The Haitian Revolution has been systematically erased from world history, and this is no accident. No single event has haunted the guilty conscience of the powerful worldwide more consistently than this explosive struggle against slavery, colonialism, and capitalism alike. For Black slaves to lead not only a rebellion, but a Revolution, was an unthinkable contradiction in terms. Even for its participants, this was an enormous and unprecedented experiment in self-government—and one that was not entirely successful. Slaveowners from the United States to Latin America and beyond were fear-stricken, desperate to prevent another Haiti, while revolutionary forces across the hemisphere found subterranean inspiration in the audacity of the Haitian struggle and concrete material support from the post-revolutionary Black state it established.

In this weekly course, we’ll read C.L.R. James’ The Black Jacobins—still the best single account of the origins, dynamics, and outcome of the Haitian Revolution, in conjunction with secondary readings. We will do so with an eye to the following questions. What does the history of Haiti, and the Haitian Revolution in particular, teach us about broader world history, racial capitalist domination, and the capacity of the masses to take history into their own hands? How were the Haitian and French revolutions bound together, and why do we elevate one but denigrate the other? How does James read this history in his own moment(s), and how can we continue to do so today? What insights does The Black Jacobins offer for the relationship between race, colonialism, and class, and what does it miss?

As James memorably writes, “the rich are only defeated when running for their lives”—join us to watch them run.

This is a hybrid seminar. Philadelphia-based participants are welcome to meet in-person in West Philadelphia, while remote participants will be able to contribute to the conversation via Haymarket's YouTube channel. This course will refer to the 1963 revised edition of The Black Jacobins. Please pick up a copy from your local bookstore, or access a digital copy here. This is the second in a series. Our previous seminar on Black Reconstruction by W.E.B. Du Bois can be accessed on both Spotify and YouTube

***Register through Ticket Tailor to receive information about each week’s assigned readings, as well as in-person and virtual meeting details. Each event will also be recorded.***

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This event is sponsored by Haymarket Books and W.E.B. Du Bois Movement School. While all of our events are freely available, we ask that those who are able make a solidarity donation in support of our important publishing and programming work.