African Nationalism

Nationalism was one of the crucial, though unintended, products of European imperialism. Local leaders—particularly aspiring newcomers often exposed to European education—saw the importance of nationalism in Western society and used it as a vehicle for protesting colonial controls and demanding independence. Nationalism could also be mobilized to elicit loyalty to a newly free state, especially when appeals to tradition could not suffice because the nation combined different cultural groups. Thus nationalism had the merit of appealing both to past values and to the idea of progress, although the combination could sometimes be uncomfortable.

Nationalism began to blossom in Africa between the world wars. It had several facets, as indicated in the three documents that I would like you to read (you can read all three by clicking here). One nationalist source stemmed from black leaders in the United States and West Indies sincerely concerned about Africa but also eager for the liberation of their own people. Marcus Garvey’s black nationalist movement won loyalty on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1920s and helped define a positive spirit. Jomo Kenyatta, a British-educated Kenyan—ultimately the first president of Kenya after many jail terms as a nationalist agitator under the colonial government—represents African nationalism directly. Writing in 1938, Kenyatta used traditional kinds of allegory to blast European greed and also defined a special African agenda of combining tradition with change plus very selective borrowing from the West.

The final document is postcolonial and invites comparison with the earlier nationalist expression: How was nationalism maintained once independence had been achieved, and what changes resulted in tone and purpose? Written by Kwame Nkrumah, an American-educated leader and the first president of Ghana, this nationalist statement reflects a turn away from Africa-in-general to a specific new nation. It also shows some shifts in goals. Once independence was achieved, what targets did African nationalists have? Nkrumah’s own career illustrates some of the nationalist dilemma. A brilliant agitator, he proved less successful in running an independent Ghana. The economic problems he defined as next on the nationalist agenda proved more elusive than earlier goals of independence. Yet nationalism remained a factor in Africa, a guide to policy and a popular rallying point in the new nations. These three documents, from different decades as well as different inspirations, give a flavor of African nationalism and some indication of its power. They also permit comparison of African with Indian or Arab nationalism. Is nationalism always the same movement?

After reading the documents, I would like you to think about and discuss the following: What are Marcus Garvey’s goals for Africa? How does he justify them? Does he indentify crucial African values? Does he suggest what Africa will become once it is free? How does Jomo Kenyatta describe European imperialism—and is it a fair characterization? What does he see as the goals of African nationalism? What methods does he suggest? What is Kenyatta’s attitude to Western achievements? What aspects of African tradition does he seek to protect or restore? How do Nkrumah’s concerns as a nationalist compare with those of pre-independence leaders like Kenyatta? What problems is he referring to under the heading of neocolonialism? What are his main solutions? Do they fit under the heading of nationalism? What are the similarities and differences between African and Turkish nationalism? Between African and Gandhi’s Indian nationalism? Your thoughts…