Afrocentricity african american research center u of i. Benefits of afrocentricity in exploring social phenomena. Afrocentricity encompasses the complete shedding of any thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and cultures that are foreign to the development of the afrocentric mind. One prominent afrocentrist teaches that beethoven was afro european. Literary critical discourse on the black zimbabwean novel constitutes one of several platforms on which the selfother dialectic in zimbabwe finds expression. This is especially the case at the level of literary critical theory where the tendency is to advance arguments that frame afrocentric and eurocentric literary critical theories as. Thus, it is rooted in the tradition of blacks quest for historical au. Literarycritical discourse on the black zimbabwean novel constitutes one of several platforms on which the selfother dialectic in zimbabwe finds expression. This paper argues that the entire tradition the literature, the criticism, and the literary theory needs to connect to and stay engaged with other. Incorporating afrocentric curriculum for k12 african. Racialized identity, ethnic identity, and afrocentric. Adventist literary theory, an addition to the afrocentric literary theories afrocentric literary theories of language and literature mpofu nhlanhla head of department primary and secondary education faculty of education solusi university. He is also chaitman of the editorial board for the nigerian daily times.
Hudsonweems bravely takes the bull by the horns, confronts the eurocentric avalanche of. This supposed misappropriation of literary theory accounts for why the african novel has become a victim of the eurocentric theories that have often. African american literary theory spring 2017 mondays, 5. When she discarded the afrocentric style that was her early trademark, record executives were dismayed the black feminist perspective generates an underlying primary theory for moving to a culturally appropriate or afrocentric model one of the basic underlying assumptions of afrocentric theory emanates from the school of thought delineated in black family literature. The temple university is regarded as the leading centre of afrocentricity, probably because asante the proclaimed originator of the concept is based there. Pdf the criticism of african literature researchgate. Equally important to afrocentrism were figures such as the african american scholar maulana karenga, whose work resulted in the creation of the afrocentric holiday of kwanzaa in 1966. The postcolonial critic would have little expertise in analysing, for example th, e traces of. This is especially the case at the level of literarycritical theory where the tendency is to advance arguments that frame afrocentric and eurocentric literarycritical theories as. Many activists of the civil rights movement, including author maya angelou marguerite annie johnson. The serious textual reader is able to locate a text by certain symbolic boundaries and iconic signposts offered from within the text itself. Afrocentricity is a theory of social change, and seeks agency and action, furthermore, in regard to communication studies the afrocentric idea metatheory focuses on the structure and power of the rhetorical condition in relation to societal norms and analytically focuses on the frame of mind, scope of context, structure of code, and delivery. The africana womanist theory has therefore the potential of effecting change and making meaningful contributions to the afrocentric discourse on african women and men hudson weems 2007, 294 295 over and above referring to the oppressive elements that affect africana women, the theory is strong in its afrocentric approach. While several scholars completely refuted fundamental assertions of afrocentricity, others accepted it, trying to expand and further define it.
The theory of african literature project muse johns hopkins. The goal was to use this education to develop a the goal was to use this education to develop a c ounter he gemoni c and s elf. Afrocentric historicism developed as a medium of black protest against what was perceived as the universalistic, absolutist and fundamentalist claims of western historiography in relation to the interpretation and determination of the place and role of africa in history. For the afrocentrist, criticismwhether of a literary, cultural, ceremonial, presentational, or personal narrativerelates wholly to the question of. The article presents an essay on afrocentric concepts in african historiography, through emphasis on some afrocentric thinkers. From the very beginning the afrocentric theory was utilitarian that is it was a guide to action.
Other critics of the afrocentric approach in the study of history include the late egyptologist frank yurco, and africanamerican history professor clarence e. An afrocentric method is concerned with establishing a world view about the writing and speaking of oppressed people. Afrocentric definition of afrocentric by merriamwebster. Each section offers the student a different kind of research tool. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. In order to address that feasibility, a rationale for an afrocentric curriculum has been provided, which includes the following aspects required to implement an afrocentric curriculum in. During the l960s a group of african american intellectuals in the newlyformed black studies departments at universities began to formulate novel ways of analyzing information. This book looks at how this philosophy, ethos, and worldview gives africans a better understanding of how to interpret issues affecting their communities.
The leading centre for the afrocentric movement is the temple university school of scholars, often referred to as the temple circle. Centered or focused on africa or african peoples, especially in relation to historical or cultural influence. Postcolonial literature comes from britains former colonies in the caribbean, africa and india. The theory of social change asante, molefi kete on. The aim is to attempt an african psychological rendering of that fundamental african assumption, made popular by the nguni proverb, that umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu often translated as a person is a person through other persons.
While these characters each embodied varying levels of ineptitude, the idea was such that all were in need of a european3 frantz fanon. Building on the nineteenth century afrocentric ideas an d themes in the writings of martin delany, henry garnet, and henry mcneal turner, among others, afrocentric scholars such as molefi asante, maulan akarenga, naim akbar, dona marimba richards aka marimba ani, the late john henrik clarke, and chance l. Afrocentric criticism is an evaluative field that uses the position of african agency to determine the location of a text or situation. The intersection of critical theory, marxism, and feminism with afrocentrism offers. The afrocentric idea and the cultural turn in intercultural communication studies. In this article, the author argues that africana critical theory or black existential philosophy is the philosophical discourse that critiques domination and affirms the empowerment of black. African literary aesthetics and the english metaphysical empire. An african womans standpoint in black feminist thought everyone thats ever been to africa writes about african women, but rarely do we see. Afrocentric definition of afrocentric by the free dictionary. Many postcolonial writers write in english and focus on. Discussed in this crossdisciplinary work is the theory of afrocentricity, which mandates that africans be viewed as subjects rather than objects and is driven by the question. Traces of afrocentricity in the lion and the jewel and the road by wole soyinka by sara zargar, m.
