Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason

Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason A Response to the Literature Chizi Igwe Introduction to Afri standa Studies 101, Section 2 Dr. Kalubi whitethorn 8, 2010 Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason A Response to the Literature Background Information The philosophy of Afrocentricity is not a recent growth. Its history can be traced to many precursor theories and ideologies. There were many intellectuals who hurt researched and theorized about Afrocentricity during its development. These intellectuals overwhelm names much(prenominal) as Alexander Crummell, Marcus Garvey, Ida B.Wells-Barnett, and Willie Abraham (Asante). Among more contemporary intellectuals, there is Chinwelzu, Wade Nobles, Kariamu Welsh Asante, and Cheikh Anta Diop (Asante). This by no means is not an exhaustive list, but simply a sample of activists/intellectuals who have helped to nail down the Afrocentric way of thinking. Afrocentricity is an ideology meant to be used as a restorative factor for Africans in Diaspora. It represents the orifice of intellectual maturity, a distinct way of glanceing reality (Asante). This school of ruling opens new and professional avenues to understanding humans.Through the research on Afrocentricity done by the intellectuals and writers listed above, they hoped it would set as a vehicle to judgment of dismissal for Africans. Among them, there was a general consensus that ethnic, social, governmental, and economic liberation desperately needed in the African familiarity would only be realized through the re-centering of the African mind. Though the Afrocentric idea had been an emerging philosophy for or so time, Afrocentricity as a literary practice and critical theory was not apparent until the publishing of deuce central books.These books were Textured Women, Cowrie Shells, Cowbells, and Beetlesticks by Kariamu Welsh in 1978 and Afrocentricity, by Molefi Kete Asante in 1980 (Asante). These survives had different inspirations. Welshs work was inspired by her choreographic technique c alled umfundalai while Asantes work was rooted in his experience with the Los Angeles Forum for Black Artists (Asante). Though these whole kit had different bases, two kit and boodle were the first intentional acts by authors to explain the theory as well as emphasize liberation.Both works had the purpose of re-establishing African agency as the main core of sanity within the African community. utilisation and Importance One driving fair gameive of the Afrocentric theory was to alter the subject-place of Africans in the social and literary context. In the opinion of Asante, this change was the only option for African people, who were ruled by the constraints of white racial subordination (Asante). This objective focused around two central questions 1. How do we see ourselves and how have others seen us? 2.What can we do to regain our own accountability and to move beyond the intellectual plantation that constrains our economic, cultural, and intel lectual development? The Afrocentric philosophy sought to answer these questions as well as change the position of the African. The Afrocentric idea was characterized by five main characteristics 1) An intense interest in psychological location as determined by symbols, motifs, rituals, and signs. 2) A commitment to finding the subject-place of Africans in any social, political, economic, or religious phenomenon with implications for questions of sex, gender, and class. ) A defense of African cultural elements as historicly valid in the context of art, music, and literature. 4) A celebration of centeredness and agency and a commitment to lexical refinement that eliminates pejoratives about Africans or other people. 5) A powerful imperative from historical sources to revise the collective text of African people. The argument for Afrocentricity certainly has certainly not developed without opposition and critique. These oppositions were not surprising because they came at a time when many concepts were challenging the Eurocentric perspective.The Europeans argument of objectivity issues and subject-object duality come from the alleged supremacy of the European construction in the political world. In The Afrocentric Idea, Asante wrote, Objectivity is a sort of collective subjectivity of Europeans. The driving force behind the claim of objectivity is an attempt to conserve the status quo (Asante). The ancient African Egyptian term called seba means the conclude style of the people (Asante). The reasoning style of the Europeans was an attempt to keep things as status quo, to lock Africans in their way of thinking.On the surface, this act may not seem detrimental, but the European reasoning just acted as a method to prolong the circumstances Africans found themselves in. It hindered all possibilities of African liberation. Formula for Change Afrocentricity aims to aggravate a change one way to make this change happen was by shifting to a subject-subject relatio nship as opposed to a subject-object one. If this shift didnt occur, Africans would always remain in the object place without an opportunity for growth. However, this would not be an easy task in a society so driven by a racist construction of white supremacy over black inferiority.This white-subject black-object prototype was relevant in different subjects such as sociology, philosophy, and literature. In this way, Europe and Europeans presented a danger for Africans both a psychological and cultural danger (Asante). This was the type of danger that kills a peoples spirit and according to Asante, a peoples soul is dead when it can no longer stay its own air and when the air of another culture seems to smell sweeter (Asante). In order for this subject-subject shift to occur, Africans place and contributions to history have to be acknowledged.Europeans have had a dismissive mental attitude towards Africans accomplishments and activities. They 1) generally refused to allow the st udy of any knowledge that they do not give (Asante). 2) A number of white scholars tend to be limited in their interest to subjects that are worthy 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 Africas presence and involvement in the world. To change the status quo, Afrocentricity must serve as both a corrective factor and a critique. Africans throughout the world including the the Statess have experienced the sensation of dislocation. Through the act of re-centering the African person and making them an agent, we shed the belief of the unquestioned European domination. In that way, it serves as a corrective factor.Afrocentricity also strives to critique t he process and the extent of the dislocation of African peoples that was the result of the domination of the Europeans in all matters. In order to change the circumstances, Afrocentricity calls for the definition of Africans by their own terms, centered on an African ideology as opposed to the European definition and marginalization of Africans in history as well as currently. Response The concept of the European dominated ideology and their concept of objectivity is very apparent to me.Though the clause was addressing these concepts from a historical perspective, I believe they are still relevant today. It is evident for example in the teaching of history in schools. Many students are introduced to only a summarized view of black and African history in its relation to the United States and the world as a whole. There is a majuscule emphasis put on the history and accomplishments of Europeans and Americans so therefore it would be easy based on the educational system to assume Afri cans made no significant contributions.The question that was raised, How do we see ourselves and how have other seen us? is a very important question. Though I believe there has been a change from the past to now, I still believe a major part of how we view ourselves is derived from how Europeans view us. In some ways, they still cultivate our impressions for us. An example would be the music industry. Many music videos and images pictured about black people display negative images, and many black people in America fall into believing those stereotypes themselves.In my opinion, the Afrocentric ideology, the centeredness on African perspectives, is vital. There will be no complete African liberation until Africans agree on this perspective. Without it, there are many people floating(a), not knowing where they belong. This phenomenon makes the perpetuation of European racial supremacy able to continue. The reference to the psychological and cultural danger of Europe resonated with m e because it is evident in African culture all over the world.Through the advent of institutions such as slavery, colonization, segregation, etc, Europe and Europeans have had an overly powerful impact in changing and shaping African cultures in a way that distances it from its roots. The five characteristics of Afrocentric idea listed in the article I believe should serve as guidelines of brining the focus back on the African agent. Works Cited Asante, Molefi. Afrocentricity, Race, and Reason. In M. Marable (Ed. ), Dispatches from the Ebony Tower (pp-195-203). unfermented York Columbia U. P.