1 on Anarchist Theory Reflections on Race and Anarchism in South
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Volume 8, Number 1 Spring 2004 Perspectives1 On Anarchist Theory Reflections on Race and Anarchism in South Africa, 1904-2004 Inside this issue By Lucien van der Walt IAS Update The development of an anti-authoritarian response to racial domination and white Grants Awarded supremacy is among the most urgent tasks facing anarchists today. We must What's Happening create of a much more expansive vision of what anarchism can be and also reevaluate the movement's past in light of this imperative. The Latin American Archives Project The following article by IAS grant recipient Lucien van de Walt explores the Grant Updates encounter of South African anarchists with white supremacy. Black Anarchism The South African anarchist tradition provides an interesting case study of anarchist IAS On the Web approaches to the question of racial inequality and oppression under capitalism. In modern 16 Resistance, Community, and Renewal South Africa, capitalist relations of exploitation were built upon colonial relations of domination. This complex articulation of race and class was a question that South African 18 The Life-or Death-of the Anti- anarchists continually faced. This paper will examine how both the classical anarchist Globalization Movement movement of the first two decades of the twentieth-century, and the contemporary movement of the 1990s, dealt with the racial question. Racial Questions From the start of industrialization in the 1880s—spurred by gold discoveries in the Witwatersrand region—until the reform period of the 1970s, South African capitalism was structured on racial lines. There were, in effect, two sharply differentiated sectors of the working class in South Africa. African workers, roughly two thirds of the workforce, were concentrated in low wage employment, were typically unskilled, and were employed on contracts that amounted to indenture and in which strikes were criminalized. The typical African mine and industrial worker was a male migrant who worked on contract in urban areas before returning to the rural village in which his family resided and farmed. Urban amenities for Africans were minimal—before the 1950s, for example, urban schooling was conducted by churches—state policy neither permited African workers to vote nor to permanently reside outside the tribal "homelands." Partly in order to enforce this an internal passport system—the "pass laws"—was applied to African men. White workers dominated higher paying jobs, were often skilled artisans, and were typically resident in (segregated) urban family housing. Enjoying basic political and civil rights, they were able to change employment fairly easily, to unionize, and the right to strike was grudgingly conceded in the 1920s. However, a large and unskilled "poor White" population (largely drawn from ruined Afrikaner peasant farmers) also existed well into the 1960s. Continued on page 14.... Institute for Anarchist Studies Update Welcome to spring 2004 issue of Perspectives on more of her energy within the artist community Perspectives*• on anarchist theory Anarchist Theory\ of North Adams, Massachusetts. Paula is The last six months have been full of stepping down in order to focus more of her Spring 2004, Vol 8, No. 1 change and excitement for the IAS. We are energy into the Institute for Social Ecology Editorial Committee where she serves as a Board member. Although pleased to announce that we reached our 2003 Michael Caplan, ChuckMorse fundraising goal of $23,000 US! This was no Rebecca and Paula will no longer be members of the IAS Board, both remain strong allies of small task, but thanks to the generosity of over Copy Editors 100 individuals and organizations we met our the organization. We all wish Rebecca and ChuckMorse, Alfredo Perez goal. To all our supporters old and new, thank Paula the best of luck with their important work. you\ The IAS has also brought on a new Board Layout and Design In addition to this feat—which we are very member, Andrea Schmidt. Andrea, an organizer Michael Caplan proud of—the IAS has continued to grow as an based in Montreal, Canada, has worked with IAS Board of Directors organization. We are excited to report that the several organizations including: La Ashanti Alston, Alexis Bhagat, IAS adopted three exciting new programs at the Convergence des luttes anti-capitalistes Paula Emery, Paul Glavin, last meeting of our Board of Directors. (Montreal's Anti-Capitalist Convergence); Brooke Lehman, Cindy One of these is the IAS s Latin American Montreal Direct Action Workshop; Action Milstein, ChuckMorse, Darini Archives Project. This is a collaborative effort Committee for Non-Status Algerians; and was a founding member of Montreal's No One Is Nicolas, John Petrovato, between the IAS and two important Andrea Schmidt Argentinian archives: the Biblioteca Archivo de Illegal Campaign. Besides being a compulsive Estudios Libertarios and the Biblioteca