Born in Blackness: A Book Review
What if we put Africa and Africans at the very center of our thinking about the origins of modernity? This is the provocative question that Howard W. French asks in his sweeping and compelling book Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War. French, a former Africa correspondent for The New York Times, challenges the traditional accounts of world history that afford a place of primacy to European history and relegate Africa to the remote outskirts of our global story. He shows how the economic ascendancy of Europe, the anchoring of democracy in the West, and the fulfillment of so-called Enlightenment ideals all grew out of Europe's dehumanizing engagement with the "dark" continent.
In a narrative that spans more than six centuries, French interweaves precise historical detail with poignant personal reportage to reveal the central yet intentionally obliterated role of Africa in the creation of modernity. He retrieves the lives of major African historical figures, from the unimaginably rich medieval emperors who traded with the Near East and beyond, to the Kongo sovereigns who heroically battled seventeenth-century European powers, to the ex-slaves who liberated Haitians from bondage and profoundly altered the course of American history.
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French also exposes how Africa's history has been distorted and erased by Eurocentric narratives that have reduced its rich diversity to a single category of "blackness" that obscures and ignores its proud histories and cultures. He argues that we need to rethink our vision of our origins and recognize Africa's vital contributions to the making of the modern world.
This book is not only a groundbreaking work of scholarship but also a passionate and powerful call for justice and recognition for Africa and its people. It is a book that every reader interested in world history, global politics, and human rights should read.
The "Discovery" of Africa
The Quest for Gold and Glory
French begins his story with Portugal, which he considers as the true engine of modernity through its deep involvement in sub-Saharan Africa. Contrary to popular belief, he argues that Portugal's exploration of Africa was not motivated by a yearning for ties with Asia but rather by a centuries-old desire to forge trading ties with legendarily rich Black societies sequestered away in the heart of West Africa.
He traces how Portugal initiated the Age of Discovery by exploring the West African coast in search of gold, spices, ivory, and slaves. He shows how He shows how Portugal encountered sophisticated and powerful Black kingdoms, such as Mali, Songhai, Benin, and Kongo, that had long histories of trade, diplomacy, and culture. He also reveals how Portugal was fascinated by the myth of Prester John, a legendary Christian king who was believed to rule over a vast and wealthy realm in Africa. He describes how Portugal sought to establish diplomatic and religious ties with these African states, hoping to gain access to their gold and other resources.
The Essential Pivot
However, French also explains how Portugal's engagement with Africa soon turned into a brutal and exploitative enterprise that would change the course of world history. He argues that Africa became the "essential pivot" for Europe's economic and political rise, as it provided the gold and enslaved labor that fueled its colonial expansion and industrial development.
He details how Portugal initiated the Atlantic slave trade by raiding and kidnapping Africans from the coast and selling them to European planters in the Americas. He estimates that Portugal alone transported more than five million Africans across the Atlantic between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, making it the largest slave-trading nation in history. He also shows how Portugal's involvement in the slave trade sparked a fierce competition among other European powers, such as Spain, France, England, and the Netherlands, who all sought to profit from the lucrative trade in human flesh.
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He demonstrates how the slave trade had devastating consequences for Africa and its people, as it depopulated entire regions, disrupted social and political structures, and facilitated the spread of diseases and violence. He also exposes how the slave trade was justified by racist ideologies that dehumanized Africans and denied their humanity and dignity.
The Scramble for Africans
The Atlantic Slave Trade
French devotes a large part of his book to the Atlantic slave trade, which he considers as the most consequential event in modern history. He argues that the slave trade was not only a massive transfer of human beings from one continent to another, but also a profound transformation of the world's economy, ecology, culture, and politics.
He provides a comprehensive overview of the scale, scope, and impact of the slave trade, drawing on various sources of data and evidence. He estimates that more than 12 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic between 1500 and 1867, making it one of the largest forced migrations in history. He also notes that millions more died during the capture, transport, and sale of enslaved Africans, making the slave trade one of the greatest atrocities in history.
