Black Authors : Re-Inventing Africa

[Omowale Jabali]

Author: Ifi Amadiume

Synopsis

This extraordinary book issues a clarion call for a new understanding of Africa. The author of the best-selling Male Daughters/Female Husbands here issues a challenge to western anthropologists to recognize their own complicity in producing a version of Africa that is often little more than a reflection of their own class-based, patriarchal thought.

Professor Amadiume calls instead for a new history of Africa, made and written by Africans. This is such a book.

The book

* explores how imperialism, violence, patriarchy and class-based social structures - originally imposed by colonialism - have become internalized to result in a contemporary Africa cursed with neo-colonial states.

* uncovers the hidden matriarchal history of Africa which continues to empower women in political struggle throughout the continent

* looks at the masculinization of indigenous African religions, effected largely by the imposition of Christianity and Islam

* provides a guide to the main Afro-centric social theorists, writing a new social history of their continent.

Dedicated to the diasporic African communities in their struggle to construct alternative, anti-racist and anti-imperialist epistemologies of self-representation and self-generated ideals, this is the beginning of a new vision of Africa, from the powerful voice of an African woman.

 

[Chevron Dove]

Author: Ifi Amadiume

Synopsis

This extraordinary book issues a clarion call for a new understanding of Africa. The author of the best-selling Male Daughters/Female Husbands here issues a challenge to western anthropologists to recognize their own complicity in producing a version of Africa that is often little more than a reflection of their own class-based, patriarchal thought.

Professor Amadiume calls instead for a new history of Africa, made and written by Africans. This is such a book.

The book

* explores how imperialism, violence, patriarchy and class-based social structures - originally imposed by colonialism - have become internalized to result in a contemporary Africa cursed with neo-colonial states.

* uncovers the hidden matriarchal history of Africa which continues to empower women in political struggle throughout the continent

* looks at the masculinization of indigenous African religions, effected largely by the imposition of Christianity and Islam

* provides a guide to the main Afro-centric social theorists, writing a new social history of their continent.

Dedicated to the diasporic African communities in their struggle to construct alternative, anti-racist and anti-imperialist epistemologies of self-representation and self-generated ideals, this is the beginning of a new vision of Africa, from the powerful voice of an African woman.

I don't know. That 'woman leadership' part scares me due to personal experiences. I have been incredibly persecuted due to this matrilineal leadership on a political scale and I believe this goes back to the slave yard.

In terms of the "the masculinization of indigenous African religions, effected largely by the imposition of Christianity and Islam", I believe that this stems from WHITE MASCULINIZATION or, white slave masters and white women too who gave the black slave mammy the leadership role to supercede the black men and etc.

I believe that this does go back to deep African issues though. I wonder if this author brings out these issues. I'd rather contend with THE BLACK MAN in Africa than the black woman in service to the white man anyday.

I'm so not in favor of a matrilineal system due to that very issue of the Black woman obsessing over the white man and teaching her sons and dauthers to do the same. It has been a great persecution for me.

 

[Chevron Dove]

Wow! This is good, huh? An unexpected surprise.