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Barron Owusu

Professor Babcock

English 137H

13 November 2022

Paradigm Shift: The Death Of African Languages- The Shift From Traditional Indigenous

Languages to English

Many nations have been built upon specific individuals' blood, sweat, and tears. When

making such a statement, many are quick to think of our founding fathers or various pioneers

that have built up their respective nations; however, we tend to forget who actually led the

charge-Africans. Please do not mistake this statement as saying this was a willing transaction; it

was quite the opposite. Africans were forced out of their countries, sold by their people for

resources, and demoralized for other countries to profit! This has led to a diaspora, leading to the

death of African culture. Slavery was dehumanizing. It was an attack on the body and, most

importantly, the mind (Painter Slavery: A dehumanizing institution). The trauma from the

transgression of slavery has led to long-lasting psychological effects. The residual chain of

inferiority led to changes in culture amongst Africans, which has led to a lack of pride resulting

in the death of cultural language and the spark of a new era revolving around the English

language.

Before discussing the reason for African language dying off, one must first look at the

factors leading to this current predicament. It is a deep institution resulting from an injustice that

has lasted for centuries and still has lasting effects today. As previously stated, slavery was

essentially a building block for the advancement of nations; this is due to the idea of free labor
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and resources. West Africa was abundant in things such as gold and Ivory, which attracted many

European countries here (The history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade). African citizens quickly

became the most important "commodity" in the world due to the alluring idea of cheap labor.

The slave trade did not concern skin color; first, it was more about power, politics, and profit-

Africa was sadly the scapegoat. The African people had their own respective cultures, religions,

and way of life until it was stripped away from them for what? A quick buck? No matter how

one sees it, the whole idea and reasoning for slavery are just downright immoral.

To make matters worse, during the beginning of slavery, some African leaders utilized

their people as if they were some type of crop or accessory to give away! Enslaved individuals

were exchanged for goods such as alcohol, beads, and cloth (The history of the Transatlantic

Slave Trade), resulting in learned helplessness in Africans. Learned helplessness is a

phenomenon that occurs when negative stressors persist in someone's life, leading to them

thinking that they can not change the outcome of their lives. (Nickerson What is learned

helplessness and why does it happen?). Essentially, the continuous cycle of pain and suffering

resulted in people giving up hope. Then again, if one was to lose their whole livelihood and be

forced to work for others, how else were they expected to feel? These factors were the building

blocks that began the death of the African language, sparking the shift to English.

Many believe that slavery started in Africa, but that is not the case. It existed long before

the arrival of Europeans; the oldest known slaves were the Mesopotamian and Sumerian of 6000-

2000BCE (Slavery in history). It has been an institution focused on economic, social, and

political advancement for many millennia. The slavery of Africans was a result of a particular

man of religious purposes. One would assume that Christianity might have been against slavery,

but that was far from the truth. This is due to one man- Bishop Bartolomé de las Casas. He was a
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religious man who devoted his life to freeing Indians from slavery due to how sickening and

immoral it was (Anthony Bartolomé de las Casas and 500 years of racial injustice). He did not

at all support the false hero Christopher Columbus who sought to find new land and ended up

robbing Indians of their home and claiming it in his nation's name. To stop this, he left his

extensive land holdings and slaves(ironic) to combat the injustice Spain caused Indians (Anthony

Bartolomé de las Casas and 500 years of racial injustice). In the process, one would assume that

Bartolome would advocate against all slavery, but he did the opposite. Rather than working to

bring justice to everybody, he had to find a scapegoat- Africans. He argued that Europeans had

already formed ideas about Africans, so why not utilize them for slave labor? Las Casas stated

that "Africans were hardier than natives, had a longer life expectancy, were more resistant to the

diseases of the new world such as smallpox and due to their race were just better suited for

work" (Anthony Bartolomé de las Casas and 500 years of racial injustice). Spaniards jumped on

this idea right away, and in 1518 the sale of Africans became legal, starting centuries of injustice

and inhumane treatment of Africans. Bishop Las Casas shifted African history forever and

sparked the cruel events that would hinder the black community forever.

The Middle Passage was the grueling voyage in which Africans were taken away from

their motherland to Europe. It was such a demoralizing time and expectation for why the African

people are so broken. According to the video The Middle Passage, family is very important to

Africans. They loved their community and were very big on having close-knit relationships, so it

was demoralizing when Europeans came and broke that structure. The advancement of European

technology was too great. Therefore, Africans had no choice but to accept and obey the cruel

conditions they were in. Nobody was safe, not even women and children. Women were used for

more than just free labor; their bodies were defamed and used as if they were nothing. This was
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one of the unspoken reasons that led to the shift from African languages to English. “Sometimes,

female slaves allowed these forceful advances in the hope that they or their children would be

free” (Slavery and the making of America . the slave experience: Men, women & gender: PBS).

This led to an interracial mix between Africans and Europeans, leading to an identity conflict. By

doing this, the children of these unjust relationships usually lean toward their European

counterparts, thereby killing off their African roots! This was horrible. However, it is important

to remember the awful physical trauma incurred by slave owners.

