In my part of Africa, a concentrate number of the population does not know what slavery is nor remember what it was, that part of our history has been cemented under a crippled education. The impact of colonialism was obviously reduced to positive factors like education, religion, cultural integration, economical and infrastructural development; I totally agree with the belief that the presence of the colonial masters in Africa instigated a visible change in Africa, but I can’t help but ponder “what if they did not come to Africa”, are we suppose to believe that a race that has survived thousands of years hunting and farming, grooming its population, expanding territories, making allies among themselves, trading across the vast ocean cannot develop at the same rate as every other race?
Before the Europeans came to Africa, there was a form of religion broken down into the worship of different deities, the introduction of Islam and Christianity drag Africa into the religious struggle that has been around in the world for centuries. Missionaries and returning free slaves spread the gospel of Jesus across West Africa and to the North Islam spread. The white man came around put black men in shackles, stole African spiritual artifacts, the images and statues of the gods that we pride ourselves in as Africans and then they imposed their beliefs on the continent, every society is a derivative of its borderline religion.
History seems cold and complex but understanding the trajectory of human history you will see that history is a tool used by the powerful to suppress commoners (weak). The history of Africa before the European slave trade has been corrupted, though corrupted history has been repelled for the curriculum in the educational system where I am from.
Geographically, the discovery of most African landmarks was accredited to Europeans, discoveries relating to arts and culture landmarks was accredited to foreigners, landmarks that Africans have being surviving on for centuries, landmarks that were blended and used by African culture by Africans hands were claimed by foreigners. The division and distribution of the continent among European was one of a method designed to implement the distribution of Africa's wealth, giving European names to places with an existing population with names and borders long before their arrival.
Economically the target of imported or exported goods during the colonial era was to boost the statue of the colonial masters. Africans provided involuntary labor, paid taxes to the colonial government, African mines filled with gold, diamonds, natural gases, iron ore, bitumen etcetera were incorporated into the control of the colonial masters. Large scale agricultural production was also controlled by colonialism using Africans as labor, in order to feed non-African, Africa played a big unpraised role in the economic and structural development of countries around the world, Africa was a franchise directed by colonialism.
Politics in Africa (governance) before colonialism was not so different from feudalism in Europe, for example; l do know that every Yoruba king has an ancestral form of respect (obligation)for the OONI of IFE the direct lineage of the ODUDWA (the ancestral father of all Yoruba people). Just like feudalism in Europe, Africa was broken down into small social entities with the same rules, same beliefs, the same culture and they were ruled by Kings or lords that may or may not pay taxes or dues to a more powerful Lord or king. Leaders were chosen by the to chiefs or kingmakers. Politically Africa was moving at its own pace, given time liberalism would have found it is own meaning in African minds, western education did not improve politics in Africa, it corrupted it and improved the belief of individualism.
A lot of changed with the arrival of European slave traders on African shores, colonialism though appreciated for its obvious impact on Africa and Africans, it should be condemned as well.
The European impact on formal education in Africa is commendable, it widened the horizon of most Africans to the attributes and the possibilities in the world. Unfortunately, this achievement left a detriment on informal education in Africa, indicated by the clash between the formal and informal form of education.
Cultural artifacts were stolen from Africa, artifacts projecting the untold history of Africa. Most of these artifacts are still on display today in museums across Europe. Some of this artifact did not survive the raids nor the transportation across the ocean , some were destroyed intentionally or otherwise. Cultural structures were raided and razed to the ground along with the contents .
Africa lost its identity to colonialism, the history of Africans before colonialism either forgotten, ignored or corrupted. Might take decades, centuries even but I am confident that Africa and Africans will redeem this identity, to be clear I am not an optimist but this is possible we just need to learn and share our history with everyone . Africans need to remind the world that everything came from Africa.
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