Rediscovered lectures walter rodney gave in 1978 in hamburg shows a reflective intellectual, thinking critically about postcolonial african. Central aspects of walter rodneys political thought in relation to guyana were his ideas on ethnicity and class, selfemancipation and political violence. We recommend booking walter roth museum of anthropology tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Walter rodney was born in georgetown, guyana on 23 march 1942. Walter rodney on this day in caribbean history, walter rodney, a prominent guyanese historian, political activist and scholar, was assassinated in guyana in 1980. The commission of inquiry on the death of walter rodney. His most prolific work, how europe underdeveloped africa made him both famous and controversial. The walter rodney foundation was formed by the rodney family in 2006 and is headquartered in atlanta, georgia. After attending primary school, he won an open exhibition scholarship to attend queens college as one of the early workingclass beneficiaries of concessions made in the filed of education. Walter roth museum of anthropology georgetown 2020 all. Walter rodneys concept of development it is in his best celebrated bookhow europe underdeveloped africa thatwalter rodney pours his heart out on the meaning of development. On feb 8, a cold monday evening, more than 200 people braved the freezing winds blowing off the hudson river to pack a room at the brecht forum in manhattans west village for the new york premier of the documentary, w.
Walter rodney 1973 how europe underdeveloped africa. Through the medium of oral history, chungs book provides insightful recollections on his experiences in england, jamaica, tanzania, the usa and guyana from a diverse set of voices. In the book, rodney asserts that development in human society is a. This was the political context that walter rodney entered when he returned to guyana. Seminal is a word frequently used to describe how europe underdeveloped africa, walter rodneys opus that swiftly extended itself far beyond its academic crucible when published in 1972. Between april and june of 1978, walter rodney, then already an important intellectual for his book, how europe underdeveloped africa, was invited to teach a course, one hundred years of development in africa, at the university of hamburg.
Walter rodney was married to patricia rodney and together they have three children shaka, kanini and asha. Walter rodney was born in guyana on march 23, 1942. In the following years burnham faced an economy shattered by the depressed demand for bauxite and sugar and a restive populace suffering from severe commodity shortages and. His hosts rainer tetzlaff and peter lock, two radical lecturers at the university, recorded the lectures and full transcripts were made in 1984. Walter rodney on race, ethnicity and class guyana chronicle. His name is rarely mentioned along other members of the civil rights movements, or on the african continent itself. Theoretical rigour and principled arguments are essentials in. Mystery surrounds his death, with the guyanan regime claiming he was killed. In this essay, originally published by race today in 1983, clr james discusses rodneys work in relation to the revolutionary seizure of power. The book provides evidence of how capitalism inspired subjugationism is historically the common denominator for old imperialismnew imperialismpost imperialism. The making of an african intellectual the groundings with my brothers a history of the guyanese working people, 18811905 johns hopkins studies in atlantic history and culture.
Walter rodney was way ahead of his time africa is a country. The work of historians like walter rodney alters the way we look at the world, and in recognition of the significance of his work and life, history today is publishing a tribute to him written by the eminent historian of africa, professor richard gray. It had been his intention to work these into a book, a goal completed posthumously with the. The walter rodney foundation sharing the life and works. His was a working class familyhis father was a tailor and his mother a seamstress. Hope and struggle the enduring relevance of walter. Walter rodneys analyses reflected both a sober, wellreasoned historical investigation, shaped by marxist categories and critiques, and a deep sense of the historical conjuncture defined by global revolutionary upheavals, especially by african liberation struggles at that time. Walter anthony rodney was born in georgetown, guyana on march 23, 1942. Rodneys gift was his ability to synthesize centuries of history around a truism. Walter rodney 1973 preface this book derives from a concern with the contemporary african situation. It delves into the past only because otherwise it would be impossible to understand how the present came into being and what the trends are for the near future. Yet, pursuing those avenues is essential for the liberation of africa.
Misunderstanding and misrepresenting walter rodney. The question of disengagement from imperialism, 1971. A dictator is defined as one who elevates himself above all other citizens, and often. About the groundings with my brothers i have sat on a little oil drum, rusty and in the midst of garbage, and some black brothers and i have grounded together. The wpa had emerged as an alliance of several indo and afroguyanese organizations, emphasizing the need for workingclass unity. Between 1974 and 1980, rodney emerged as a leading figure in the resistance movement against the increasingly authoritarian. Walter anthony rodney was born to edward and pauline rodney in georgetown, guyana on march 23, 1942. His parents were workers who struggled to get him through primary school.
