Africans Are Not Black

The case for conceptual liberation

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Discrimination & Race Relations
Cover of the book Africans Are Not Black by Kwesi Tsri, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kwesi Tsri ISBN: 9781317184089
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 20, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Kwesi Tsri
ISBN: 9781317184089
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 20, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Africans are not literally black, yet they are called black. Why? This book explores the genesis and evolution of the description of Africans as black, the consequences of this practice, and how it contributes to the denigration (blackening) and dehumanisation of Africans. It uses this analysis to advance a case for abandoning the use of the term ‘black’ to describe and categorise Africans. Mainstream discussions of the history of European racism have generally neglected the role of black and white colour symbolisms in sustaining the supposed superiority of those labelled white over those labelled black. This work redresses that neglect, by tracing the genesis of the conception of Africans as black in ancient Greece and its continued employment in early Christian writings, followed by an original, close analysis of how this use is replicated in three key representative texts: Shakespeare's Othello, the translation of the Bible into the African language Ewe, and a book by the influential Ghanaian religious leader, Mensa Otabil. It concludes by directly addressing the argument that ‘black’ can be turned into a positive concept, demonstrating the failure of this approach to deal with the real problems raised by imposing the term ‘black’ on its human referents.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Africans are not literally black, yet they are called black. Why? This book explores the genesis and evolution of the description of Africans as black, the consequences of this practice, and how it contributes to the denigration (blackening) and dehumanisation of Africans. It uses this analysis to advance a case for abandoning the use of the term ‘black’ to describe and categorise Africans. Mainstream discussions of the history of European racism have generally neglected the role of black and white colour symbolisms in sustaining the supposed superiority of those labelled white over those labelled black. This work redresses that neglect, by tracing the genesis of the conception of Africans as black in ancient Greece and its continued employment in early Christian writings, followed by an original, close analysis of how this use is replicated in three key representative texts: Shakespeare's Othello, the translation of the Bible into the African language Ewe, and a book by the influential Ghanaian religious leader, Mensa Otabil. It concludes by directly addressing the argument that ‘black’ can be turned into a positive concept, demonstrating the failure of this approach to deal with the real problems raised by imposing the term ‘black’ on its human referents.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Global Dickens by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Thomas Nashe by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Poverty Reduction - An Effective Means of Population Control by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Renaissance Humanism in Support of the Gospel in Luther's Early Correspondence by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Paths to Democracy by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Solitude and Privacy by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Rethinking Political Risk by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book The Crisis of Global Environmental Governance by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Religion, Identity and Politics by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book The Incense Bible by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Privatizing the Land by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book India and Global Climate Change by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Retrospect and Prospect in the Psychological Study of Families by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Racial Exclusionism and the City by Kwesi Tsri
Cover of the book Soviet Military Operational Art by Kwesi Tsri
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy