ENG 953: ADVANCED LITERARY THEORIES

AFROCENTRICITY AND THE UNIVERSALIST TENDENCIES OF

GLOBALIZATION

BY

OMOREGIE, BLESSING ONAIWU EYONJU

RUN/ENG/22/13800

DR. FEMI ADEBAYO

APRIL 2023
Keywords: Afrocentricity, Eurocentricity, Globalization, African, Universality

INTRODUCTION

For the past five hundred years Africans have been taken off
of cultural, economic, religious, political, and social terms and
have existed primarily on the pheriphery of Europe. Because
of this existence we have often participated in an anti-African
racism born of the same Western triumphalism that has
entrapped our minds in the West.
-Asante 2008

The opening statement above exposes the mental and cultural slavery of Africans especially
those in diaspora who have overtime been caged in the belief that anything African should be
regarded as inferior and treated as such while upholding Western values as superior and better
than that of other climes. This paper attempts to delve into the discourse of Afrocentricity and
the Universalist tendencies of globalization which has overtime sought and still seeks to
impose Eurocentric hegemony on African –Americans, Africans and other perceived
periphery of other cultures which are no way lesser in relevance and importance as Western
culture, civilization, education, music, literature, and classical productions among many
others. The study further seeks to probe to know if globalization is eroding or contributing to
Afrocentricity and the different angles or perspectives to it.

A brief historical review of Africa’s slavery and Europe’s hegemony would be of importance
to chart the discussion on the right part. What we do know as the Americas today we are told
was brought about by the expedition and voyage of British Columbus who discovered
America, dislodged the original habitants “ Aborigines” through force and established a
colony which has today grown to be a world power. To build this colony cheap labourers
were needed to work in the plantations which brought about the employment of indentured
labourers from Brazil and the West Indies. To further build the fast growing continent,
Africans were captured, sold and bought as slaves and taken through the trans-Atlantic ocean
reroute to America and auctioned to the highest bidders based on their strength and ability to
endure hard labour, there were women used and raped as sex slaves to procreate more
children who will serve as slaves for their masters. These children who are fathered by the
white masters are still being treated as scums and denigrate deserving of prejudice,
marginalization and racial discrimination hundreds of years after they had helped build the
West. This has been termed from “slave ship to space ship” by Ali Mazrui (1999) who opines
that it was the labor of Africa’s sons and daughters that kicked start Western industrialization.
Recounting how slave ships were used to ferry millions of Africans to work on Americas
plantation farms and build roads through enforced labour thereby helping the American
agrarian revolution and the industrial revolution simultaneously, Mazrui (1999) further
asserts that, “ the enforced dispersal of black people to serve Western capitalism was itself
part of the emerging globalization.”

THE NEED FOR AFROCENTRICITY

Having stated the historical facts that led to African slavery without over flogging the issues,
it is imperative to note that, this slavery and continual suppression seems unending and this is
the reason why proponent of Afrocentricity decided to come up with a theory that both help
and relocate Blacks of African descent back to their roots and historical culture.

Afrocentricity is a theory propended by the arrowhead Molefi Kete Asante, an African of

