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Dr. Mackda Ghebremariam Tesfau and the Black History Month Florence (BHMF) team invite participants to a collective reading and dialogue exploring the foundational relationship between capitalism and racism. The discussion centres on Cedric Robinson's seminal Black Marxism: The Making of the Black Radical Tradition (1983), an influential work in Critical Theory and Black Studies that introduces the concept of racial capitalism to frame this structural connection.Robinson challenges the limitations of orthodox Marxist theory by foregrounding how racism is not incidental but integral to the development of capitalism—drawing from the contributions of Black radical thinkers such as W. E. B. Du Bois and C. L. R. James ‘ work traces the historical and cultural dynamics that shaped racialised oppression alongside economic exploitation.
This session will examine how theories born in African American and Black radical traditions can inform a deeper understanding of systemic racism within contemporary European contexts. Participants will reflect on the Italian experience, where forms of racialised exclusion and discrimination often remain invisible yet deeply entrenched. The dialogue will ask critical questions: How can Robinson’s framework of racial capitalism illuminate the intersections of race and class in Europe? What tools do these theories offer for dismantling systems of oppression and reimagining justice?
While rooted in specific historical and geographical realities, Robinson’s ideas resonate far beyond their origins. This event aims to engage participants in challenging dominant narratives about race and power, fostering a decolonial lens to envision transformative possibilities for solidarity, equity, and resistance.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Palazzo Buontalenti, Florence, Italy