A promise of revolution is a compelling and intimate portrait of the life and legacy of dr. On june th the historian, walter rodney, died in a car explosion in georgetown. Walter rodney books list of books by author walter rodney. The walter rodney foundation is a 501c3 notforprofit organization. He was articulate and wellspoken, welleducated and informed, a personable listener and one who was in tune with the grassroots. Walter rodney was one of the most brilliant black minds of the 20th century. Walter rodney is widely known for his seminal work, how europe underdeveloped africa, that established a new paradigm for understanding the enduring impact and legacy of colonialism on the development of african countries. In 1960, he won another scholarship to study at the university of the west indies in continue reading.
Walter anthony rodney 23 march 1942 june 1980 was a prominent guyanese historian, political activist and academic. Resolution on the armed struggle in southern africa, n. Chief of staff walter reed national military medical center. Rodney, walter march 23, 1942june, 1980 walter rodney 1, whose father was a tailor and whose mother was a homemaker, was born in georgetown, guyana. Walter rodney was married to dr patricia rodney and had three children shaka, kanini and asha. Rodney, walter historian and labor activist walter rodney 19421980 is a figure of two major internationalist discourses which operated in the anticolonial movements of the 1960s and 70s, panafricanism and marxism. Walter reed national military medical center biography colonel rodney s. Rodneys ideas on ethnicity are derived from both his black nationalist and marxist thoughts. These interrelated planks of his thought informed his political practice which in turn enriched his ideas.
It was named after walter rodney, the guyanese scholar and political activist murdered in his native country in 1980, whose bestremembered book, how europe. Walter rodney biography caribbean hall of fame born to a working class family, rodney was a bright student, attending queens college in guyana and then attending university on a scholarship at the university of the west indies in jamaica, graduating in 1963. His father edward was a tailor and his mother pauline was a seamstress. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. A short documentary based on an interview by dr walter rodney on politics and society in guyana in the 1970s. Walter rodney, aspects of capitalist and socialist development in the u. Walter rodney 19421980 brother wally was a charismatic caribbean intellectual. The foundation is committed to sharing the life and works of walter rodney with students, scholars and community activists around the world. Walter rodney was born on march 23 in the colony of british guiana and educated at queens college in the capital, georgetown, and the. He developed into an intellectual and scholar and is recognized as one of the caribbeans most brilliant minds. The walter rodney seminar lecture series was inaugurated in the fall of 1977, at the initiative of two doctoral candidates in boston university s political science department. Walter rodney, the stellar marxist historian and fighter for social justice, faced, throughout his career, a diversity of daunting hazards, and paid the ultimate price.
Not since frantz fanons wretched of the earth had a writer so widely transformed how africa was seen and researched. Rodneys humanity poured out of his personality with a profound sense of the personal. Walter rodney was a prolific scholar who received a scholarship to study at queens college. Walter rodney was born in georgetown, guyana on march 23, 1942. The life of the great guyanese scholar and revolutionary walter rodney burned with a rare intensity. Gonzalez, a native of riverside, california, graduated from the united states military academy in 1993, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the army medical service corps. This has sensitized me to ways in which we need to understand the specificity of different situations.
Walter rodney, author info, published books, bio, photo, video, and. Walter rodneys russian revolution collects surviving texts from a series of lectures he delivered at the university of dar es salaam, an intellectual hub of the independent third world. See all 1 walter roth museum of anthropology tours on tripadvisor. In a wideranging defence of the legacy of walter rodney, cecil gutzmore takes on chinedu chukwudinmas critique of rodneys work. Rodneys academic record is filled with awards, open scholarships and. Walter rodney, the great marxist historian and activist, was killed on june th 1980 by a bomb in his native guyana. Misunderstanding and misrepresenting walter rodney roape. He is recognized as one of the caribbean s most brilliant minds. Walter rodney march 23, 1942june, 1980 in the beginning walter anthony rodney was born to edward and pauline rodney in georgetown, guyana on march 23, 1942. Walter rodneys how europe underdeveloped africa is a major contribution to african historiography.
The walter rodney foundation is a nonprofit organization, headquartered in atlanta, ga, that was formed by the rodney family in 2006. It is not coincidence that most black students have never heard of him. Born into a workingclass family, walter rodney was a very bright student, attending queens college in the then british guiana now guyana, where he became a champion debater and athlete, and. Walter rodney, one of the most important guyanese intellectual and political figures of the 20th century, was born on march 23, 1942 in. Walter rodney 19421980, a guyaneseborn historian, educator, pan africanist, scholar and political activist, was well known all over the.