African Diaspora Research Paper

Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.

For what little history is taught about Africans institutionally and publically presently, it used as a tool to disempower people of African descent. To start present interpretations of African history denies the feats and accomplishments done by Africans as well as the roots from which all people come from. Presently history is made for people

European’s have had a dismissive attitude towards African’s accomplishments and activities. They 1) generally refused to allow the study of any knowledge that they do not control (Asante). 2) A number of white scholars tend to be limited in their interest to subjects that are valuable to the European project of self-glorification and triumphalism (Asante). Finally, to view Africa as a subject in history or as the starting place for an examination of anything is anathema to those who have always ignored the role of Africa (Asante). The Afrocentric school of thought has fought to combat these boundaries by giving the permission to investigate all aspects of Africa’s presence and involvement in the world.

Upon learning about the colonial history in its truest form, one can attest that resistance has been deeply rooted in the African diaspora. One of the earliest forms of resistance was the upstaging of revolts by the slaves on land and ships, which date back to the beginning of the slave trade during 17th century. Since then, African Americans have continued to resist their oppressors throughout the history. This persistent resistance has been inspired from the ideals of black nationalism. In the simplest terms, “black nationalism is the recognition of cultural and racial commonality and a call to racial solidarity” (Harris 2001:409). This ideology has united the African diaspora and paved the way to resistance. Thus, successfully shaping the

It is essential to note that the term African Diaspora does not describe any single event, group of people or set of customs. It represents a current state of being for many citizens of the world and provides context for understanding the social structures and intercultural relationships of the world we live in today. Collin Palmer provides great insight into the context of diaspora. He writes that there have been several movements, massive migrations of people, throughout history. There is no single “diasporic movement or monolithic diasporic community” to be studied, but rather a confluence of people, events and ideologies that span thousands of years, across every continent. Each period of movement, each diasporic stream, happened for different reasons. Palmer’s approach to the African Diaspora begins with a look nearly 100,000 years into the past. He identifies five major streams, with the first African diaspora that occurred as a

Slavery, a topic that still leaves a mark on the hearts of many citizens throughout America, a matter that leaves a repugnant aftertaste in our mouths. Slaves were transported from their native land, into a new world forced to do manual work that Europeans were resistant in doing and reluctant to having the natives do. Slavery lasted over 200 years; yet for some odd reason African Americans and advocates of memorializing the consistent pain, agony, torture, and mistreatment of Africans are constantly told to just “Let it go”, “Forget about it, it happened so long ago”. Those who still feel the piercing wounds of those who suffered from enslavement are expected to forget about an issue that has not even ceased longer than it lasted. A common desire that existed among all African Americans was to be free, to be released and sent back to their families from whom they were snatched. Africans were stolen from their homelands, stripped from a comfortable environment into an unfamiliar place, and forced to live under cruel conditions, known as the Atlantic Slave Trade. In this paper, several factors will be discussed including: (1) background information on the African slave trade/ middle passage(2) the slaves’ living conditions (3) the slaves’ treatment (4) and the lasting impact in the lives of the slaves after the getting off the ships.

From the first slaves came resistance and rebellion in hopes of gaining freedom or simply to make the life of their owners miserable. The African people first began to rebel in their homeland. A number of attempts were made in Africa to either stop the trade or cut it down significantly.’ More attempts were made with the passing or laws preventing slave traders from trading in their village keeping that village safe. Many villages would fight against traders to keep trading from happening but they soon realized that the best way to keep the traders out was to put into effect long-term approaches.

During the 1800-1960 time period, many events occurred that showed how determined the people of Africa were to gain their independance and freedom. Because of their determination, these years brought a lot of change. In the year 1800, the slave trade came to an end. The slave trade started as a trade between equals, but overtime it turned into enslavement and forced people to migrate. This shows how Africa is changing for the better. After that, in 1884, the “Scramble for Africa” happened. This was an unethical way for the Europeans to discuss how to conquer Africa. The Africans had no say in this, so this shows how Europe was only getting stronger. The events in the next few years, showed the continent’s nationalism and pride. The national

Over the development of centuries, the aggressive transportation in enslavement of millions men, women, and children from their African native land to the Americas alternated permanently the outview and aspect of the current world. The slave trade remained remorseless and dreadful, and the enslavement of Africans was painful, and dehumanizing. All together, this horrific event symbolizes as one of the most longest and continuous assaults on the life, and dignity of human beings in American history.

The African Slave Trade has affected a very large part of the world. This phenomenon has been described in many different ways, such as slave trade, forced migration and genocide. When people today think of slavery, many envision the form in which it existed in the United States before the American Civil War (1861-1865): one racially identifiable group owning and exploiting another. However, in other parts of the world, slavery has taken many different forms. In Africa, many societies recognized slaves merely as property, but others saw them as dependents whom, eventually might be integrated into the families of slave owners. Still other societies allowed slaves to attain positions of military or administrative power. Most often, both

Throughout the semester the language, literacy, and liberation of Africa have been explored in multiple aspects. However, another topic that seems practically unavoidable when discussing these things, is the struggle and violence experienced in the process of colonization and liberation. Throughout history, africans had to endure a lot of anguish, both mental and physical. But, while sitting in class and taking in the videos, and discussions, I came to a startling realization: the global fight for “black” people is more than a simple guns and knives battle, it is a mental battleground.

The African diaspora has to do with the forced mass dispersion of African persons during the transatlantic slave trade. As a result, different black cultures emerge in different locations across the globe. At the same time, even though there is a physical separation, there still exists a shared identity due to an awareness of common origin, (Africa) as well as a common experience of marginalization in their respective locations. Paul Gilroy’s Black Atlantic, published just a year before Louisiana explains this result of the African diaspora:

The thingification of indigenous African people equates to European colonization in a way that inevitably works to the disadvantage of the oppressor’s victims. Despite the difference between French and British colonialism, the impact on blacks remained the same, and is clearly displayed through the gradual assimilation with each foreign group. Their actions reinforced slavery in a new light of mental captivity, which was the very thing that Europeans sought out to destroy as redeemers of the new land. Africans were not allowed to maintain any connection to their original cultures at all, and were even placed in positions as elite French leaders to represent examples of what they could one day potentially become. Black slavery, ingrained racial prejudice against blacks, and, after its partition by European powers, the necessity to rid Africa of colonial rule and exploitation, are all factors of what eventually provided for the stimulus to the pan-African idea and action (Lynch, 32). This new wave of liberation is what motivated blacks to make a change for the better, and sought to unite separated Africans in the struggle for freedom. Africa for Africans, as this philosophy came to be known, called for an end to decolonization, and a start to the emergence of

Beginning in 1880, there was a growing desire for European countries to expand and control their rule. The only continent at that time that was left uncontrolled and, in the European's eyes uncivilized, was Africa. This was the start of Western Imperialism. All European countries wanted their piece of Africa and to get it, they would let nothing stand in their way. They would change the entire government, religion, market, and behavior of most of the African nation and affect almost every person living there. An account of the impact of Imperialism is given in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. This book shows the changes that occurred in Africa during Imperialism and its affect on the community and the people

The term “African diaspora” describes the time period between 1511 and 1888 when a great migration of Africans inhabited America. Joseph Harris described the concept of the African diaspora as, “Global disposition (voluntary or in voluntary) of Africans throughout history; the emergence of a cultural identity abroad based on origin and social Africa. This viewed, the African diaspora assumes the character of a dynamic continuous and complex phenomenon starching cross time geography, class and gender” .