Taking a critical look at things. How far do you think Africa would have gone without slavery and colonization?

Dr. Ayo:

Taking a critical look at things. How far do you think Africa would have gone without slavery and colonization?

That is a very good question. I have asked this question to myself many times. Africa would have been a much better place. Our states would have formed naturally without outside interference. We can still see the scars of slavery and colonization on the African continent, which is sad, but I hope for a brighter day.

Ancient Egypt = Africa Without Slavery And Colonization.

Sun of god:

Ancient Egypt = Africa Without Slavery And Colonization.

Africas ancient history does not end in egypt.its just about 5% of africas history before colonilisation.
we had many empires scattered across africa including nigeria.

logic101:

Africas ancient history does not end in egypt.its just about 5% of africas history before colonilisation.
we had many empires scattered across africa including nigeria.

Agreed!

Great Zimbabwe, Kingdom of Ghana, Mali Empire, Soghay, Great Benin, Oyo Empire, Sokoto Caliphate, Kanem-Borno Empire, Nri Kingdom, Zulu, Buganda Kingdom, Kush, Axum, Congo Kingdom, Luanda Kingdom, Monomotapa Kingdom, Ashanti Confederacy and so much more.

I was going through a book in a library and It said US who was colonized by Britain weren't actually oppressed or enslaved by the Brits then (because they were also white). It was the blacks among them who was even in servitude. It said what colonization was then was simply that THEY GOVERNED THEM, Period! Unlike the terror that was practised in Africa.

There was colonization and there was colonization! (u know wat I mean)

The question is : Would we have developed?

we would still be living in d dark ages,where all these girls on nland wey dey measure power wiff bwois 4 dey wear pant dey waka street . . .
On a serious note,i thank God i never lived in dat era

The question is : Would we have developed?

have we developed?

Ikengawo:

have we developed?

well, there is a difference btw Shaka Zulu's huts and the skyscrapers in South Africa today.

slave trade started before the arrival of the white man.How will you have ended that?

olas2u:

slave trade started before the arrival of the white man.How will you have ended that?

Could you pls expantiate more on this.

I think there wouldn't have been NIGERIA, ENGLISH LANGUAGE or any other white man's inventions. We would have formed because we wanted to.

Dr. Ayo:

Could you pls expantiate more on this.

The various cheives from various towns and villiages sold slaves among them selves and captured slaves before the white people came.The white people came with items in exchange for slaves,it was fellow black people that sold fellow brothers.The number of slaves you had then dertermined how rich and powerful you are in those days.I stand to be corrected.thanks

Dr. Ayo:

I think there wouldn't have been NIGERIA, ENGLISH LANGUAGE or any other white man's inventions. We would have formed because we wanted to.

Of course nigeria is an accident in history,propagated by the british.There are no basis whatsoever in the true sense of country for us to be one.

philip0906:

we would still be living in d dark ages,where all these girls on nland wey dey measure power wiff bwois 4 dey wear pant dey waka street . . .
On a serious note,i thank God i never lived in dat era

And you say you thank God you never lived in that era?!!

bgees:

well, there is a difference btw Shaka Zulu's huts and the skyscrapers in South Africa today.

You were smart not to use Nigeria.

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For the topic: Far East Asia. Yorubaland = China, Igboland = Japan, Hausaland = Mongolia

olas2u:

slave trade started before the arrival of the white man.How will you have ended that?

thats what the western history thought you to justify their actions and make african americans hate africans thereby causing division.

olas2u:

The various cheives from various towns and villiages sold slaves among them selves and captured slaves before the white people came.The white people came with items in exchange for slaves,it was fellow black people that sold fellow brothers.The number of slaves you had then dertermined how rich and powerful you are in those days.I stand to be corrected.thanks

yes african chiefs participated in the slave trade but those slaves built the ancient towns of africa and remained in thier own continent.This idea that the whites came with stuff for the exchange of slaves is ambigous because they were going to kill the people anyway if the chiefs didnt co-oporate so the chiefs in order to save face obeyed. kind you some africans kingdoms fought against the invaders and slave trade

ezeagu:


For the topic: Far East Asia. Yorubaland = China, Igboland = Japan, Hausaland = Mongolia

What an accurate analogy. Just like the Japanese, Igbo would have been aggressive trying to conquer most of Africa, but would be reduced to our region after a war. Yorubaland would rise, but would always be wary of the Igbo. And no one would care about the Hausa just like no one cares about Mongolia. lol

Love the analogy.

olas2u:

The various cheives from various towns and villiages sold slaves among them selves and captured slaves before the white people came.The white people came with items in exchange for slaves,it was fellow black people that sold fellow brothers.The number of slaves you had then dertermined how rich and powerful you are in those days.I stand to be corrected.thanks

People where not selling their "brother" to anybody. Stop yarning American dust.

Foreigners captured foreigners and traded them to foreigners.

Slavery has always existed in Africa. Nobody needed to introduce it to Africa.

