barism on Thursday barism.
The forum, held in South London as an event of the 2nd Fair of Radical Black and Third DOOKS, cluded some of the best Kaowt figures of black literature.
Among unese were CLR James, the 82 year old TOLSK VSI historian; Ngugi Wa Thiong'o, the Kenvan playwright and leader of te intenis- novelist tional campaign for the release of prisoners in Kenya; Sonia Sanchez, prominent •akmecæ ooe a playwright; FarTUK Dhondv. a teacher and writer born in India but living in England. Links Darcus Howe, editor of Race Today, chair of the event, talked in his introduction of the links between black writing and the surges 'resurgences of black resistance to imperlaisın ana Dar barsil.
He spoke of the waves of black Ez costallle saves their descendents in the US, of FROM PEASANTS' theatres in Kenya to poets on the Calcutta streets. From the vile farce of the Nigerian government's call for "moral revolution' to the rising combativity of Trinidadian oil workers, the discussion at the forum, Resurgence or Bar17 March, ranged across the concerns and involvements of black activists and writers in this period of growing imperialist bartheatrical recreation of the Mau-Mau period -antagonised the Kenyatta and Moi regimes, resulting In nis aetenton and exile.
The present regime, in its deepening alliance with American British capital, is terrified of the history of struggle and wants to silence the people of Kenya. Ngugi represent, asohe says, tipy will but, as he says, they LUL be silenced. generation of activitist writers will emerge, as he himself came out of the Mau Mau period.
The poetry of Sonia Sanchez flows her experiences oT une Civi Rights and Black Power movements in the late 60s and is now linked with the rising peace movement in the US It is about the struggle for a new humanity the OvCrCOnn 'nuclear' mentality of the 'inhuman' leaders of imperialism. Black authors discuss role of literature in struggle against imperialism.
are with the '30s. We face huge new barbarism.
The working classes of today, as the German workers then, hold the future in their hands - if only they understood their power. EVER!