The journey of the Middle Passage was treacherous. Traveling from Africa to Europe

took nearly a year and was even more inhumane than holding cattle. Ships named after Christian

ideals led slaves on this long treacherous journey. For instance, one of the various ships

transporting slaves was named "Gift of God" (Spielberg The Middle Passage ). This is very

interesting because it shows how big a role Christianity played in slavery. Christianity's spread

essentially desensitized white individuals from slavery and used it to justify using Africans as

slaves; however, that is not all. When Europeans invaded the motherland, they wanted to gain

resources and cheap labor and spread Christian ideology. They began to tell Africans that their

religion was inferior, leading to a break in their faith factor. The faith factor is vital in our

society. It is essentially a branch of affiliation need but in a religious sense. This helps

individuals avoid trouble due to their religion and helps bring people together in most cases due

to the promotion of healthy habits and social needs being met. When colonizers came to Africa,

they forced the citizens to abandon their religion and replace it with the superior religion of

Christianity. This led to Africans losing their identity and understanding of themselves because

what they were taught their whole lives was wrong.

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Speaking about the way slaves were transported is sickening. First, they were placed in

prisons, usually the last place they ever got to see their motherland. One of the most known ones

is located in Ghana, also known as the Gold Coast back in this cruel time. The prisons held up to

1,000 male and 500 female slaves; they were crammed in the castle's dank, poorly ventilated

dungeons, with no space to lie down and very little light (Diarra Ghana's slave castles: The

shocking story of the ghanaian cape coast). The lack of oxygen in these prisons caused many

Africans to die. This was especially traumatizing because people had to see their fellow people

and loved ones' dead, lifeless next to them. Following this awful experience, the cramped,

horrible conditions did not stop. The 8-month-long travel on the sea was crammed and truly

awful. On large ships, 250 people were packed on ships with little to no room between them

(Spielberg The Middle Passage ). The poor African people were barely fed, could not use the

bathroom, and had so little oxygen to the point candles could not even burn within the ships

meaning pure darkness. It was an awful situation that contributed to the death of African

languages. The African people had no way of going home, were moved to a whole new

continent, and many died during the journey. About "450,000 of the 3.4 million Africans

transported in British ships died on the Atlantic crossing" (The history of the Transatlantic Slave

Trade). The high death rate was due to sickness, lack of oxygen, and suicide. For some Africans,

death was better than bondage. Many Africans jumped off the ships due to how sickening the

idea of slavery was for them, and they would rather die than be forced to be something they were

not. One could only imagine how they had felt at this moment. For one to get to the point that the

only way of freeing yourself is ending your own life is something no human should ever have to

go through. The high death rate and displacement to Europe were some of the many factors that

led to the displacement or diaspora of Africans.

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The African Diaspora is a term that is not very well known. It is essentially the

displacement of people of African descent. This led to the shift from traditional African

languages to other languages, such as English. Africans being shipped to foreign countries led to

this "diaspora" because many were slaves in whole new communities, which led to them losing

their sense of identity, and some worked as indentured servants. An indentured servant is “a man

who signed a contract/indenture by which they agreed to work for a certain number of years in

exchange for something.” (Wolfe Indentured servants in Colonial Virginia).

In most cases, many Africans who signed the contract were promised that if they worked, they

could marry women of other races leading to the mixing of Africans around the world.

According to CNN, "Globally, Africans in the diaspora are spread out across the continents. In

North America, there are 39 million from the African Diaspora; 113 million in Latin America…"

(Kajunju Africa's secret weapon: The diaspora). The diaspora is one of if not the largest reasons

for the death of African languages. The victims of slavery who were transported to new areas

were most likely to adopt the new culture they were in, leading to the death of their African

counterparts.

The transgression of slavery was abolished in the 1800s; however, the injustice against

Africans did not stop. The Berlin Conference of 1884 was conducted in Europe to abolish

slavery; however, this was just a cover-up for the world to see. In reality, it was done

to “amicably divide resources among the Western countries at the expense of the African

people.” (The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885: Africa's great civilizations). Despite finally

being free, Africa was back at square one and was being colonized. Europe lied and stated that

the integration into Africa was to help the people become more educated and better, but the true

reason for them being there was to achieve superpower status, place Europeans into Africa to
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lower population, and gain more resources. This essentially leads to the assimilation of European

culture into society. Europeans lingered in African communities and spread their school systems,

ideologies, etc., which caused them to attach to present-day African society.

Colonialism had a massive impact on Africa. The motherland became divided into

distinct territories, which allowed the social construct of racism to emerge. An example of this is

the Rwandan genocide. When the Belgians controlled the country, they favored the Tutsis due to

their light skin color. This favoritism created ongoing and deeper tensions between Hutu and

Tutsi (Maron What led to the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda?). Colonizers came in and

destroyed many aspects of African societies and made them dependent on them. Even when

Africa eventually gained independence, it was underdeveloped, poor, and did not know how to

take care of itself. With no platform and no knowledge of how to govern a country, Africans

tended to look back to their colonizers for help. This led to the Modernization Theory, which was

essentially the idea that Africa must depend on Europe to reach any form of development. Can

one blame Africa for this? The motherland was held in bondage for centuries, and suddenly they

received freedom; however, with no knowledge or platform, how could they even succeed? This

lack of knowledge led to Africans continuing to rely on Europeans, causing the loss of the ability

to think for themselves leading to the death of culture.