Without Western influence we would still have been stuck in the stone age and illiterate like our forefathers

sage:

People where not selling their "brother" to anybody. Stop yarning American dust.

Foreigners captured foreigners and traded them to foreigners.

Slavery has always existed in Africa. Nobody needed to introduce it to Africa.

Funny! Have you not heard of an Ashanti King that was shown a mirror and saw himself inside that mirrior and became amazed and gave more salves to them,was he a foriegner.

It's a bit irrelevant. Much of Africa was populated and depleted sporadically, as a result of trading activities, migration, wars, etc.

Besides, slavery is not limited to Africa. The Romans pretty much enslaved everybody in Europe and Asia Minor, and even erased some cultures entirely.
Even the Great British were serially invaded enslaved by the Romans, Vikings, Normans.
At some point in history, when the Western Empires were consolidating and expanding, someone discovered Africa as a place teeming with pristine natural and human resources - and the next big slavery wave began.

I personally don't think the question is neither here or there. Since slavery and colonization, what has Africa done? At least we can see what the Asians and South Americans (our contemporaries) have been doing.

@Ajanlekoko
I would like to agree with you but I think we should look at the typical things that came with African colonization like
The amalgamations; The inter-tribal disunity intentionally caused (like Rwanda);
Infantile invasion on the continent;
The stigmatization of the black colour;
Crafty initiation of Africa's dependence on the whites. . .
Let's look at it.

Dr. Ayo:

@Ajanlekoko
I would like to agree with you but I think we should look at the typical things that came with African colonization like
The amalgamations; The inter-tribal disunity intentionally caused (like Rwanda);
Infantile invasion on the continent;
The stigmatization of the black colour;
Crafty initiation of Africa's dependence on the whites. . .
Let's look at it.

Hmm.
I still say it is irrelevant. It's all in the past. In today's world, to a large extent, Africans are fully complicit in their misfortunes.
Just like the early explorers saw opportunity in Africa's natural riches and the incredible naivete of her people, the Whites till today still see opportunity in our refusal to move past these issues and get on with the business of living.

A direct answer to your question would be: No, I don't think Africa would have amounted to much had all those things never happened anyway.
Since the beginning of civilization, the evolution of the great empires have never naturally happened, but were forced into being by massive global military campaigns anyway. I don't see any of the African empires post-Egypt that could have played on the world stage.
Colonization would have happened anyway.

Then I guess you think Africa in itself is naturally "destined" for failure. Or?

Africa without the legacy of slavery and colonisation would have been a great continent with the ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with other great nations of the world. You only have to look back into our history to understand that we were and still are capable of great achievements.

You have to understand that the european assault on africa occured in phases, first of all you had slavery which sowed the seeds of mayhem, inter tribal wars and chaos it also resulted in the decimation of our populations and laid the foundation for the downward spiral that we are curently experiencing, the next phase was colonialism this is where the europeans regrouped and launched an all out assault on the entire continent with the objective of carving it up and sharing it out amongst themselves - an objective that they suceeded in acheiving, finally we are now in the neo colonial stage where europe pulled out of africa physically but installed puppet kleptocrats who run their respective countries not for the benefit of their indigenous people but for the benefit of international financial organisations such as the IMF, the world bank and various multinationals such as Shell BP, Chevron, Elf and other powerful transnational corporations.

As a result africa remains in bondage still controlled and directed by europe and america but this time indirectly.

We are currently a conquered race and cannot regard ourselves as an emancipated people until we throw off the shackles of neo colonialism.

@  Cap,


You are wrong to blame the Europeans entirely for our problems. We should also blame ourselves,  slavery in Africa like someone else here pointed out, was already being practiced in Africa way before the European showed up. We should blame ourselves first before anybody else. We sold our dignity for a pittance and yet we expect fairness from the Europeans. We are our own worst enemy.

sage:

Without Western influence we would still have been stuck in the stone age and illiterate like our forefathers

Stone age indeed. . . . . .

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@cap28
I agree with you. Neocolonization is so much around. . .and haunting us.

I saw on BBC world report this morning how sieraleoneans are officially begging the british to come back and recolonize them.And yesterday i was speaking to a congolese who told his country is marking her 50th independence annivassary this year and has invited the queen of belgium as the guest of honor with enoumous diamond gift as homage and i got me wondering,with all that belgium under leopold did to them,they still see belgium as the master.

Today africans are fu-cked to the bone,with little or no sense of humanity.

redsun:

I saw on BBC world report this morning how sieraleoneans are officially begging the british to come back and recolonize them.And yesterday i was speaking to a congolese who told his country is marking her 50th independence annivassary this year and has invited the queen of belgium as the guest of honor with enoumous diamond gift as homage and i got me wondering,with all that belgium under leopold did to them,they still see belgium as the master.

Today africans are fu-cked to the bone,with little or no sense of humanity.

redsun, why are u always sad? It is true africa is fked but ,with little or no sense of humanity?!!