Africa's slaves today

Derrick, Jonathan

Allen And Unwin

The period between the two World Wars were the peak years of the colonial empires, but they were not unchallenged. Individuals and organisations called for major reforms and an end to white supremacy and colonial rule, contributing first to local unrest and protest and then to anticolonialactivity not only in Africa but the United States and Europe as well.In this compelling history, Jonathan Derrick recounts the opposition to British and French rule practised both by Africans living on the continent and by European anticolonialists and members of the Black Diaspora. He covers campaigns waged by an early incarnation of the ANC and other groups inSouth Africa who fought against legal and other aspects of white minority rule. He also analyses the Kikuyu protests against the settler regime in Kenya; Marcus Garvey's African American movement and its role in sparking interest in Africa; the Etoile Nord Africaine, formed mainly by Algerians inFrance, that called for the independence of French North Africa; protests led by European critics against forced labour in Kenya and French Equatorial Africa; and the activity of small militant groups like the Ligue de Defense de la Race Negre (LDRN) in France and George Padmore's InternationalAfrican Service Bureau (IASB) in Britain.Derrick also examines the role of the Comintern and Western Communist parties that were opposed to Western colonialism and ready to support militant action against it. He shows that, although colonial rulers greatly feared the spectre of Communism in Africa, actual Communist activity was in factquite small. The onset of the Second World War pushed colonial issues to the background, but as Derrick argues, in the long term the anti-colonialists of the interwar era helped pave the way for later decolonisation.

Africa's `Agitators': Militant Anti-colonialism in Africa and the West, 1918-1939

History

Africa

Oxford University Press

The period between the two World Wars were troubling years for colonial empire. Individuals and organizations began to call for major reforms and an end to white supremacy and colonial rule, contributing first to local unrest and protest and then to anticolonial activity not only in Africa but the United States and Europe as well. In this compelling history, Jonathan Derrick, a renowned scholar of Africa's past, recounts the opposition to British and French rule practiced both by Africans living on the continent and by European anticolonialists and members of the Black Diaspora. He covers campaigns waged by an early incarnation of the African National Congress and other groups in South Africa who fought against legal and other aspects of white minority rule. He also talks of the Kikuyu protests against the settler regime in Kenya; Marcus Garvey's African American movement and its role in sparking interest in Africa; the Étoile Nord Africaine, formed mainly by Algerians in France, that called for the independence of French North Africa; protests led by European critics against forced labor in Kenya and French Equatorial Africa; and the activity of small militant groups like the Ligue de Défense de la Race Nègre (LDRN) in France and George Padmore's International African Service Bureau (IASB) in Britain.Derrick examines the role of the Comintern and Western Communist parties that were opposed to Western colonialism and ready to support militant action against it. He highlights common misunderstandings regarding the collaboration between Communists and other left-wing organizations on the one hand and African nationalists and pan-Africanists on the other, and examines the Communists' separation from Padmore, as well as the LDRN leader Garan Kouyate. He shows that, although colonial rulers greatly feared the specter of Communism in Africa, actual Communist activity was in fact quite small.Derrick reveals how, with the exception of a few colonies, anticolonial activity was easily organized, primarily because militants in Europe had the freedom to operate and create a tremendous impact. In the later 1930s, nationalist movements, fuelled by African outrage at the Italian occupation of Ethiopia, began to spread in parts of Africa. The approach and onset of the Second World War affected the rhetoric of anticolonialists, with French Communists opposing calls for independence as long as the danger of Nazism and Fascism existed, but some militants continued their anti-empire campaigns until 1939. The war then pushed colonial issues to the background, but as Derrick argues, in the long term the anticolonialists of the interwar era may have helped pave the way for later decolonization.

Africa's 'Agitators': Militant Anti-Colonialism in Africa and the West, 1918-1939 (Columbia/Hurst)

Columbia University Press

Professional Responsibility: New Horizons of Praxis

This book is about the Duala "middlemen," who functioned as intermediaries between Europeans and their own hinterland for over three hundred years. Originally traders in ivory, slaves and palm products, they then became colonial-era cocoa planters, and finally took a leading role in anti-colonial politics. One of their lasting advantages was European education, which they used to develop ideas about their ethnicity and its historical basis. The authors criticize these local beliefs about the past but indicate what they reveal about power and identity in this region and elsewhere in Africa.

Middlemen of the Cameroons Rivers: The Duala and their Hinterland, c.1600–c.1960 (African Studies, Series Number 96)

Austen, Ralph A.