Ghanaian descent. It is a theoretical assumption of human identity, spiritual nature and
affective knowledge. Africans has the communal connectedness to one another and also to a
Supreme Being or Creator. The question of identity from the perspective of African people
needs to be re-located and re-oriented historically, economically , socially, politically and
philosophically Asante (2008). Afrocentric philosophy proposes that youths who perpetuate
crimes against other youth do so because they have a detached identity of self. Africans have
long been held in the margins of Eurocentric worldview which is not helping Afrocentricity.
As a social change agent, Afrocentricity attempts to locate or place “Africans as agents in
human history in an effort to eliminate the illusion of the fringes” Asante (2008). What this
implies is that, Africans need to be re-oriented on their history, culture and importance of
accepting these cultural heritages while peeling off the outer skin of western indoctrination
that makes them see themselves as inferior to other people of the other worlds especially in
relation to the West. Proponents argue that Africans have been too long kept on the shelf and
in the periphery of Europe’s domination marginalized and entrapped in western hegemony in
matters of economy, social issues, and cultural affiliation and even in religious orientation.
Afrocentricity is neither separatist nor hostile, its rejects unhealthy companion among races. It
advocates that people should see themselves through the lenses of their cultural values and not
that placed by others, in fact, it is argued that civilization, education, astronomy, philosophy
and literature is sourced from Africa. Nadezhda Khokholkova (2016) in his article notes that
Afrocentricity is a theory and practice, a social movement and methodology of research,
culture and lifestyle which has the aim of rehabilitating (rewriting) blacks from every corner
of the globe. He further posits that the theory is a response to discourses on racism and
nationalism and it reflects on the question of African –American identity and its attendant
issues. Going through a catalogue of different African-Americans who have tried lending their
voices to the unending issue and debate of racism, of great significance and worthy of note is
the mention of Molefi Asante, the arrowhead of Afrocentricity, who used to go by the name
Arthur Lee Smith Jnr, a professor of African studies at Temple University. His multifarious
experiences, struggle against oppression and racial discrimination and reconnection to his
African roots contributed in no small way to the establishment of his brain child
‘Afrocentricity’.

THE MAN, ASANTE MOLEFI

Molefi born August 14, 1942 in Valdosta South Georgia to Arthur Lee Smith is the eldest
among 13 siblings. He had his first degree at Oklahoma and MA from California in 1965. He
further obtained his doctorate degree in 1968 from the University of California, Los-Angeles.
The civil right movements which staged protests against prejudice, discrimination,
segregation and disenfranchisement meted out to the blacks living in America was a great
influence on him. The movement and social change agent Afrocentricity developed as a
socio-political movement, a guide to action. It is a conglomeration of ideas, thoughts and
emotions which is drawn from the teachings of Pharoah Unas, Conficious, Martin Luther
King and Ali Mazrui, Nadezhda Khokholkova (2016).

With influences of prominent Africans such as Leopold Sedar Senghor, Kwame Nkrumah,
and Cheikh Anna Diop, whose teachings were adopted and transformed by Asante and His
followers. This explains the uniqueness of Africans as upheld in Negritude inherent in
Afrocentricity. Diffusionism was adopted and the belief that civilization began from ancient
Egypt thus stating that it is the ‘cradle of human civilization.’ Afrocentricity further took root
in African- American ideas such as the work of Fredrick Douglas, a slave abolitionist, pan-
Africanism, Garveyism, Harlem Renaissance and Black nationalism. Afrocentricity is also
rich in historical data of African culture, language and traditional African people. Asante’s
research on his African roots mixed with Nubian heritage led him to make drastic changes to
his outlook, beliefs and lifestyle thereby putting his words to action.

Now, this brings to mind, a former employer who is African–American, living in Nigeria. He
decided to change his identity, lifestyle and like Asante his name. He made the decision to
feel more at home with Africa. He chose a Yoruba diety’s name and renamed himself
“Obatala” as his last name while keeping his middle English name and even said he’d like to
be buried here in Nigeria whenever the cold hands of death comes knocking. When asked
why chose that name and not any other, he did say that after his extensive research and study
on the different gods and deities in Nigeria, he realized that Obatala was the most lenient and
benevolent and he wanted to identify with attributes of Obatala because it resonates with his
person. That’s food for thought!

Asante further borrowed attribute of different of political movements and inculcated in his
own ideology, Khokholkova (2016). The question here is this? Is Afrocentricity, African or
American in corpus? Asante coined the term Afrocentricity, Afrocentrism and Africology
which challenged the theory of Eurocentricity. Khokholkova (2016) cites Hoskin (1992) that
Afrocentricity highlights the perceived negative issues in the worldview of Western
civilization.

