.-4.1111'
ChapterThree
Werethecriticsrightaboutrights?ReassessingtheAmericandebateaboutrightsinthe
post-reformera
KimberleCrenshaw
Theprojectofmobilisinghumanrights
to
facilitateculturaltransformationinAfrica,andthehistoricalprojectofmobilisingcivilrightsdiscourses
to
ellectcul-turaltransformationintheUnitedStatesofAmerica(USA).havebothbeensitu-atedbetweencompetingperspectivesontheoverallutilityofrights.Inbroadterms,bothprojectsarcsituatedbetween,ontheonehand,theliberalcelcbra-Lionofrightsastheprincipaldiscoursepromotinghumanliberationand,ontheother,trenchantcritiquesthatcharacteriserightsasdiscoursesof
dorniruuion
andlegitimisation.Inmorespecificterms,humanrightsarcfetedbys0111eastheembodimentofuniversalvaluesinhistorysmarchtowardtransculturalenlight-enment.Theyaresimultaneouslyassailedbyotherswithinadiscourseofcultur-alauthenticityasconduitsofWesternpowerundertheshadowofcolonialism.Similarly,civilrightswithintheAmericancontexthavebeenhailedassingularlycapableoltranscendingracismandparochialisminthelinearmarchtowardcivilequality;Simultaneously,civilrightshavebeen'trashed'asaco-optinganddemo-bilisingdiscourseoflegttimisation.'Whiledebatesaboutthevalueandutilityofcivilandhumanrightsarenotentirelyparallel,thereareapparentcorrespondencesbetweenthetwothatsug-gestthatcomparativeanalysesmaybeproductive,WithregardtothespecificprojectofmobilislnghumanrightsasadiscourseofculturaltransformationinAfrica,themostimmediatepointolcomparisonisnotsimplytheparallelpolar-itiesoftherightsdebate.Instead.itisinthecommonefforttostakeoutan'inbetween'positionthatsimultaneouslyacknowledgesandresistselementsofboththecelebrationandthecritiqueofrights.ThosewhoseektodevelophumanrightspracticereflectiveofAfricanculturalcontextsstandinapositionsimilartoUSAracetheoristswhosoughttodefendtheliberalaspirationsofcivilrightswhilecriticallyinterrogatingtheverytermsofthediscourse.Boththe
THEAMERICANDEBATEABOUTRIGHTS
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