Surinamese Anticolonial Thought in the Twentieth Century

Debby Esmeé de Vlugt is a Lecturer in the History of International Relations at Utrecht University, Netherlands. She specializes in the global history of the Black Power movement, anticolonial activism in the Dutch Atlantic, and decolonial discourses in the twentieth century.Peter Meel is Assistant Professor of History at Leiden University, Netherlands. He specializes in Caribbean history and works on the modern and contemporary history of Suriname. He has published extensively and has (co)edited multiple volumes on this topic.

Anton de Kom was an iconic fighter against colonialism. Less well known are the Surinamese before and after him who, through actions, novels, essays, visual art, political movements, films, and other media, have made a chorus of anti-colonial voices heard. This book brings them together.

• AbbreviationsAcknowledgementsIntroduction1. Anton de Kom: Organic Activism, Intergenerational Reception, and the Prospects of a Decolonial Future, Guno Jones2. Otto and Hermina Huiswoud: International Communism and the Rise of Nationalism in the Surinamese Diaspora, Markus Balkenhol3. Salikin Hardjo: Indonesian Anticolonialist in Suriname, Klaas Breunissen4. Papa Koenders, Trefossa, Michaël Slory, and Dobru: Creole Cultural Nationalism and the Surinamese Literary Tradition, Michiel van Kempen & Debby Esmeé de Vlugt5. Eddy Bruma: A Lifelong Pursuit of Surinamese Independence, Hans Ramsoedh6. Nola Hatterman, Jules Chin A Foeng and Soekidjan Irodikromo: “In an Independent Country an Art of its Own”, Ellen de Vries7. Cyriel Karg: Pan-Africanism and the Search for Global Black Solidarities, Debby Esmeé de Vlugt8. Rudi Kross: Sophisticated Anticolonialism in Limbo, Peter Meel9. Anil Ramdas: “Vibrator of the White Conscience”? Cosmopolitan Anticolonialism beyond Collective Identity, Karin Amatmoekrim10. Astrid Roemer: Political Postmodernity and Subversive Parables, Yra van DijkEpilogue