James, Cyril (1901-1989), was a distinguished black Trinidadian writer and social activist. He was a powerful advocate of left-wing philosophy and one of the most versatile intellectuals of his generation. James became best known for his history of the revolution in Haiti in the early 1800's, The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution (1938). This penetrating study strongly influenced intellectual life in the Caribbean as well as African independence leaders.