African Diaspora

In chapter one of A Survey Of Africa and The African Diaspora, gives a transitory description about Africa's history and the evolution discipline; It also highlights the some parts of Africana studies and how scholars, neo-historians and many others have been exploiting the studies of Africa and its people.  Over the years, some scholars have come to a conclusion that Africa haven t contributed anything to todays’ World History whiles other believe that the Europeans sort of diminished Africa’s history after they enslaved and colonized them claiming it will save them from their vicious ways of life.

            The younger generation scholar’s contributions in Africana studies have come to make us understand that the discipline of African studies is too traditional they are not relevant enough to solve the currents problems in Africa; they criticized the Africanist historians for they believed they are not tackling the problem at hand the ways they should partly because the European system is still being utilized instead of innovating an Afri-centric approach to the study of the continent.  One example they emphasized on was the fact that the focus of the studies are being directed to the history of Europe in Africa and the accounts of prominent chiefs, kings and their past work and many others dominating the society only to justify the past  in its place of  the grassroots  of the African society.  

            In addition, the new breeds contributed factors such as Historians conducting Africa’s past on a smaller scale rather than a larger scale; suggesting that if Historians are willing to discover and study Africa’s history, they need to go all in researching the most important memories and events of Africa on a “larger scale”. Other Historians like A. Temu and B. Swai of the Dar-es-Salaam School, Tanzania also criticized the early Africanists Historians methodology for trying to conserve the objectivity in their studies (Azevedo, 10); their argument is that the historical research leads to nothing but ineffective facts. Their suggesting is that Historians can do much more to address the needs of Africa diaspora.   

            Hamilton discussed how women suffer the “triple bond” (Hamilton, 22) gender, race inequality, and class. In relation to his discussion on how women in the African countries are looked down on in terms of gender is a video from World focus that highlights the terrible events women encounter in Eastern Congo. Women in Congo are being used as sex slaves. In the years 2003, over 8000 women were raped and out of this number, 280 of them pressed charges and only 68 of has been in court ruling so far.  Another point Hamilton emphasized on was race and how women are being look at as powerless. To support Hamilton’s point is a World Focus video about Liberian women who have been underestimated by the men of their country in terms of their capability in the workforce; therefore they are in the process of exercising their right by recruiting women for the police force. In addition, low class income in India fights for human decency. Low class people in India suffer racism as their children are not being giving proper education and food; they also separated from the high class children when in school because they are poor.