“ Afrocentricism presents and deals with an authentic and specific

and culture and history – a cultural history that did not begin in
father Europe but a human /world history that began in Mother
Africa, indeed, the stark reality is that eurocentrism had to and still
continues to –falsify, misrepresent, and distort human/world as His-
Story, His-.Eurocentric – Story in order to maintain European global
dominance/ hegemony, Eurocentrism indeed represent racist,
divisive, ahistorical, and dysfunctional view of world history (247)”
Afrocentricity further upholds the stance that Eurocentricity from an ethnocentric view uplifts
the Europe worldview while relegating all others. “Eurocentricity believes in its intellectual
superiority in domains and spaces but, Afrocentricity seeks rather to present a particular
perspective of analysis without trying to occupy all space and time as often done by
Eurocentricity. It argues for pluralism in philosophical views without any hierarchical
pretention to them. To Afrocentricity, all cultures must be respected and none should try to
lord over any. Africa should therefore be viewed and assessed on its on merit, strength based
on her people, human resources and not as a mere object of European formation or reference.

Afrocentricity is therefore a belief in the intellectual, social and artistic relevance in different
field such as architecture, literature, politics and psychology that is African and for Africans.
This makes the motif of location and ‘constituent’ of being at the margin or periphery very
important. Asante (2008) emphatically asserts that human beings are not beret of culture. That
everyone either participate or uphold his or her own individual historical culture or that of
some other groups. He further opines that they are free to choose other cultures above their
own inherited culture. However, European in his view rarely chooses others over theirs but
Africans are quick to jump into the fray of other cultures especially with people in the
diaspora. The negative projection of Africa has contributed in no small way to the dearth of
willing Africans who would stick their necks out for their African roots and heritage.

When there is a disparity or contradiction between history and a proper perspective, it often
results into what he called “decentredness”. This decentredness is another form of
marginalization and Africa position at the periphery. Metaphors of location and dislocation
are tools employed in making analysis, events, situation, texts, buildings, authors which
display forms of decenteredness.

Issues explored in Afrocentricity

Psychological ‘misorientation’ and disorientation: this refers to the attitude which affects
Europeanized Africans. These are those who feel is not possible to be Africans and human,
they also believe they are Europeans.

Levels of misorientation: influence of education –seeking to expose children to live culturally

robust lives, reestablishment of professing association, journals. Through the Premier center
(service/location) of the Temple University School of scholars, proponents of this temple such
as Tsehloane Keto, Kariamu Mazema, Theophile Obenge, Tery Kershew, emphasize on
aesthetics, behavior and ethics with Afrocentric location as basis for interpretation.
More highlights of the Temple School:

Afrocentricity is a contemporary intellectual movement started by African scholars from a

broad scale for renewal and renaissance of African cultural heritage. This movement is the
central context of African community seeking to assert itself. The movement frowns against
the insistence on inequality, rational thought and control of time and space. This they try to
achieve through the advocacy for the removal of western hegemony. They query the ideology
of Africans being a reflection of Europe and her values but push that rather; Africans should
be proud and unashamed of claiming their African cultural heritage. They also try to dis allay
the fears of Europeans on what Afrocentricity stands for. Afrocentricity also looks at the
implications of the critique of Eurocentricity as an ethnocentric view projecting itself as a
universal one. Discussions on race theory, ancient civilization, African and European
personalities are some part of their agenda. They further consider the Impact of glaciers on
human behavior. Afrocentricity seeks no advantage, no self-aggrandizement, and no
hegemony. Asante (2011) believes that those who deny their culture and heritage do so
because they regret themselves and they have become slaves in their mentality. This slavish
mentality is reflected below:

 Lack of historical consciousness,

 Strong attachments to Europe and what it represents.

Hoskin’s opines that Afrocentrism places the human being at central to all existence, while
Eurocentrism highlights political power and material possession central to all existence.

