What is Panafricanism? (Analyzing African Philosophy)

Summary

This video explores the evolution of Pan-Africanism, a political and philosophical movement advocating for the unity of Africa and its diaspora. Originating in the African diaspora in the early 20th century, it aimed for African independence and 'civilization' through Western ideologies. However, it faced criticism from African intellectuals like Ita Wallace Johnson, who opposed these colonialist ideologies. The movement later fragmented, with Africa focusing on continental unity and the diaspora on racial unity. The video also discusses the challenges of a diverse continent uniting under a single identity and teases future explorations of post-colonial and modern African philosophies.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Pan-Africanism is a political and philosophical viewpoint that supports the unity of Africa and the African diaspora.
• 📚 The concept has evolved over time, starting as a movement in the African diaspora in the early 1900s.
• 🧠 Early Pan-Africanism was focused on the independence of African states from colonial powers and the embrace of Western ideologies like Christianity and capitalism.
• 💭 There was a critique of early Pan-Africanism by African intellectuals who saw it as embracing the same ideologies used to justify colonial oppression.
• 🏆 The 1950s and 60s saw African nationalists winning independence from colonial powers, leading to a fracturing of Pan-Africanism's goals.
• 🌍 Post-independence, there was a divergence in views on Pan-Africanism, with Africa viewing it as a unification of the continent and the diaspora seeing it as a racial unification.
• 🔄 The Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), was formed but did not achieve the ideal of a single, united Africa with political power.
• 🏛 Communitarian nationalism is closely tied to Pan-Africanism, advocating for nations to be ruled by people of the same culture or nation.
• 🌐 The African diaspora's shared experiences, often due to slavery and disconnection from African heritages, led to the creation of a unique, collective culture.
• 🔄 The diversity within Africa, in terms of language, culture, and religion, presents challenges to the idea of a unified African identity or nation.

Q & A

What is Pan-Africanism?

Pan-Africanism is a political and philosophical viewpoint characterized by the support of the political, social, and cultural unity of Africa and the African diaspora. It has evolved over time and began in the African diaspora with a focus on the independence of African states from colonial powers.

When did Pan-Africanism begin and where did it originate?

Pan-Africanism began in the early 1900s, not in Africa but in the African diaspora, particularly with intellectuals of sub-Saharan African descent from North America and the Caribbean.

What was the initial goal of the early Pan-Africanism movement?

The initial goal of the early Pan-Africanism movement was the gradual independence of African states from colonial powers and the establishment of a united and free Africa that could serve as a homeland for many in the diaspora to return to.

How did the early Pan-Africanism movement view the role of Christianity, capitalism, and industrialization in Africa?

The early Pan-Africanism movement saw Christianity, capitalism, and industrialization as means for Africa to become 'civilized' and independent.

Who critiqued the early Pan-Africanism movement and what were their arguments?

Ita Wallace Johnson, a Sierra Leonean intellectual, critiqued the early Pan-Africanism movement, arguing that the ideologies it proposed were the same ones used to justify the oppression of African peoples by colonial powers.

How did the Pan-Africanist movement change in the 1950s and 60s?

In the 1950s and 60s, the Pan-Africanist movement changed as African nationalists won a series of victories with growing independence movements successfully challenging colonialist powers, leading to many countries gaining autonomy.

What were the differing views on Pan-Africanism between Africa and the diaspora after the independence movements?

After the independence movements, many residents of Africa viewed Pan-Africanism as a movement for the unification of the entire continent under a single political power, while the diaspora viewed it as a racial unification of individuals of sub-Saharan African descent, excluding North African Arabs.

What was the vision of Kwame Nkrumah for a unified Africa?

Kwame Nkrumah, the president of Ghana, envisioned a unified Africa that was independent and separate from the global economy, with a centrally managed socialist development strategy driven by an intensive project of industrialization.

What is the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and how does it relate to Pan-Africanism?

The Organization of African Unity (OAU), which later became the African Union, was formed after the independence movements. It exemplified some of the original tenets of Pan-Africanism, such as promoting African unity and development and eradicating colonialism, but fell short of the idealized single state of Africa with real political power.

What is communitarian nationalism and how is it connected to Pan-Africanism?

Communitarian nationalism is the idea that cultures or nations deserve to be ruled by people of the same culture or nation. It is closely tied to Pan-Africanism as anti-colonialist movements used communitarian nationalist arguments against colonialist powers that imposed different cultural rules and laws on their colonies.

What challenges did the Pan-Africanist movement face regarding the diversity within Africa and the diaspora?

