New Directions

Volume 10 | Issue 1 Article 2

10-1-1982

African Diaspora Studies: Some Trends andChallengesJoseph E. Harris

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Recommended CitationHarris, Joseph E. (1982) "African Diaspora Studies: Some Trends and Challenges," New Directions: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 2.Available at: http://dh.howard.edu/newdirections/vol10/iss1/2

COMMfNTARY

African Diaspora Studies:Some Trends andChallengesBy Joseph E. Harris

18 The concept of the African diasporaembodies the essence of the historicalconnection between Africans and peopleof African descent abroad. Included inthis concept are three components: 1,the global dispersion, forced and volun-tary, of Africans from ancient times to thepresent; 2, their settlement in adoptedlands without the loss of their Africanidentity; 3, the physical or psychologicalreturn to the homeland-Africa.

In recent years African studies in gen-eral, and African historiography in par-ticular, have witnessed an increasedemphasis on the historical connectionbetween Africans and Afro-Americans(North, Central and South American).Evidence of this trend is seen in agrowing number of conferences andbooks focusing on African/Afro-Ameri-cans interrelations in Pan Africanism.But only recently has serious scholarlyattention been directed to a host of net-works between Africans and Afro-Ameri-cans quite apart from Pan Africanism astraditionally understood in politicalterms. Several of the works of GeorgeShepperson and St. Clair Drake confirmthis point.

This fall, the Howard University Presswill release the book, Global Dimensionsof the African Diaspora, a collection of24 papers presented at the First AfricanDiaspora Studies Institute at HowardUniversity in 1979. This volume, whichincludes pieces by both Drake andShepperson, assesses the concept andmethodologies of the African diaspora,presents case studies, and provides aperceptive description of personal exper-iences by scholars and practitioners ofPan Africanism.

What is particularly significant about thevolume is that it not only presents seriouspieces by African scholars who usedlocal oral and written sources to recon-struct African/Afro-American interrela-tions in African societies, but includesevidence of contact through individuals

NEW DIRECTIONS OCTOBER 1982

and organizations over many years with-out any conscious political ideologies.That is a reflection of what St. Clair Drakecharacterizes as pan Africanism, with asmall "p." Church groups, educationalprojects, personal visits were part of thatphenomenon, as well as financial andother kinds of contributions on the partof Afro-Americans.

Much of the momentum for this newexploratory approach has come fromconferences convened by UNESCO andHoward University.

The UNESCO meeting of experts on"The Cultures of the Caribbean," whichconvened at Santo Domingo, DominicanRepublic, September 1978, addressed anumber of important issues. But an itemof particular relevance adopted at theconference was that "the African pres-ence which was often ignored or mini-mized, should be unequivocablyadmitted to whatever definition formu-lated by the conference, since it is theaxis around which the whole contem-porary Caribbean culture was built up."This view epitomized the thrust of theconcern for African diaspora studies inthe Caribbean.

The Howard Connection

The First African Diaspora Studies Insti-tute, which convened at Howard Univer-sity in August 1979, examined the statusof research and teaching in Africandiaspora studies in Africa and theAmericas and explored the possibility ofstrengthening links between African andAmerican scholars in the field. Delegatesfrom Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, andthe United States discussed the follow-ing relevant issues: conceptual and con-textual framework, methodologicalissues, historical and geopolitical scope.

The delegates concluded the conferenceby including the following among theirrecommendations:

• That a follow-up conference shouldbe convened within 2-3 years.

• That a newsletter or journal belaunched in African diaspora studies andbe made available to all African andother interested persons.

• That means be found to provideresource scholars and library materialsto support the development of Africandiaspora studies at African universities.

In January 1980, the Director General ofUNESCO, Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, calledon participants of a conference held inBarbados on The African Cultural Pres-

ence in the Caribbean and in North andSouth America "to define and givespecificity to the scope, contours andsocio-cultural context of the Africandiaspora." He also asked them to rec-ommend research projects and otheractivities for UNESCO's involvement.

The following key proposals weresubmitted by the delegates at theconference:

• The integration of studies on theAfrican diaspora in school programs ofAmerican countries.

• The translation and distribution tointerested institutions of relevant mate-rial on the African cultural presence inthe Caribbean and in the Americas.

• The encouragement of radio stationsto broadcast programs relating to theAfrican diaspora and Black culture.

• The contribution to the preparation ofa general history of the African peoplesin the Americas and in the Caribbean.

The following are two of the formulasproposed for the achievement of theconference's objectives.

• Creation of a cultural associationwhose members should come fromAfrica and the African diaspora.

• Establishment of an advisory com-mittee to identify, select and supervisethe publication and translation of basicdocuments, archival sources, relevantbooks, and to co-ordinate the distribu-tion of this material.

The 1979 conference at Howard pavedthe way for the Second African DiasporaStudies Institute which convened at theUniversity of Nairobi in 1981. Nearly 100delegates assessed the status ofresearch and teaching in Africandiaspora studies, presented papers onselected topics in the field, examinedsyllabi and research checklists fromseveral African countries, and consideredways of continuing the collectivecontact.