Afrocentricity is a multidimensional, philosophical ideology that uses research and

interpretation of African as subject and objects in its socio-cultural and aesthetic movement.

Crucial points of Afrocentricity as pointed out by Khokholkova (2016) but sourced from
Asante (2008)

1. It is a profound interest in the psychological location determined by symbols, motifs,

rituals and signs.
 2. A commitment to finding the subject-place of Africans in any social, political,
economic, or religious phenomenon with implication for the issues of sex, gender and
class.
3. A defense of African cultural elements as historically valid in the context of Art,
music, and literature.
4. A celebaration of ‘centredness’ and agency and a commitment to lexical refinement
that eliminates pejorative about Africans or other people
5. A powerful imperative from historical sources people (104-108)

Limitation of Afrocentricity

Afrocentricity seems to have certain contradictions. First, Asante and many of his followers
were born, schooled and bred in American civilization thus how African can they really be?
The ideology of Afrocentrism tends to appeal to Blacks living outside America. Khokholkova
(2016) asserts that with regards to carnivalization of historical and cultural heritage, what
obtains in Afrocentricity is a corrupted form of the original. He further noted that it has also
been commoditized and tending towards capitalist orientation. Aside that, the youthful zeal
with which Asante began this movement is no longer there and thus the drive and excitement
adherents have has dwindled owing to aging and seeming inertia of its arrowhead. The
increasing numbers of immigrants from Africa also added to the reduction in the passion for
the spirit of the movement. This owing to the fact that like Soyinka asserts, ‘A tiger needn’t
assets it tigritude’. Now, more Africans in America imply a diminished interest in
Afrocentricity. Rather they join the black community, many Africans would relate with other
African based on tribal and ethnic divide. Khokholkova (2016) thus, conclude by saying that
the divide between Black middle class and white middle class in American is almost thinning
out. Interestingly, there is a new breed of Afrocentricity called ‘Africentricity’ developed by
Dr. John Clark to correct Asante’s nationalism and alleged falsification of historical dates and
culture. To John Clerk, ‘Africentricity’ is a better reflection of black consciousness and
identity ( Don’t we get tired?). Finally Afrocentricity has an international body which is an
organization that devotes itself to the economic, cultural and educational renaissance of
African descent.
Globalization: Two faced or misconstrued?

Globalization as defined by the dictionary from the wikitionary is the process of making
world economy dominated by capitalist models. It is not a new phenomenon with
interpretation which may have negatively affected the process in Africa.

Globalization is seen as a philosophy, process and phenomenon. It’s a school of thought

wherein different and varying numbers of ideas are put together as one. As a process, it goes
from one step to another for there to be a certain outcome and as a phenomenon, globalization
cannot be really explained in words because of it diversity, cosmopolitan nature and cultural
openness to further growth, and expansion. It further covers different aspects such as
commerce, culture, politics, governance, academia and entertainment. It is both an ethnic and
communal identity within the global space.

We will try to define globalization along different process as explained by Oduwole (2012).
The process of going to a more interconnected world through the following channels among
which are;

 Internalization
 Liberalization
 Westernization
 Supraterritorialization
 Universalization - the last process is taken as one that covers all aspects of the
conceptualization of and philosophy of globalization.

Globalization as Internalization: This what he refers to as the exchange and flow of

economic ideas and relations between and among nations. It is international interest in terms
of labour, capital, raw materials and many more. “ The growth of international exchange and
dependence”.

Globalization as Liberalization: According to Oduwole (2012), that aspect of free flow of

goods and economic services which enables the success of globalization as internalization is
Liberalization. Thus, we can safely say that globalization as liberalization is the ease of access
and removal of governmental restriction and policies that hinders or blocks the free flow of
economic ideas, messages, people and investment exchange in international trade relations.

