration: Scale, Determinants, and Destinations, 1880–1932 2 • The Peculiarities of the Caribbeans: Characteristics and Forces Conducive to Radicalization 3 • Coming at Midnight: Race and Caribbean Reactions to America 4 • The Caribbean and the United States: Patterns of Race, Color, and Class 5 • Dimensions and Main Currents of Caribbean Radicalism in America: Hubert Harrison, the African Blood Brotherhood, and the UNIA 6 • Race Consciousness, Class Consciousness, and the Political Strategies of William Monroe Trotter and Marcus Garvey 7 • The Peculiarities of Afro-Hispanic Radicalism in the United States: The Political Trajectories of Arturo Schomburg and Jesús Colón 8 • From a Class for Itself to a Race on its Own: The Strange Case of Afro-Cuban Radicalism and Afro-Cubans in Florida, 1870–1940 EPILOGUE POSTSCRIPT: Harold Cruse and the West Indians: Critical Remarks on The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual NOTES STATISTICAL APPENDIX BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX MAPS The Caribbean Jamaica and its parishes Barbados and its parishes Marcus Garvey, Claude McKay, Claudia Jones, C.L.R. James, Stokely Carmichael, Louis Farakhan-the roster of immigrants from the Caribbean who have made a profound impact on the development of radical politics in the United States is extensive. In this magisterial and lavishly illustrated work, Winston James focuses on the twentieth century's first waves of immigrants from the Caribbean and their contribution to political dissidence in America.This diligently researched, wide-ranging and sophisticated book will be welcomed by all those interested in the Caribbean and its �migr�s, the Afro-American current within America's radical tradition, and the history, politics, and culture of the African diaspora. This is a systemic study of the politics and culture of the Afro-Caribbean migration to the United States, explaining the enigma of political radicalism among Caribbean migrants in America. It reports on black leadership, from Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam to Colin Powell.