Co-existential Negritude

CO-EXISTENTIAL NEGRITUDE 

In the 1930s, African literature was influenced by two anti-racist ideologies: Negritude and Pan-Africanism. The principle of assimilation was a peculiar characteristic of the French African Colonies. It aimed at making people in the colony french citizens and influencing them to walk, talk, dress and behave like french men and women inhabitants of these colonies considered the principle of assimilation to be a direct attack on their identity. In Senghor’s poem “Black woman" he wrote 

".. .I come upon you, my Promised Land,

And your beauty strikes me to the heart… “ 

The word Promised land was used to portray Africa as the home of every black not French culture and ephemeral (the land is promised it might have been underdeveloped as at then but there was a hope that it was their haven). The first proponent of this ideology, Aime Cesaire did speak of a balance between cultures: that modern elements, western culture and the traditional African heritage could merge and become one and lead to a growing society. Over the years, we have seen Cesaire’s point of view play out perfectly. African language, heritage and literature has found its own space in the globe. The question is how about Negritude in the modern world?

 Negritude had always been before it became an ideology. From the beginning,man had been on a search for identity, essence and pride. The major quest of the proponents of these ideologies was equality, that man be treated right no matter his tribe,colour or language. Currently, there's a call for Co-existential Negritude in the universe “ That every man loves his brother as his brother loves him and respects the identity of every other human (black or not) ". Why Co-existential Negritude? Here's an explanation; A practical example was the Holocaust that led to an influx of Jews into Palestine. The Nazis (Aryan) believed their tribe was the utmost and eliminated about six million Jews in a quest for domination. The mass immigration then has transferred into a border war now between Palestine (Hamas) and Israel with the Palestinians claiming immigrants can't own their land. Many lives lost, many children homeless and bombs have turned into toys. Russia wars against Ukraine because it believes Ukraine belongs to it and Ukraine must belong to its sect. Until we realize Humans are loved not owned, we stand distant to peace. The center of Co-existential Negritude is love and respect . We are meant to preach it.

-Jesunifemi 

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