Globalization as Deterritorialization: Oduwole (2012) asserts that globalization is a social

process that reduces the limitations of geography on culture and society. The world is now a
small enclave or village of people, language and customs without borders- transworld or
transborder. It is “a reconfiguration of geography, so that social space is no longer wholly
mapped in terms of territorial places, territorial distances and territorial borders (11)”
(Oduwole 2012.)

Globalization as Westernization: Proponents view this globalization as a propagation of

western culture through Eurocentric indoctrination. Imperialism and colonialism was the
onset of it and western capitalism is still reflected in almost all spheres of the erstwhile
colonialized realities. Mazrui (1999) argues that while slavery through the trans-Atlantic
ocean was the onset of globalization and enslavement of Africans to the West, imperialism,
colonialism and ‘gunboat diplomacy was another ugly side of globalization,” next was the
need for raw materials for Western manufacturing industries which led to the extraction of
Africa minerals such as uranium from Belgian Congo, cobalt, chrome , platinum and
industrial diamonds which were all used in Western technologies in producing atomic bombs,
jet engines. The list is endless, now the spaceship which takes Africans beyond the globe is
furtherance of globalization, “While the slave ship can be regarded as the beginning of
globalization, the space ship is, by definition, a symbol of post globalization”. Yes, Walter
Rodney did expose how Europe underdeveloped Africa in his book, however Mazrui (1999)
reveals the new face of slavery through the other side of the story on how Africa is developing
Europe which he termed the “space ship potential”.

Globalization as Universality: This is a process of the spread of worldwide culture, ideas,

objects and experiences. It is the formation and an amalgamation of diverse cultures with a
global projection. Now, when cultures, ideas, economics, politics, policies, development of
humanity and decolonization are globalized without eroding cultural identity which respects
the culture, ideas, goals of others. It is not a competition but rather a complement of each
different people and culture. There is mutual understanding and acceptance of one another in
equity, justice and humanity. Universalization according to the Oduwole (2012) is the
synthesis of culture, ideas, objects and views that calls for mutual respect and gain. He
advocates for a philosophical think which will give a better understanding of the process and
idea of globalization and may further lead to rethink of global politics, economy and also to
the meaning and purpose of life.

Looking at the different distinctions within globalization, there is an overlap at one point of
the other from the economic perspective, to the politics and the geographical. They all express
the philosophy of globalization as universalization. This is also a process of world unification
that is spreading various objects such as politics, economics, geography and cultural
experiences to everyone, everywhere and anytime the world over. It should be highlighted
that equity, humanity and social justice breeds heterogeneous and holistic growth which
involves every race, all customs contributing in terms of meaning, identity, culture, politics
and economy.

There has been effort towards effective globalization such as the establishment of the World
Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Social Forum (WTF) and the World
Trade Organization (WTO). The World Bank helps in the intervention and fight against
poverty, improving standard of living in developing nations or world. It does it by providing
low –interest loans (which ironically further impoverishes the same people they want to
enrich, many countries are greatly indebted as a result of this). Giving of free credit, grants,
policy advices, technical assistance and knowledge of sharing devices to low and middle
income countries,

The International Monetary Fund is globalization driven in its agenda like the World. The
IMF helps raise standard of living of member countries, foster global monetary corporation,
secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and
sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty.

The World Social Forum ((WSF) is a formation and coalition of many political and social
movements from around the world which works to model people-centered and self -reliant
progress in sustainable development, social and economic justice. Furthermore, there is the
World Trade Organization that deals with the rules of trade between and among nations.

It is however interesting to note that, these institutions and world establishments that are
originally meant to foster justice, equity and humanity in economic, social and political
spheres has turned out to be the perfect tools of world domination, subjugation and
entrenching western ideology and hegemony through insincerity, and ulterior motives of
enslaving the same people they are supposed to help. It is now the modern day weapon of
imperialism and neo-colonialism. Thus, we can safely say that, Europe’s globalization in
Africa is actually a form of Westernization and domination. Developing Nations without
maximum trade impact, are more consuming countries big on importation instead of exporting
are most likely to feel more marginalized in the context of marginalization which should have
been inclusive but instead favours the successful export oriented and developed states or
nations of the world.

