A Way of Seeing

Abstract

Left on the bookshelves to collect dust on their yellowing pages, the literary works of political activists are often forgotten to history. Rarely are they taken seriously, but rather, are seen as quaint relics of the author's past. We have done ourselves, as well as these individuals, a great disservice. For writers of the African diaspora in particular, literary work is often the form in which political ideas and analyses appear first. These writers have often, in the words of St. Clair Drake, transmuted sociological data into lyrical prose and turned controlled observations and more casual impressions into convincing generalization and perceptive predictions (Johnson, 1941). We must learn, as have these writers, to understand ourselves and our history through an appreciation of the ordinary. We must see in everyday life the manifestations not simply of exploitation, but of the struggle for authenticity among ordinary men and women. The culture of the masses of people can tell us much about historical events if we learn to see clearly that which surrounds us daily. This article takes a closer look at the literary works of C.L.R. James as the first expression of the sensitive social observation that forms the basis for much of his political and historical analysis. His early work must be seen as instruction in the use of the method that James employs to analyze history. He gives us a real sense of how ordinary people make extraordinary history. The social sciences have not been able to present us with an adequate picture of everyday life and popular culture. They fall