The Nairobi Conference

The Nairobi conference recognized thateffective teaching requires research andone of the problems of teaching diasporastudies at universities in Africa is thepaucity of documentation. However, thatlimitation may have been exaggerated.A number of African delegates had in-vestigated the holdings in their nationalarchives to determine the extent of avail-able sources for research. They pre-pared checklists which were discussedat the conference. Those checklists iden-

tified a number of Afro-American immi-grants in several African countries fromthe 19th century to the present. In addi-tion, documents revealed that the influ-ence of Marcus Garvey was much greaterthan indicated by any previous study,especially for French-speaking Africa.

The data from those and other sourceswould support individual and collabora-tive research to locate points of settle-ment of Afro-Americans in Africa, andalso facilitate an examination of the waysin which those immigrants were receivedby specific host societies, the processesand results of adjustment, and the degree

. of impact on African development.

Indeed, it is becoming increasingly clearthat Afro-Americans helped in the trans-fer of administrative and technical skillsand ideas which helped in the develop-ment of a number of African societies. Itis also clear that Afro-Americans re-turned to the Americas with influencesfrom the homeland. Studies concentratedon these types of issues would greatlyenhance our understanding of Africanand American history and culture; theyalso represent a means of establishinglinks between African and Americanuniversities.

The Nairobi conference clearly reflecteda keen interest in African diaspora stud-ies on the part of the delegates. Indeed,the delegates from Malawi and Zambiareported that their universities hadadopted a course on the African diaspora.The University of Zambia also introduceda course on United States history. TheUniversity of Zimbabwe's delegatestated that he had introduced a courseon "The African Experience in theDiaspora" and he planned to establish acourse on slavery within a year. OtherAfrican universities have witnessed theexpansion of traditional courses to in-clude diaspora content and perspectives.The University of Calabar in Nigeriacontinues to lead the way among Africanuniversities in the number of courses onthe diaspora.

African interest in this field is accom-panied by appeals for assistance. MostAfrican scholars were not trained in thesubject and are thus uneasy about teach-ing it. Several delegates suggested theformulation of a program of African dias-pora studies at universities in the UnitedStates, with fellowships for African stu-dents. Another suggestion was thatsummer institutes be conducted in Africato train faculty already holding positionsat African universities.

At the final session of the conference thedelegates voted to organize as the Inter-national African Diaspora Studies Asso-ciation. A committee chaired by thewriter was elected on a geographicalbasis to provide continuity for the group,prepare proposals for organizationalstructure, and explore the feasibi lity ofholding another conference, establishinga research institute and publishing anewsletter.

The idea of a newsletter was first pre- -sented at the Howard conference in 1979and later at the Barbados meeting in1980. UNESCO has since agreed to funda pi lot project for a newsletter inEnglish, French, Spanish and Portuguese-with a constituency primarily in theAmericas, Europe and Africa. The news-letter, to be produced by a HowardUniversity faculty committee, will seek toidentify works which should be trans-lated and distributed in different parts ofthe world; contain reports on relevantdevelopments in communities in differentcountries; announce itineraries ofscholars, writers, performers and othersin the field; and in general support thedevelopment of an international networkof specialists and interested lay personsaround the world.

To date letters of interest in the news-letter project have come from individualsin 35 countries in Latin America and theCaribbean, Africa, Europe, the UnitedStates and Canada. The first issue isscheduled to appear next year.

Diaspora Institutes

The objectives of the two African Dias-pora Institutes, the African DiasporaStudies Association and the newsletterproject constitute a major challenge anda new direction in the study of theAfrican/Afro-American connection. Thereis a heightened awareness that Africanpeople have become an integral andextended part of a world in which mo-mentous economic and intellectual forcescontinue to reshape political, social andeconomic structures, thereby causingre-orientations of perspectives and re-alignment of constituencies. By boththeir presence and actions in the midstof a Euro-American dominated system,men and women of African descent con-tinue to influence and be influenced bydecisions of Euro-Americans.

As part of that phenomenon, Africans inthe diaspora, among other things, con-tributed to the development and appre-ciation of that significant concept of the

nation-state in Africa. At a time whenmost continental Africans defined theirsocieties primarily along ethnic andfamily lines-and Europeans definedthem as "barbarous tribes"-severalAfro-Americans promoted the idea ofnation-state in Africa as both an end re-sult and a means of challenging deroga-tory stereotypes about African peoplewith respect to their ability to govern, sur-vive, and progress.

It was within that context that Africansabroad supported the liberation of Haiti,the repatriation experiments of SierraLeone and Liberia, the expulsion of theItalians from Ethiopia, and the freedommovements of 20th century Africa. Dias-pora Africans became pioneer teachers,civil servants, journalists, physicians,and eng ineers throughout much of Africa.They shared their lirnited resourcesabroad for the education of continentalAfricans, and their ideas later inspiredfreedom struggles throughout the Blackworld.