The Pan-Africanist movement faced challenges due to the linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity within Africa and the diaspora. The diaspora often viewed themselves as one nation with one culture, while individuals on the continent had very disparate views, making it challenging to unite under a single national identity.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Introduction to Pan-Africanism

The video introduces the concept of Pan-Africanism, a political and philosophical viewpoint that has evolved over time. It emphasizes the support for the political, social, and cultural unity of Africa and the African diaspora. Originating in the African diaspora, particularly among intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois in the early 20th century, the movement aimed for the independence of African states from colonial powers. Initially, Pan-Africanism focused on sub-Saharan Africa and its diaspora, often excluding North Africans. The early movement was critiqued by continental intellectuals like I.T.A. Wallace-Johnson, who argued against the adoption of ideologies used by colonial powers to oppress Africans. The video also discusses the evolution of Pan-Africanism through the 20th century, including the impact of African nationalist victories in the 1950s and 60s and the subsequent fracturing of the movement due to differing views on unity and the role of the diaspora.

05:01

🔄 The Evolution and Challenges of Pan-Africanism

This paragraph delves into the evolution and challenges of Pan-Africanism. It discusses the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which later became the African Union (AU), and how these organizations fell short of the original Pan-Africanist ideal of a united governing body for Africa. The paragraph also explores the philosophical position of communitarian nationalism, which is closely tied to Pan-Africanism, advocating for nations to be ruled by people of the same culture or nation. The disconnect between the diaspora and the continent is highlighted, with the diaspora often viewing themselves as a single nation due to shared experiences of slavery and colonialism, while continental Africans have diverse cultures, religions, and views. The paragraph concludes by discussing the upcoming expansion of the video series to cover more aspects of African philosophy, including post-colonial and modern African philosophies.

Keywords

💡Pan-Africanism

Pan-Africanism is a political and philosophical viewpoint that has evolved over time, characterized by the support for the political, social, and cultural unity of Africa and the African diaspora. It began in the African diaspora with intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois, aiming for the independence of African states from colonial powers. The video discusses how this movement has faced challenges and evolved, including critiques from African intellectuals like I.T.A. Wallace-Johnson, who argued against the ideologies used to justify colonial oppression.

💡African Diaspora

The African diaspora refers to the communities of African descent living outside Africa, particularly in the Americas and the Caribbean. In the context of the video, it highlights how Pan-Africanism initially began with these communities, who saw themselves as sharing a common identity and experience due to their displacement and interaction with white cultures. The video notes the early Pan-Africanist movement's focus on sub-Saharan Africans and their descendants, often excluding North Africans.

💡Political Unity

Political unity is a central theme in Pan-Africanism, advocating for the unification of African states under a single political framework. The video discusses how this concept has been interpreted differently by various groups, with some envisioning a single African state, while others see it as a more federal arrangement. The formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU), is mentioned as an example of a step towards political unity, although it falls short of the original Pan-Africanist vision.

💡Cultural Unity

Cultural unity is another aspect of Pan-Africanism, emphasizing the shared cultural heritage and identity of Africans both on the continent and in the diaspora. The video points out the challenges in achieving cultural unity due to Africa's linguistic, religious, and cultural diversity. It contrasts the experiences of the diaspora, who often developed a collective identity due to shared historical experiences like slavery, with those of Africans on the continent, who have more diverse cultural backgrounds.

💡Communitarian Nationalism

Communitarian nationalism is the idea that cultures or nations should be ruled by people of the same culture or nation. The video connects this concept to Pan-Africanism, as it was used by anti-colonial movements to argue against foreign rule and for self-determination. It also discusses how the diaspora's perception of a shared culture and identity, often formed in response to their experiences in the new world, differs from the diverse cultural realities on the African continent.

💡Colonialism

Colonialism is the practice of a powerful nation exerting control over another territory, often for economic or strategic gain. The video discusses how early Pan-Africanists critiqued colonial powers and sought independence for African states. It also touches on how some early Pan-Africanist ideas, such as embracing Christianity and capitalism, were seen as continuations of colonial ideologies by critics like I.T.A. Wallace-Johnson.

💡African Nationalism

African nationalism is a political ideology that seeks to establish self-governance and promote the interests of African people. The video mentions how African nationalists in the 1950s and 60s successfully challenged colonial powers, leading to a series of independence movements and the formation of new African states. However, it also notes the fractures within the Pan-Africanist movement as different countries and groups had varying visions for the future of Africa.

💡Kwame Nkrumah

Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, is mentioned in the video as a key figure in Pan-Africanism. He envisioned a unified and independent Africa, separate from the global economy, with a centrally managed socialist development strategy. His vision for Pan-Africanism was progressive, socialist, and focused on intensive industrialization, aiming to transform Africa into a self-sufficient economic powerhouse.

