Proceedings of the 37th International Academic Conference, Budapest

AFRICA IN TWENTIETH CENTURY BLACK LIBERATION: CONSENSUS AND CONFLICTS

TUNDE ADELEKE

Abstract:

Among leading twentieth century Black Diaspora activists there was a general consensus on the centrality of Africa to the global struggles. Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Walter Rodney theorized Africa as the agency whose heritage and post-colonial political power, and economic resources, afforded diaspora blacks and oppressed colored populations worldwide the wherewithal for survival and empowerment. Paradoxically, even as these activists were drawn to Africa by a macro-vision of a Pan-African solidarity, the competing demand of, and loyalty to, ethno-cultural identity (micro-nationalism) complicated and problematized Africa’s capacity to function as envisioned. In essence, their attempts to construct a unified foundation for a broad colored cosmopolitan struggle morphed into a conflict between the call for a unified Pan-African struggle vested on Africa on the one hand, and micro-nationalistic allegiance to, and concerns for, the problems and challenges specific to the diasporic context/nationality.

Keywords: Diaspora, Pan-African, Post-colonial, Micro-nationalism

DOI: 10.20472/IAC.2018.037.001

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