  |
|
|
|
Nationalism and Pan-Africanism gained wide acceptance among Africans in the 1920's, but their ideological roots extended back to the 19th Century as African intellectuals began to question Western pseudoscientific theories that proclaimed blacks were inferior because of their skin color. These pan-African ideas moved naturally into nationalism, which agitated for equal access to education and land as well as political and economic freedom.
Edward Blyden is a well-known 19th-Century African intellectual who helped spread the Pan-African ideology. Blyden advocated the Islamic faith and polygamy, which he felt were more appropriate for the African personality. He condemned mixed marriage, insisting that Africans should keep the black race pure. Above all, Blyden preached racial pride. James Johnson, a radical evangelist, was also a leader in the Pan-African intellectual revolution. He insisted Africa could only be evangelized by Africans and argued that the European presence prevented African development because it destroyed thee superior physique, independence, courage and bravery, self-reliance of those Africans who had not come into contact with Europeans. Later, in the 1930's, the ideology of négritude ("blackness"), which grew among French-speaking African students studying in France, echoed some of the ideas spread by early Pan-Africanists. Those Africans who defended négritude argued that the characteristics of the black race -- emotion, generosity, spontaneity -- were superior to the characteristics of the white race. Being black was a privilege, rather than a burden. Surprisingly, négritude was popular only among French-speaking Africans. English-speaking Africans adamantly rejected the philosophy. Nationalism developed as a political ideology in opposition to foreign rule; its goal was to use the colonial system as a framework for an independent Africa. Western education was largely responsible for producing the African elite who led the overthrow of the colonial system. Nationalists had almost invariably been educated through the colonial systems in mission schools. Often, they had studied in Europe or America for their post-secondary education. Their exposure to Western ideas of democracy and equality caused them to question how colonial powers treated Africans on their own continent. They began to agitate for change. Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Early African Nationalism and Pan-Africanism in African History is owned by Jessica Powers. Permission to republish Early African Nationalism and Pan-Africanism in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
|
|
|
|