He analyzes how the slave trade created a triangular system of exchange that connected Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He shows how enslaved Africans were traded for European manufactured goods, such as guns, cloth, and alcohol, which were then sold to African elites or used to acquire more slaves. He also shows how enslaved Africans were used to produce colonial commodities, such as sugar, tobacco, cotton, and coffee, which were then exported to Europe or consumed by American colonists.
He illustrates how the slave trade reshaped the world's ecology by introducing new crops, animals, diseases, and environmental changes. He also illustrates how the slave trade reshaped the world's culture by creating new forms of art, He illustrates how the slave trade reshaped the world's culture by creating new forms of art, music, religion, language, and identity. He highlights the diversity and creativity of African and African diaspora cultures, from the blues and jazz to voodoo and candomblé. He also highlights the resilience and resistance of African and African diaspora peoples, who preserved and transformed their cultural heritage in the face of oppression and exploitation.
The Wages of Resistance
French does not portray Africans and their descendants as passive victims of the slave trade and slavery, but rather as active agents who fought for their freedom and dignity. He documents the various forms of resistance that Africans displayed throughout their enslavement, from individual acts of sabotage and escape to collective movements of revolt and rebellion.
He pays special attention to the Haitian Revolution, which he considers as the most important event in modern history after the French Revolution. He narrates how enslaved Africans in Haiti rose up against their French masters in 1791 and waged a 13-year war that ended with the establishment of the first Black republic in the Americas. He shows how the Haitian Revolution challenged the idea of Black slavery itself and inspired other liberation struggles around the world.
He also pays tribute to the other forms of resistance that Africans and their descendants expressed through their cultural and spiritual practices. He explores how Africans created new forms of Christianity, Islam, and African-derived religions that affirmed their humanity and connected them to their ancestral roots. He also explores how Africans used their artistic talents to create powerful works of literature, music, and visual art that reflected their experiences and aspirations.
The Black Atlantic and a World Made New
The Haitian Revolution
French argues that the Haitian Revolution was not only a pivotal moment in the history of slavery and colonialism, but also a catalyst for the emergence of a new world order. He shows how the Haitian Revolution influenced the course of American history, from the Louisiana Purchase to the Civil War. He also shows how the Haitian Revolution influenced the course of European history, from the Napoleonic Wars to the abolitionist movements.
He analyzes how the Haitian Revolution challenged the prevailing notions of race, class, and citizenship that underpinned the modern world. He shows how the Haitian Revolution posed a radical alternative to the European Enlightenment ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, by extending them to all people regardless of their color or origin. He also shows how the Haitian Revolution posed a radical alternative to the capitalist system of production and consumption, by creating a self-sufficient and egalitarian society based on communal land ownership and cooperative labor.
He evaluates how the Haitian Revolution was received and represented by different actors and audiences around the world. He shows how He shows how the Haitian Revolution was celebrated and supported by some progressive and revolutionary forces, such as the abolitionists, the Jacobins, and the Latin American independence leaders. He also shows how the Haitian Revolution was feared and vilified by most conservative and reactionary forces, such as the slaveholders, the monarchists, and the racists. He also shows how the Haitian Revolution was distorted and silenced by mainstream historians and media, who either ignored or misrepresented its significance and achievements.
The Gifts of Black Folk
French concludes his book by highlighting the contributions of Africans and their descendants to the cultural, intellectual, and political development of the modern world. He argues that Africans and their descendants have been the "gifts of black folk" to humanity, as they have enriched and transformed every aspect of human civilization.
He showcases the achievements of African and African diaspora thinkers, writers, artists, scientists, inventors, activists, and leaders who have shaped our understanding of ourselves and our world. He cites examples such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Aimé Césaire, Frantz Fanon, Chinua Achebe, James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Toni Morrison, Barack Obama, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and many others. He also showcases the achievements of African and African diaspora genres, styles, movements, and expressions that have influenced our culture and society. He cites examples such as Afrofuturism, Negritude, Pan-Africanism, Black Power, Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Funk, Disco, Rap, Salsa, Samba, Calypso, Zouk, Highlife, Afro-Cuban Jazz, He cites examples such as Afrofuturism, Negritude, Pan-Africanism, Black Power, Afrobeat, Reggae, Hip Hop, Jazz, Blues, Rock and Roll, R&B, Soul, Gospel, Funk, Disco, Rap, Salsa, Samba, Calypso, Zouk, Highlife, Afro-Cuban Jazz, and many others. He argues that these forms of expression have not only entertained and enlightened millions of people around the world, but also challenged and changed the dominant paradigms of culture and society.
