How did Wright view colonialism? Was it shaped by his views on Communism?
Jerry W. Ward: Wright saw colonialism as a major example of capitalist exploitation of human and natural resources. Obviously, his vision was shaped by Marxist analysis, but we should discriminate between Marxism and communism. Wright accepted Marxism as an instrument not as an article of faith. I think Wright’s view of colonialism is better expressed in The Color Curtain and in White Man, Listen! than in Black Power. Michele L. Simms Burton: Because of his associations with George Padmore, Leopold Senghor, Amie Cesaire, C.L.R. James, and Frantz Fanon and his involvement in the pan-African quarterly Presence Africaine, Wright’s anti-colonial and neo-colonial views were reinforced. He understood the economic devastation that the colonial powers meted out on the entire continent of Africa. Wright believed that the educated African elite were in a perfect position to rescue their nations from the insidious exploration of colonialism and its aftermath. James Miller: As one might expect, Wr