Arts & Photography

Cambridge University Press

Routledge

The continuing custom of human slavery in its various forms is the subject of this fascinating, exhaustive study. In Africa, slavery began earlier and has last longer than in Europe and the Americas. In many African regions, it began to disappear until the 1950's; in others, it continues to exist to this day. This modern slavery does not involve the forced overland marches, the long sea journeys, of previous eras. It is a residue of the traditional slavery existing for centuries independently of outside slave-trading, and it takes the form of a particular social order rather than of systematic exploitation of one group by another. It is not something that can be abolished by a few laws; indeed, the distinction between slave and free is sometimes difficult to draw. The author, who studied Africa for many years and in many capacities, first investigates the long historical background of African slavery. Recent instances of Africans sold into slavery in Arabia are discussed, together with a detailed survey of recent and in some cases contemporary slavery throughout North Africa and Ethiopia. At what stage forced labor becomes slavery is a problem raised by the discussion of the white southern tier. The whole subject of slavery is put in perspective by contrasting examinations of the historical situation throughout the book and in a chapter on "The Slave Trade" in particular, and by the final thoughtful chapter, "Action on Slavery", which points to the heart of what is still a complex problem. AFRICA'S SLAVES TODAY provides fresh understanding for anyone interested in the continent, its history, and its changing customs.

Africa's Slaves Today

Politics & Social Sciences

Social Sciences

Schocken Books

Know Africa: Africa Today

Uwechue, Raph

Bing, Adotey

Matatu, Godwin

Babangida, General Ibrahim Badamasi

Watts, Ian

Picho-Owiny, Albert

Reference

Africa Books Ltd

Know Africa: Profiles in History: Makers of Modern Africa

Africa's Slaves Today, first published in 1975, examines the question of the persistence of slavery in modern Africa. It concludes that slavery is by no means dead in certain regions, but that at the same time clear-cut definitions of 'slave' and 'free' are often impossible to establish. In the Sahara particularly centuries of tradition involving slavery or semi-slavery have ensured a persistence of the status quo in all but name. Recent instances of Africans sold into slavery in Arabia are discussed, together with a detailed survey of slavery throughout North Africa and Ethiopia. At what stage forced labour becomes slavery is a difficult question raised by the discussion of the white South. The whole subject of slavery is put into perspective by contrasting examinations of the historical situation throughout the book.

Africa's Slaves Today (Routledge Library Editions: Slavery)

Review "A striking dispatch from the epistemological coalface, providing a truly fascinating insight into the nuts and bolts of how the "first draft of history" is prepared. Compelling and immediate, this is a priceless addition to the story of Nigeria."-- Paddy Docherty, author of Blood and Bronze "A timely account of the civil war, whose shadow still falls on a dysfunctional Nigeria, and another Federal commander's term in the presidency is ending. Derrick's vantage point at West Africa, then the authoritative London weekly, is strengthened by research since, and detailed, argued analysis."-- Richard Bourne, author of Nigeria: A New History of a Turbulent Century"With this clear-eyed and timely examination of what the international media got wrong, and what they got right, Derrick has fashioned an engaging history of the war for Biafra, a conflict many still struggle to understand."-- Andrew Walker, journalist and author of 'Eat the Heart of the Infidel' "The Biafra war is still a deep wound in the hearts of many Nigerians. This careful, balanced exploration of the events that led to this tragedy may provide some relief for those in the Igbo community still struggling with the memories of the atrocities committed against them."-- Martin Plaut, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London "Derrick offers a unique perspective on the Biafra war, reflecting on both the successes and short-comings of contemporary British news coverage. His even-handed account, based on personal experience and subsequent research, is an impressive addition to the literature on this often-forgotten war."--S. Elizabeth Bird, Professor Emerita of Anthropology, University of South Florida and author of Surviving Biafra"Combines the immediacy and detail of great journalism with the thoughtful analysis and broad perspectives of great historical writing. Perhaps uniquely for books about this war, it is neither dominated by re-visited obsessions of the past nor filtered through the selective vision of the present; I found so much here that other accounts have ignored or forgotten."--Oliver Owen, Departmental Lecturer in Social Anthropology, University of Oxford Product Description Fifty years ago, Nigeria endured a period of violent disturbance leading to the breakaway of the Eastern Region under the name Biafra. The resulting conflict (1967-70) aroused shock and protests around the world because of mass starvation in the war zone. While Britain supplied arms to the federal Nigerian government, and France to the Biafrans, relief agencies with contributions from countless individuals organized a memorable airlift of food and medicine to the Biafrans' Uli airstrip. Jonathan Derrick, then a journalist for the London weekly West Africa, followed these events closely and recorded the war in the magazine's news pages, right up to the federal forces' final victory and the remarkable reconciliation between supporters of Biafra--predominantly Igbo--and other Nigerians. He later worked for some years in Nigeria, and has studied much of the material published on the war since 1970. Here, he recounts the history of the conflict as documented in West Africa, referring tolater literature on and analysis of the events, which inspired passion at the time and have provoked debate ever since. His account deals with myths, misapprehensions and controversies surrounding the conflict, while recalling the tragic facts of a grim episode in African history. About the Author Jonathan Derrick is a freelance editor and scholar who served twenty years on the editorial staff of West Africa magazine. He has authored several scholarly articles on African history, and Africa's 'Agitators': Militant Anti-Colonialism in Africa and the West, 1918-1939 and Africa, Empire and Fleet Street.

Biafra in the News: The Nigerian Civil War Seen from a London News Desk

Hurst

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