Issues that Hold Africa Captive

The 19th century witnessed the colonization of Africa by the Europeans. Boundaries were drawn separating communities where none existed before.

They stripped Africa of her dignity and independence telling Africa that she was inferior and her culture was barbaric. Africa's children were forced to work for the colonialists as they watched their land grabbed by foreigners. They in effect became enslaved in their own land creating a sense of hopelessness. The degradation of the African mind was continuous as she was repeatedly told she was inferior to her white masters and her ways were savage.

The British used the system of divide and rule to govern the indigent people of the colonies they acquired. They capitalized on tribal sentiments to cause hatred and divisions among different tribal groupings. They would promote one in a particular area and another in another area causing envy and division amongst them. The French on the other hand tried to assimilate those they colonized in to the French way.

The colonialist imposed his ways on the African to change her thinking by parading the Western values as superior to the African. The African had to change her culture and learn the intruder's language as well adopting foreign names to be considered civilized in her own land. The normal thing in life is that the visitor tends to learn the way of the host in order to fit in with the host. He may contribute something of benefit to the host, which the host is at liberty to accept or reject.

The colonialists reversed the order, in that the host had to learn the ways of the visitor in order to be accepted in her own home. This is a psychological way of making one succumb to oppression. The oppressor is portrayed as a light to the oppressed and the oppressed starts believing it after some time and actually views himself as inferior to the oppressor.

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