Conclusion
Born in Blackness is a monumental and masterful book that offers a new and radical perspective on world history and the role of Africa and Africans in it. It is a book that challenges us to rethink our assumptions and prejudices about Africa and its people, and to recognize their agency and achievements in the making of the modern world. It is a book that celebrates the diversity and creativity of African and African diaspora cultures, and their contributions to the enrichment and transformation of human civilization. It is a book that calls for justice and recognition for Africa and its people, who have been exploited and oppressed for centuries by the forces of slavery, colonialism, racism, and neocolonialism. It is a book that invites us to imagine a different and better future for Africa and the world, one that is based on mutual respect, solidarity, and cooperation.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the book and their answers:
Who is the author of Born in Blackness?
The author of Born in Blackness is Howard W. French, a former Africa correspondent for The New York Times and a professor of journalism at Columbia University. He is also the author of several other books on Africa and Asia, such as A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa, China's Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa, and Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China's Push for Global Power.
What is the main argument of Born in Blackness?
The main argument of Born in Blackness is that Africa and Africans have played a central yet intentionally obliterated role in the creation of modernity. The book shows how Europe's economic ascendancy, The main argument of Born in Blackness is that Africa and Africans have played a central yet intentionally obliterated role in the creation of modernity. The book shows how Europe's economic ascendancy, the anchoring of democracy in the West, and the fulfillment of so-called Enlightenment ideals all grew out of Europe's dehumanizing engagement with Africa. The book also shows how Africans and their descendants have contributed to the cultural, intellectual, and political development of the modern world, despite the oppression and exploitation they have faced.
What are the main sources of evidence for Born in Blackness?
The main sources of evidence for Born in Blackness are a combination of historical documents, archival records, oral testimonies, personal observations, and scholarly literature. The author draws on his extensive experience as a journalist and a traveler in Africa and other parts of the world, as well as his rigorous research and analysis of various primary and secondary sources. The author also uses maps, charts, tables, photographs, and illustrations to support his arguments and provide visual information.
What are the main themes of Born in Blackness?
The main themes of Born in Blackness are the following:
The centrality of Africa and Africans in world history and the making of modernity.
The distortion and erasure of Africa's history and culture by Eurocentric narratives and ideologies.
The diversity and creativity of African and African diaspora cultures and their contributions to human civilization.
The resistance and resilience of Africans and their descendants against slavery, colonialism, racism, and neocolonialism.
The need for justice and recognition for Africa and its people in the present and the future.
How can I get a copy of Born in Blackness?
You can get a copy of Born in Blackness by ordering it online from various platforms, such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop. You can also check your local library or bookstore for availability. Alternatively, you can download a PDF version of the book from this link: .
What are some other books that are similar to Born in Blackness?
Some other books that are similar to Born in Blackness are:
Africa: A Biography of the Continent by John Reader. This is a comprehensive and engaging account of Africa's history, geography, ecology, and culture from prehistoric times to the present.
The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution by C.L.R. James. This is a classic and influential work that tells the story of the Haitian Revolution and its impact on world history.
Africa's World War: Congo, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Making of a Continental Catastrophe by Gerard Prunier. This is a detailed and insightful analysis of the complex and tragic conflict that engulfed Central Africa in the 1990s and 2000s.
Afropean: Notes from Black Europe by Johny Pitts. This is a personal and poetic exploration of the lives and experiences of people of African descent in various European cities.
African Dominion: A New History of Empire in Early and Medieval West Africa by Michael A. Gomez. This is a groundbreaking and revisionist study of the rise and fall of West African empires, such as Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Kanem-Bornu, Hausa-Fulani, Asante, Dahomey, Oyo, Benin, etc.
I hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new about Born in Blackness. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below. Thank you for reading!
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