💡Organization of African Unity (OAU)

The Organization of African Unity, now the African Union (AU), is discussed in the video as an outcome of the Pan-Africanist movement. It was formed to promote African unity and development and to eradicate colonialism. While it did not achieve the ideal of a single unified African state with significant political power, it did work to defend the sovereignty of individual states and has expanded its charter to address human rights abuses and war crimes.

💡Negritude

Negritude is a philosophical concept that celebrates black identity and culture, often as a response to colonialism and racism. The video suggests that future content will explore this concept further, indicating its relevance to modern African philosophy and its connection to the broader themes of identity, culture, and resistance within Pan-Africanism.

Highlights

The video series on African philosophy is continuing with a focus on Pan-Africanism.

Pan-Africanism is a political and philosophical viewpoint that has evolved over time.

It is characterized by the support for the political, social, and cultural unity of Africa and the African diaspora.

The movement began in the African diaspora with intellectuals like W.E.B. Du Bois in the 1910s and 20s.

Early Pan-Africanism aimed for the gradual independence of African states from colonial powers.

The movement initially focused on people from sub-Saharan Africa and their descendants, often excluding North Africans.

Some thinkers hoped for a united and free Africa to serve as a homeland for the diaspora.

Early Pan-Africanism was critiqued for embracing ideologies used to justify colonial oppression.

Ita Wallace Johnson argued against the use of Christianity as a tool of colonialism.

In the 1950s and 60s, African nationalists won a series of victories against colonial powers.

The Pan-Africanist movement fractured after the loss of a unified goal of independence.

There were differing views on unification between Africa and the diaspora.

Nigeria and Ghana had contrasting visions for Pan-Africanism, with Ghana leaning towards socialism.

The Organization of African Unity (OAU), later the African Union (AU), was formed but fell short of a single state vision.

Communitarian nationalism is closely tied to Pan-Africanism, advocating for nations to be ruled by people of the same culture.

The African diaspora often viewed themselves as one nation due to shared experiences of slavery and disconnection from African heritages.

The video series will expand to cover post-colonial and modern African philosophy, including Negritude.