Popular organizer, she is committed to engaging difficult General Director Jose Ingenieros. This project, which is theoretical issues from a movement-based, Michael Caplan coordinated by IAS Board member Chuck practical perspective. Currendy, Andrea is in Morse, will make available important the midst of a three month stay in Iraq, where Subscription Rates documents from the history of Latin American she is working on behalf of Iraq Solidarity Subscriptions are free for IAS anarchism by digitalizing them and posting Project, a Montreal-based initiative providing donors. USA and Canada: $7 them on the internet (see page 4). direct non-violent support to Iraqis struggling U.S. per year. 89 U.S. per year We have also joined forces with the against the occupation. Andrea will also serve all other countries. Institutions as a member of The New Formulation's Editorial $15 U.S. per year. Bulk copies organizers of the annual Renewing the Anarchist Tradition (RAT) conference, Cindy Committee, with IAS Board member Chuck are available at a discount. Morse and myself. The IAS is very happy to Milstein and John Petrovato, who also are IAS Please make checks payable to: Board members, with the hopes of helping welcome Andrea aboard. further this important project. The RAT We were very excited to learn soon after we Institute for conference, now a project of the IAS, aims to went to press with the previous issue that Anarchist Studies provide a scholarly space in which to both Perspectives was nominated for an Utne 73 Canterbury, reexamine and reinvigorate the social and Independent Press Award in the category of D.D.O, Quebec, Canada political tradition of anarchism (see page 24). General Excellence: Newsletters. Although we H9B 2G5 did not win the award, thank you to all our Lastly, we have joined forces with another readers who voted for our publication. Phone exciting project: The New Formulation (TNF). 1 (514) 421-0470 For those who do not know TNF, it is a biannual This issue of Perspectives includes several journal containing comparative book reviews articles which focus on how anarchism grapples Email which examine the value of recent publications with issues of race and racism. Included herein info@anarchist-studies.org is an historical overview of how anarchist have to the development of a contemporary anarchist Web struggled against racism into their work for a theory and politics. It is the LAS's hope that by www.anarchist-studies.org taking on TNFwe will be able to help develop free South Africa; an account by Ashanti Alston this important journal while pursuing our of his political migration from the politics Disclaimer mission of supporting the development of espoused by the Black Panther Party to The views expressed in Perspectives anarchist theory. anarchism; and finally an interview with four do not necessarily represent the views of the IAS as a whole. In addition to the expansion of IAS participants of the Anarchist People of Color Conference on the significance of this event and programs, there has been some changes on the how APOC are organizing today. On a IAS Board of Directors as well. I am sad to say Perspectives on Anarchist Theory that Rebecca DeWitt and Paula Emery, both different track, we asked Chuck Morse and IAS is published by the: longtime Board members, have stepped down grant recipient Marina Sitrin to reflect upon the from the Board. Rebecca, who also served as health of the anti-globalization movement. I n sli tjut e f o r IAS Director for 2 years, is moving on to focus Enjoy! Anarchist Studies Michael Caplan 2 / Perspectives SPRING 2004 What's Happening: Books and Events By Chuck Morse The United States government's imperialist adventures are transforming the world in ways that will not be clear for years to come. We need to understand what forces are driving these actions, their likely consequences, and their place within the broader contradictions of global capitalism. Although anarchists have never had much to say about imperialism—our opposition to all states has often blinded us to the important differences between them and the impact of their interrelation—several new books by non- anarchist authors should offer something to a genuinely anti-authoritarian, anti- imperialist project. In The New Imperialism noted marxist scholar David Harvey explores numerous questions relating to the recent war in Iraq: Is it a sign of strength or weakness that the US has suddenly shifted from a politics of of American supremacy, the power of capital, market consensus to one of coercion on the world stage? Was the war in Iraq all about civilization, and surveillance power. He also argues that oil or, if not, what was it about? What role has a sagging economy played in new forms of political agency and collective action are pushing the US into foreign adventurism? What is the relationship between emerging to challenge dominant powers (Palgrave US militarism abroad and domestic politics? (Oxford University Press, 2003, Macmillan, 2003,256 pages).