Chidi amuta is a nigerian journalist, intellectual and literary critic. Afrocentrism is an other weed fertilized by the idea that there is no such thing as truth, only competing narratives. Doc adventist literary theory, an addition to the afro. Images of africa and blacks in western popular culture yale.
Brings together key texts that are otherwise hard to locate covers. The terms afrocentrism, afrocology, and afrocentricity were coined in the 1980s by the african american scholar and. I must admit that i have been extravagantly arbitrary in selecting reading materials for this seminar. Afrocentric synonyms, afrocentric pronunciation, afrocentric translation, english dictionary definition of afrocentric. Afrocentrism, also called africentrism, cultural and political movement whose mainly african american adherents regard themselves and all other blacks as syncretic africans and believe that their worldview should positively reflect traditional african values. Afrocentricity is a frame of reference through which every occurrence is viewed from the point of view of the african experience. Traces of afrocentricity in the lion and and the road. What is africana critical theory or black existential philosophy. Afrocentrism also afrocentricity is an approach to the study of world history that focuses on the history of people of recent african descent. Afrocentric theory as advanced in numerous works, including my own, establishes two fundamental realities in situating a text. The critical concept of afrocentrism in nigerian literature submitted. Apr, 2009 afrocentricity is a paradigm based on the idea that african people should reassert a sense of agency in order to achieve sanity. This is the first anthology to bring together the key texts of african literary theory and criticism. Context and theory molefi kete asante and the afrocentric idea afrocentricity definition afrocentricity materialized as a theory of knowledge in 1980 under molefi kete asantes philosophical thinking while also posing a systematic challenge to western epistemology.
The structure of the blackwell guide to literary theory the blackwell guide to literary theory was designed to help students, teachers, and general readers become familiar with literary theory, its history and many manifestations, from a number of different perspectives. Achieving success through congruence the role of the teacher is to make the students world and the classroom congruent. This is the key to reorientation and recentering so that the person acts as an agent rather than as a victim or dependant asante, 2007. He was previously a senior lecturer in literature and communications at the universities of ife and port harcourt. Afrocentricity, however, is not the antithesis of eurocentricity. Formalism is a school of literary criticism and literary theory having mainly to do with structural purposes of a particular text. Cokley university of missouri at columbia a survey of the literature reveals that there is conceptual confusion and inconsistent and sometimes inappropriate usage of the terms racial identity, ethnic identity, and afrocentric values. One of the basic underlying assumptions of afrocentric theory emanates from the school of thought delineated in black family literature. It emerged in the african american cultural panorama as a set of premises. Reclaiming ourselves is not simply a scholarly work, one of those in the mainstream, but our own. It is the study of a text without taking into account any outside influence. It is a new trail blazed with incontrovertible revelations on the af rican heritage and gender question. An afrocentric theory nah dove temple university background this article evolves from my study see dove, 1993, 1996 of the life herstories2 of african mothers who send their children to culturally affirming schools. Brings together key texts that are otherwise hard to locate covers all genres and critical schools provides the intellectual context for understanding african literature facilitates the future development of african literary criticism.
Although the word existed before asantes book and had been used by many people, including asante in the l970s, and kwame nkrumah in the l960s, the intellectual idea. The theory of afrocentricity began to develop in the usa in the. Politics and literary theory and activity in south. Afrocentrism cultural and political movement britannica. Pdf the criticism of african literature amechi akwanya. Afrocentric definition is centered on or derived from africa or the africans. The black feminist perspective generates an underlying primary theory for moving to a culturally appropriate or afrocentric model. And adebayo williams 55 58 major themes in african literature mlkjihgfedcbazy equally to the literary works themselves, except perhaps that the. The emerging paradigm of afrocentric research methods. To him, there is a popular version called afrocentrism and the academic version known as afrocentricityor the afrocentric theory. The color purple by alice walker, americanah by chimamanda ngozi adichie, things fall apart by chinua achebe, their eyes we. It is in some respects a response to global eurocentric attitudes about african people and their historical contributions.
Modern african writing is largely a postwar phenomenon, already providing university courses and. The serious textual reader is able to locate a text by certain symbolic boundaries. The theory of social change, which launched the first full discussion of the concept. Current literary theoriesphenomenology, hermeneutics, and structuralism, for examplecannot be applied, whole cloth, to african themes and subjects. Afrocentricity is a paradigm based on the idea that african people should reassert a sense of agency in order to achieve sanity. Halls remar hak s importan t implications as a literar. I focus on conceptualizing and defining the racialization of the world through european dominationwhite supremacy. Apr 14, 2016 afrocentricity, sisterhood and african feminisms. Myers, department of black studies, the ohio state university, 486 university hall, 230 north oval mall, columbus, ohio.
The afrocentric objective, has always been to create space for conscious human beings who are, by virtue of their centeredness, committed to sanity. An introduction to postcolonialism, postcolonial theory and. The author informs that the late senegalese scholar, cheikh anta diop, was inarguably the most dominant afrocentric thinker of the past forty years. What is africana critical theory or black existential.
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