GLOBALISATION AND THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

Some critics like Dada (2012) asserts that “Globalization is a tool in the hands of world
political economic powers for the ideological agenda of setting up hegemony and exert
control over other world cultures and economies”, In Okpere’s (2011) words “ it is the
intensity of poverty , inequality and marginalization of Africa by capitalist globalization” .
They both agree that globalization is the hegemony of the west over the marginalized nations
of Africa. To them, inequality, poverty, Westernization, Eurocentricity and capitalism are of
the same parents and as siblings they work for the success of globalization of the West over
Africa and other developing nations. Other critics such as William Odia, Igbagi among others
argue that proponents of globalization have ulterior motives behind their concept and aims of
globalization. To William (2006) “Globalization is Eurocentric based in values, cultures
which does not project or allow the growth of other cultures or values. The domination of
Western Culture over African culture.” Some also see it as an holocaust due to the increase in
insecurity, poverty, economic regression, diseases such as Ebola, Lassa Fever, and the most
recent hydra headed ‘Covid-19 ‘ which plagued the world to a standstill. Furthermore, there is
a rise in social anarchy, cultural alienation, political instability and the threat of the complete
annihilation of African roots, personality, culture and customs. With the foregoing, Africa is
still morally subservient to the West.

Another point of great importance is the fact that globalization tends to shift the control of
national institution / establishment or state economic to the private sector. Aborisade as cited
by Oduwole (2012) opines that privatization tends to keep and put pressure on the working
population, leading to job insecurity. Using Nigeria as a case study, Aborisade avers that
while foreign investors are attracted into the country, the best brains and great minds are sent
into self –exile due to political , socio-economic and cultural ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors. This
increased migration leads to a dearth of scholars, researchers , medical practitioners especially
doctors and nurses who leave the shores of the country in their numbers in search of greener
pastures that had been ‘watered’ by the sweat of Africans resulting to a brain drain in the
human resources of the nation Nigeria. This migration occurs because workers’ rights are not
upheld, deprivations and occupational hazards are not addressed. Rather there is increased
working hours, inequalities in social and economic wages. There is gender inequality, some
women being forced into low paid and insecure job because of economic reasons .

The way forward for Africa

Africa is fraught with myriads of challenges even before the issue of globalization reared up,
although, it’s coming rather aggravated those salient issues, there is therefore the need for
proper evaluation, a rethinking of the values, philosophy and process of globalization.
Oduwole (2012) asserts that it’s necessary to locate societal and ethical values which identify
nations as role players in the world’s global stage. Oyeshile as cited by Oduwole(2012) did
argue that globalization have certain traits and values that can enhance growth and social
order among the third world nations. The question of leadership, democracy, human rights
are issues that if well-handled can aid and accelerate development, only then can globalization
be a positive weapon wherein humanity, justice and equity holds sway. Bringing the matter
home, Nigeria needs to address the issues highlighted above, the question of identity is crucial
to the contribution of a global culture. Africa should be proactive and proud of her cultural
heritage as projected by Afrocentricity. However, there is the need to modernize our African
cultural mores for a more global relevance in order to address its future needs in the direction
that will project her good and not through any form of imposition but choices should be made
for a self-contributory decision that rejects any form of superimposition of any culture on the
African people. There is the need for responsibility, accountability, and rational evaluation of
Africa’s future. Enough of the backlash and blame game, it is high time for Africa to brace
up and re-direct for future development.

Conclusively, globalization should be universalized, encompassing with the face of humanity,

justice and equity. The relationship among nations whether developed, developing or
underdeveloped ought to be symbiotic, mutual, contributory and heterogeneous in nature. If
these are in place, then there will be a more robust, profitable rethink of globalization that will
propel our great nation forward.
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