Significance of Pan-African movement It affirmed the worth of black people and therefore rejected the inferiority ascribed by racist thought in the late 19th and 20th. It helped to launch the struggle for rights and equality for black people in the diaspora; although there were advocates of a return migration to Africa, eventually and especially after 1945, black people in the diaspora focused on rights and justice where they lived. In Africa, it asserted the right of independence for Africans—“Africa for the Africans.” - in addition to the slogan, Pan-Africanism contributed in at least 3 ways: early in the century, for the newly emerging African elite, it was a source of ideas and contacts, especially for students studying abroad; it helped to provide an ideology of unity in the process of mass mobilisation of Africans for the independence struggle; it also helped to build a constituency in Europe and North America which was sympathetic to and supportive of independence for Africa and this came to form important ‘public opinion’ in the 1950s and 60s. It held out a lofty ideal for the future of independent Africa. Through pan Africanism, it was hoped that Africa could avoid the terrible mistakes of Europe. - by emphasising the unity of all African peoples and shared goals and ideals, it was hoped that nationalism would be a positive influence while avoiding the negative features (xenophobia, narrow parochialism, aggressive expansionism, etc.) which have caused so much bloodshed and horror elsewhere.- African Nationalism (History 355, 2009)
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 11:59:16 +0000
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