Communicating Pan-Africanism: Caribbean Leadership and Global Impact (Introduction‪)‬

This special edition of Critical Arts focuses on the seminal role played by political activists from the Caribbean region in the promulgation and communication of Pan-African ideas to the world. Unsurprisingly, this volume is edited and authored by Caribbean scholars who seek to develop and foster a deeper understanding of the role and contribution made by Caribbean activists from a small comer of the global African Diaspora. While the articles in this special issue foreground the contributions of three leading exponents of Pan-Africanism, namely Marcus Garvey, C.L.R. James and Peter Abrahams, its scope is much broader. It seeks to offer deeper insights into the close collaborative role played by the region among other Pan-Africanists from the United States (US), England and from the continent of Africa itself, in forging the alliances of resistance that hastened the arrival of decolonisation and civil rights in the affected countries and regions. The edition also encompasses contributions on Pan-African movements such as the Haitian Revolution and the Rastafari Movement of Jamaica, whose indelible imprints extended from their origins in the Caribbean to audiences and activists all over the world.