Afrocentrism Revisited: Africa in the Philosophy of Black Nationalism

In the 1990s, the political tradition of Afrocentrism came under attack in the Western academy, resulting in its glaring omission from most genealogies of Black thought today. This is despite the fact that Afrocentrism had roots dating back to the 15th century, shaping movements like Pan-Africanism and Négritude. It is also despite the fact that the tradition resulted in important cornerstones of Black American life: the holiday of Kwanzaa, the discipline of Black Studies, and independent Afrocentric schools. This essay revisits Afrocentrism as a foundation for the Black Radical Tradition. It argues that Afrocentrism presupposed the relationship between Blackness and Africa to be the central problem for emancipatory thought. Re-embracing Africa not only meant resistance; it targeted the originary thread of political modernity itself–that is, the separation of Blackness from Africa.

Duke Scholars

Author Sarah Balakrishnan History