Transcripts

welcome back to carnegies.org today

we're going to be continuing with our

series dumbfounding definitions dizzying

distinctions and diabolical doctrines of

serious sorting through some of the

jargon of philosophy

and finally finishing up the originally

planned set of videos in our series

analyzing

african philosophy in this video we're

going to be looking at what is

pan africanism now before we get started

it's important to note we will be

continuing this series

after this video we originally only

planned it to reach till this video but

we are going to be covering new topics

stay tuned at the end of the video to

learn about what those will be

but pan-africanism is a political

and philosophical viewpoint the meaning

of which has evolved over time

generally it's characterized by the

support of the political

social and cultural unity of africa

and the african diaspora unlike the

other positions that we've examined in

this series

pan-africanism is a more recent movement

taking shape in the 1900s and evolving

throughout the following

century pan-africanism

did not begin as a movement actually in

africa

rather it began in the african diaspora

people of african descent

living not in africa specifically it

began with a group of intellectuals of

sub-saharan african descent

from north america and the caribbean

such as w.e.b

dubois in the 1910s and 20s their goal

was the gradual

independence of african states from

colonial powers

this group saw african identity as

something focused primarily

on people from sub-saharan africa and

their descendants

this early stage of the movement

therefore often excluded north africans

but included the diaspora given their

shared appearance race and

interaction with white cultures the hope

of

some of these thinkers was that a united

and free africa could serve as a

homeland for many in the diaspora to

return to

they argued for africa to become

independent and quote unquote

civilized through the embrace of

christianity capitalism and

industrialization however these early

attempts at pan-africanism were

critiqued by

intellectuals actually on the continent

such as ita wallace johnson

a sierra leonean who argued that the

ideologies proposed by this movement

were the same ideologies used to justify

the oppression of african peoples by the

colonial powers

specifically wallace johnson argued that

christianity was used by

missions as justification for the

brutality of colonialism

and forced conversions of african

peoples from traditional religions

wallace johnson later identified as a

pan-africanist though

attending the sixth pan-african congress

when the movement was

more focused on the rejection of

european colonialist

development ideals instead of kind of

this diaspora embrace

of those ideals just without the

european masters

now african nationalists won a series of

victories in the 1950s and 60s with

growing

independence movements successfully

challenging colonialist powers claim

to a moral right to govern african

countries

and gaining autonomy so many of these

countries actually were achieving that

goal of gaining autonomy

from the colonialist powers however with

the loss of a

unified goal of independence

pan-africanist movement

fractured at a broad level many

residents of

africa viewed pan-africanism as a

movement targeted at the unification of

the entire continent

including north african arabs under a

single political power

while the diaspora viewed the movement

as a racial unification

of individuals of sub-saharan african

descent

excluding north african arabs but

including

black peoples around the world

this different perspective on the

movement can be seen

throughout its history now one

challenge was to the pan-africanist

project on the continent

was the difference of views proposed by

various countries

which competed for the leadership of the

movement nigeria offered a more

capitalist pro-western vision while

kwame nkrumah the president of ghana

envisioned a unified unified africa

independent and separate from the global

economy

nkrumah was concerned that africa's

reliance on exchanging

exports for hard currency was keeping

the continent poor for in chroma

this meant a centrally managed socialist

development strategy driven by an

intensive project of industrialization

essentially turning africa into a

version of what

china has become and chroma's vision for

pan-africanism was inherently socialist

progressive and centrally managed

despite nkrumah's broad rhetoric the

perspective grand unified africa failed

to materialize

in its place the organization of african

unity which later became the african

union was formed

however the goals of the oau fell far

short of an idealized single state of

africa with any real political power

well the oiu's goals did exemplify some

of the original tenets of pan-africanism

such as promoting african unity and

development and eradicating colonialism

it also worked to defend the sovereignty

of

individual states something antithetical

to a

single unified african state the au's

charter has expanded the powers to

intervene in cases of human rights

abuses and war crimes but the

institution still remains

shy of the original pan-african ideal of

a united

governing body for the continent

now one of the philosophical positions

most closely tied to pan-africanism

is the idea of communitarian nationalism

that cultures or nations deserve to be

ruled

by people of the same culture or nation

check out my videos on

nationalism for more on that this is the

idea that states

governments should coincide with nations

or cultures

anti-colonialist movements used

communitarian nationalist arguments

against colonialist powers

that ruled from afar and imposed

different cultural rules and laws on

their colonies

and this also speaks to some of the

disconnects between the diaspora and

people on the continent because the

diaspora viewed themselves in many ways

as one nation with one culture

often due to slavery being disconnected

from previous african heritages and

therefore creating their own cultures in

the new world

that connected all people who were black

or

of sub-saharan african descent together

whereas individuals on the continent had

very disparate views cultures religions

because africa is such a big

diverse place and so having a single

national identity in that sense

was a bit more challenging on the

continent as opposed for

the diaspora this

unifying philosophy also presaged the

fissures that would emerge in the

pan-african movement

while sub-saharan african diaspora may

share a unique experience of the world

encapsulated in ideas like negligible

that does not mean

that they shared a common religion

culture or set of values required to

unite

under a single communitarian nation

and particularly that they shared those

values with individuals still on the

continent

it does raise the interesting question

of what bonds are strong enough to unite

a country

the african continent is linguistically

culturally and religiously very diverse

despite shared experiences in many ways

arguably the experiences of the african

diaspora particularly living amongst

other cultures are more similar to each

other

than the experience of africans living

on the continent are similar to other

africans living on the continent

or even to the diaspora which might

explain the genesis of the

pan-africanist movement

coming from the diaspora viewing

themselves as

one collective culturally homogeneous

nation

as opposed to individuals on the

continent who

have a wide range of views

now so that was pan-africanism

originally this was planned

to be the final video in this series on

african philosophy however

the series has so far really only

covered kind of pre-colonial african

philosophy and there's a lot of african

philosophy out there that's

post-colonial while exploring these

positions is

important and there is also a wealth of

modern african philosophy to explore as

well including ideas of negretu the

philosophy of race

colonialism methisage and more so we are

going to be expanding this video i think

we're going to be covering probably

neglitude

next so stay tuned for future videos

in this series but with that that's the

end of

our big series on analyzing african

philosophy of the initial

start of the series if you haven't

checked out all of the other videos in

earlier parts of the series on ethno

philosophy ubuntu philosophy yoruba

epistemology

akan philosophical psychology banting

philosophy and ethiopian philosophy

please do that check those out it's a

fascinating series i

have really enjoyed making it and i

think it's a set of ideas that there's

not as much conversation about that

there can be more conversation about

and stay tuned for future videos in this

series on things like nicoletude

if you like this video and you want to

see more and you want to catch those

future videos

hit subscribe hit the notification bell

so you don't miss it when we publish a

video and as always watch this video and

more here at carnegies.org and stay

skeptical everybody