Decolonization and Afro-Feminism

Abstract

As the old saying goes, the past is never dead; it is not even past. Every object, concept and individual has a history. When probed more deeply, that history shines a light on the dark underbelly and crevices of the present. No situation, concept or person can ever be fully understood without probing their histories. Hence, decolonization and decolonial projects demand an in-depth appreciation of the history of colonization and all its supporting discourses. It is only with such a comprehension that there can be a successful extrication from the bondage of colonization and domination. It is especially necessary to be alive and alert to the histories of normative concepts that are presented as ahistorical, universal and neutral, including “human rights,” “race,” “gender,” “family” and “law.” At the same time colonialism did not mean the same thing for women and men3 ; for rulers and subjects, or for dominant groups versus ethnic minorities. It also meant different things in different contexts; what happened under British rule in Nigeria looks quite different from what happened in Botswana. Although there are overlaps and similarities in the legacies of European colonialism in Africa, there are also sharp differences between the practices and impacts of the different colonial powers. Fully aware of these complexities, this book largely examines British colonialism. The term “decolonization” refers to various processes of deconstructing colonial interpretations and analyses of the social world. It is very much in line with Frantz Fanon’s views in The Wretched of the Earth.4 For the colonized, decolonization of the mind is really about returning to the annals of history to find ourselves, to become fluent in our cultural knowledge systems, to cultivate critical consciousness and to reclaim our humanity.