Césaire was a member of the Communist Party of Martinique.
He developed ideas that expanded Marx's ideology of proletariat versus the ruling
powers, socialism versus capitalism. Discourse on Colonialism is
often addressed by critics in terms of whether it either conforms to or breaks with
Marxist orthodoxy. However Césaire emphasizes ideas that contribute to thinking about
colonialism, fascism and revolution. Césaire did build upon Marxist thought and he
expanded it. He recast Western Civilization's history in order to examine the
interconnectedness of colonialism and fascism and to demonstrate that these threaten
humanism on which Western Civilization is founded. His revisions of Marxism followed in
line with his predecessors W.E.B. DuBois and M.N. Roy and suggest that the proletarian
revolution takes second place to the anticolonial struggle. His conclusion is the vision
of a total overthrow of racism and colonialism, in any
guise.
[For more information, see " href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/1199kell.htm">A Poetics of Anticolonialism" by
Robin D.G. Kelley from which this answer is drawn.]
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