[News] Aimé Césaire passes - International Figure in Black Consciousness Movement

[Anti-Imperialist News]

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Aimé Césaire, the esteemed poet, writer, 
politician, and anti-colonial activist from 
Martinique died on April 17, 2008. He was 94 
years old. Césaire is revered internationally as 
a leading figure in the movement for Black 
Consciousness and pride, which he called "Negritude."

Césaire's use of culture to fight colonialism and 
racism influenced generations of activists and 
writers around the world. Fellow Martiniquan 
author and revolutionary Frantz Fanon considered Césaire to be his mentor.

At the end of August 2007, the International 
Tribunal on Katrina was held in New Orleans. 
Césaire was an endorser of this Tribunal and 
delegated his long-time political ally, Pierre 
Aliker, to chair the Martiniquan effort on his behalf, given his poor health.

The Martiniquan Committee in Support of the 
International Tribunal on Katrina sent a 
four-person delegation from Martinique to 
participate in the Tribunal and to deliver a 
solidarity statement from Césaire to the Gulf Coast Survivors.

We are publishing below, the letter of condolence 
sent by the Martiniquan Committee to the family 
of Aimé Césaire as well as to the members of the 
Parti Progressiste Martiniquais, of which Césaire was a longtime leader.

The Martiniquan Committee for the Katrina 
Tribunal is asking activists in the United States 
to send messages of condolence to the family and 
comrades of Aimé Césaire. Please send your 
messages care of the Comité Martiniquais de 
Soutien au Tribunal International Katrina, to 
Jacqueline Petitot <jacqueline.petitot at wanadoo.fr>.

Thanks.

In Unity and Struggle,

Alan Benjamin
ILC

**********

Martiniquan Committee in Support of the International Tribunal on Katrina

To the Members of the Family of Aimé Césaire
To the Members of His Political Family: the Parti Progressiste Martiniquais

In the name of the Martiniquan Committee in 
Support of the International Tribunal on Katrina, 
which was held from August 29 to September 23, 
2007, in the name of the international organizers 
of this Tribunal, and in the name of the Black 
sisters and brothers in the United States who 
participated in this Tribunal, we send you our 
most sincere condolences over the loss you have just suffered.

The support by Aimé Césaire to this International 
Tribunal, which was chaired by his longtime 
Brother in struggle, Pierre Aliker, had an enormous impact.

Hence, a former Black Panther who is championing 
the struggle for Black rights in the United 
States today told us he had hoped to be able to 
come to Martinique to meet with Aimé Césaire, who 
he considers a true hero of all Black people around the world.

The same is true of Sister Cynthia McKinney, one 
of the Co-Conveners of the Tribunal. Sister 
McKinney is a former Congresswoman from Georgia 
and is currently a presidential candidate on 
behalf of the Power to the People coalition, 
supported by Brother Mumia Abu-Jamal. She told us 
in New Orleans that she always dreamed of meeting 
Aimé Césaire, whose texts she had read in French. 
She said she wanted our support to be able to fulfill her dream of meeting him.

Lonnè épi respé ba Aimé Césaire.




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