Reshaping the African identity

The transatlantic slave trade was abolished in US nearly 200 years ago yet the impacts of its socio-economic and psychological effects on Africans and people of African descent continue unabated.

The recently celebrated ''Black History Month'' in the US has drawn my attention to the probable headlines that flooded various publications using the word ''black'' instead of ''Africa''. Before, during and after the slave trade and throughout the period of colonisation that followed, Africans were called ''negro'' or ''nigger'. These words were derived from the Latin word ''niger'' which means ''black''.

If the usage of these words has a covert connotation of stereotypical racial degradation of the dignity and image of Africans and people of African descent, then it is equally true that the word ''black'' has the same negative effects, and also reminds us of the past atrocities and injustices committed against Africans and people of African descent.

There is no country in the world called ''black'' or ''white''. But we have ''European history'', ''American history'', ''Chinese calendar month'' etc, without describing the physical characteristics of the people in these countries. When one hears the word ''France'' or ''French'', ''England'' or ''English'', it is easy to visualize the land, history and culture of the people. But when one hears the word ''black'' or ''negro'', the only vision that comes to mind relates to a condition or the physical characteristics of some people.

The terms were imposed upon African history by Europeans who did not only want to prove that everything good in African history was brought from outside, but also that the rest of Africa has no history worth its name.

A new approach to African history must begin with a new frame of reference. We will have to discard a number of words that have been imposed on African history such as ''black Africa'', which presupposes that there is a ''white Africa''.

There is an urgent need to discard the words ''negro'' and ''nigger'', just as well as 'black history'', ''black business'' and ''black communities'', etc. We must rise up to emancipate ourselves by defending our rich African heritage, image and dignity.