Present-day Africans are somewhat embarrassed by who they are. This results from the

chain of inferiority that has been instilled into their hearts. Many Africans have come to despise

their nation and wish they were born in places such as that America. Some Africans living in

Africa do not appreciate Africans' strength and contributions (Johnson African Diaspora Literacy

: The Heart of Transformation in K–12 Schools and Teacher Education). I have personally been

to Africa and have seen how much hatred they have for themselves. Many praise Africans born
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in America or have even set foot in the land because it is a sign of honor and wealth. It is

depressing to see the fact that even speaking a foreign tongue is discouraged and a shame. For

example, in Ghana, the British Education system is utilized to teach children. English is heavily

encouraged in African countries. Teachers are encouraged to teach in English, and there are few

to no African language classes because they are seen as unintelligent. In Africa, a language

known as broken English or Pidgin is spoken in many countries. However, it is frowned upon.

The people of Cameron have billboards and many other signs that stigmatize the use of Pidgin.

One that is very notable was at the University of Buca in Cameron, which states, "English is the

password, not Pidgin.", "Commonwealth speaks English, not Pidgin" and "Pidgin is for

monkeys" (Johnson African Diaspora Literacy : The Heart of Transformation in K–12 Schools

and Teacher Education). These statements show how strong the shift from traditional African

languages to English is. It is unfortunate; however, Africans now, in a sense, despise themselves

and see English as the key to success.

Due to past transgressions, Africa has essentially shifted from their traditional languages

to English. This was not a willing shift but more due to the transgressions of slavery, which led

to a cycle of inferiority and learned helplessness. Change is inevitable in this world; however, is

it worth giving up our roots and who one is? English being a universal language may make it

easier to communicate universally and may lead to some form of advancement, no question, but

why must the beauty of the culture and language of the motherland die to do so? Africa must

continue to preserve the motherland's tongue for themselves and their ancestors who suffered at

the hands of colonialism. They have come too far to allow their roots to be torn out of the ground

and wither away! Language is not just a way of communication; it is a culture and must be

preserved. Learned helplessness has caused inferiority in the hearts of many Africans, but
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according to the great Marcus Garvey, black skin is not meant to be a badge of shame but rather

a glorious symbol of national greatness; be proud of who you are.

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References

Anthony, Dani. “Bartolomé De Las Casas and 500 Years of Racial Injustice.” Origins, July

2015, https://origins.osu.edu/milestones/july-2015-bartolom-de-las-casas-and-500-years-

racial-injustice?language_content_entity=en.

“The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885: Africa's Great Civilizations.” PBS LearningMedia, PBS

LearningMedia, 11 Jan. 2021, https://wpsu.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/6031c3a2-ada9-

42b4-8045-52006e2a2b07/the-berlin-conference-of-1884-1885/.

Diarra, Lilian. “Ghana's Slave Castles: The Shocking Story of the Ghanaian Cape Coast.”

Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 26 Mar. 2014,

https://theculturetrip.com/africa/ghana/articles/ghana-s-slave-castles-the-shocking-story-of-

the-ghanaian-cape-coast/.

“The History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.” The History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade |

Royal Museums Greenwich, https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/history-transatlantic-

slave-

trade#:~:text=Ivory%2C%20gold%20and%20other%20trade,in%20Africa%20before%20

Europeans%20arrived.

Kajunju, Amini. “Africa's Secret Weapon: The Diaspora.” CNN, Cable News Network, 1 Nov.

2013, https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/01/opinion/africas-secret-weapon-

diaspora/index.html.
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Maron, Jeremy. “What Led to the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda?” CMHR,

https://humanrights.ca/story/what-led-genocide-against-tutsi-

rwanda#:~:text=A%20colonial%20legacy%20of%20division&text=The%20Belgians%20v

iewed%20the%20Tutsi,rule%20gained%20strength%20in%20Rwanda.

Nickerson, Charlotte. What Is Learned Helplessness and Why Does It Happen?,

https://www.simplypsychology.org/learned-helplessness.html.

Painter, Nell Irvin. “Slavery: A Dehumanizing Institution.” OUPblog, 12 Jan. 2016,

https://blog.oup.com/2006/02/slavery_a_dehum/.

“Slavery and the Making of America . the Slave Experience: Men, Women & Gender: PBS.”

Slavery and the Making of America . The Slave Experience: Men, Women & Gender | PBS,

https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/slavery/experience/gender/history2.html.

“Slavery in History.” The History Press, https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/slavery-in-

history/.

Spielberg, Steven, director. The Middle Passage . YouTube, 2 Nov. 2013,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhKeJ6m3rY&t=270s. Accessed 13 Nov. 2022.

Wolfe, Brendan. “Indentured Servants in Colonial Virginia.” Encyclopedia Virginia, 10 Nov.

2021, https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/indentured-servants-in-colonial-virginia/.