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It is especially significant that thoseideas and actions as applied to Africa byBlacks at that time were innovative andprovided a basis for an evolving con-sciousness of Black identity in the UnitedStates, the Caribbean, and Africa.

But noteworthy though that was, thesense of national and transnationaldevelopment, which diaspora Africanshad, incorporated African and Westernvalues and posed dilemmas whichwecontinue to face. We must therefore becareful not to exaggerate the role ofdiaspora Africans and we certainly rnustevaluate any positive and negativeinfluence they had. Serious analyticattention should be devoted to the tradi-tion of linkage between Africa and thediaspora.

Diaspora Africans

Diaspora Africans in Asia, Europe, andthe Americas could not escape the influ-ence of their physical and social envi-ronment abroad. Their languages andlifestyles changed; their values andgoals were modified. Yet, Yoruba is stillspoken in parts of Brazil; traces of sever-al African languages persist in Guyanaand Surinam and in the islands of thesoutheastern United States; whileSwahili survives in parts of India. Creoleemerged in several African and diasporaareas. Traces of African religion andinfluences of African art, literature andmusic exist in the diaspora. And what isalso important is the strength to be

Continued on page 23

NEW DIRECTIONS OCTOBER 1982

month to a Black Development VentureCapital Fund. We have been successfulin getting payroll deductions for contribu-tions to a United Black Fund to meet theneeds of the poor; let us do the same forour economic development.

A Black Economic Development Fundcould be organized 'on these same prin-ciples, with the funds amassed from in-dividual contributions becoming theseed money for private enterprises. Ifeach person contributed but $1.00 permonth, the resulting $300 mi Ilion could beleveraged to upwards of $1.5 billion ininvestment capital each year. Carefullyand prudently managed, such a fundcould contribute significantly to the sizeand success of Black businesses andemployment.

The problems with developing such afund are formidable indeed, but they arenot insurmountable. First, our peoplewould have to be convinced of the needfor, and importance of, this kind of a pro-gram. To obtain their trust and support forsuch a venture, a board of directors madeup of prominent Black leaders would beneeded. I'm thinking here of about sixregional funds with six regional boards.

To assure our people that their contri-butions would not be lost or wasted, thisfund wouId need to have as managementofficers competent businessmen, econo-mists and lawyers. This fund would haveto walk a fine line between hard financialanalysis and advice, and sensitivity to thespecial needs of promising Black busi-nessmen. It would have to work with, andto a large extent, through existing Blackfinancial institutions and venture capitalfirms.

These are serious problems, and it willtake much effort and cooperation toachieve them. But, the clear advantagesof being able to control our economicdestinies in this way make me believethat we can move in this direction.

This alone, however, does not solve theproblem of small and minority businesscapital formation. At present, the tax laws

discourage equity participation in, andventure financing of, small and especiallyminority businesses. We wi II need to workfor changes in the tax laws that will pro-vide these enterprises with the same ac-cess to capital that large companies nowenjoy, and that will encourage Black peo-ple to make investments in Black ven-tures. Such changes would multiply thebenefits from a Black Economic Develop-ment Fund by encourag ing the entre-preneurial activities that such a fund cansupport.

So there you have it, two possible solu-tions: A Black Economic DevelopmentFund, and a Revitalization or NationalDevelopment Bank.

Conclusion

Organizing and obtaining the Black com-munity's support for a Black EconomicDevelopment Fund will require recom-mitment to the goals of full economic free-dom for Black people. Obtaining theFederal programs for industrial develop-ment will require overcoming the opposi-tion from those who want to roll back theFederal government's economic and so-cial activities to what they were beforethe New Deal.

If we join together with other people ofreason and goodwill, we will begin to re-verse the trend of official indifference andcallousness. We can bring about the pro-grams and assistance that are so vitallyneeded to provide jobs and job oppor-tunities to all Americans. D

Walter Faun troy represents the District of Columbiain Congress. The above was excerpted from a July26, 1982 presentation at the National Summit Confer-ence on Black Economic Development & Survival, inGary, Indiana.

AFRICAN DIASPORAContinued from page 19

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derived from the powerful set of cohesivehistorical conditions which helped tocement global bonds among Africanpeople.

The times and cast of characters havechanged over the centuries, but in someways, the challenge today is similar tothat of the past, a situation in whichAfrica's political, strategic, and economicresources weigh heavily in the decisionsof world pol icy-makers, and this factmakes even more important the exist-ence of diaspora African communities inworld centers of power. That fact under-lines the critical nature of linkage be-tween African people throughout theworld. For in the struggle for world equityand peace, it would be a great mistakefor any power in Africa or elsewhere toignore the implications of those natural,and historical Iinks.

Thus, the study of the African diasporamust be understood as an ongoing, his-toric and dynamic phenomenon influenc-ing and influenced by relationships andevents in global context. D

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