Southern African Contact Narratives: The Case of T’Kama Adamastor and its Reconstructive Project (original) (raw)

English Academy Review Transnationalism in recent fictionalized texts on East Africa

Recent fictionalized texts on East Africa and on the political turmoil that began just before the 1994 Rwanda genocide, later morphing across the Great Lakes, provide insightful contrasts to the scholarship on transnationalism. Concentrating on two agents that foreground these alterities, 'the soldier who refuses' and 'the refugee', the article disaggregates this region's heterotopias. The argument is that, in their walking away from civil wars in East Africa to Southern Africa, these subjects provide an original set of lexical items to interpret new but fragile peoples who break free from the nation state. At the same time, the unique grammar broadens the methodology for considering the 'Indian Ocean' as a topic that recurs in studies on East Africa. In this reading, the discussion works with the cultural studies concept of 'walking', as its politics of terra firma centres on guerrilla tactics and on how they weaken the postcolony. The first part of the article attempts a review of the cartographies of East Africa. The second section closely considers how the representations of these sets of heterotopias in select fiction on East Africa render this region transnational.

Deconstructing African History from Western Historicism

Alternation: Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa

If a people were to write their own history to be solely accepted as an ideal, it would not be abnormal for them to do so in their own favour. The history of the African peoples as documented by Western literatures, mostly comprises the exaltation of European culture through various stereotypical labellings of African history and culture.In the same vein, most Africans would be tempted to rewrite African history in favour of the cultures/ traditions of the African people themselves. Western historicism, however, has gradually denied the African an identity, primarily by eulogising its vindictive colonial presence in Africa, with the purpose of creating a cultural superstructure for the West. Through critical analysis and the conversational method, we submit that a balanced reordering of history in a sane manner is quickened when informed African scholars in their various disciplines take up the task of historiography to create their own peculiar narrative that will provide both the scholarly agenda and its related content, to set the African people on a course of wholesome prosperity.

An Image of Africa

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Forgotten Africa (undergraduate course)

Undergraduate course taught at Stanford University, Spring 2012. This course provides a general, introductory survey of Africa’s past from prehistoric times into the 19th-century. Through lectures, readings, discussions, museum visits, debates and film, we will explore Africa’s rich and dynamic past, juxtaposing the material remains of empires, states and cities with historical constructs of Africa as timeless, isolated and underdeveloped. The course begins with a critical examination of how we view Africa and its past and how the very concept of ‘Africa’ changes throughout time. The course critically questions the usefulness of the prehistory/history divide and problematizes how Africa has served as an ethnographic font for examples of tribal life. We will challenge Western depictions of Africa as a dark continent ‘without history’ by highlighting the continent’s vibrant cultures, sophisticated technologies, dynamic and complex political systems and participation in far-reaching commercial networks, all predating the arrival of modern Europeans. The course ends with the transoceanic slave trade and nascent European colonialism and illuminates the roles these histories played in the production of negative and inaccurate images of Africa in contemporary discourse.

African historiography: Reflections on rewriting the continent's past

ChronAfrica, 2024

African historiography has undergone a transformative journey, evolving from early external narratives shaped by colonial perspectives to contemporary endeavours that seek to reclaim agency in defining the continent's rich and diverse history. This abstract explores the trajectory of African historiography, emphasizing the shifts in methodologies, perspectives, and objectives that have characterized the quest to rewrite the continent's past. Historically, Africa's narrative was predominantly framed by external observers, often influenced by colonial biases and Eurocentric viewpoints. However, over the decades, a vibrant and dynamic field of African historiography has emerged, driven by scholars and intellectuals committed to unveiling authentic African histories. Central to this transformation is the interrogation of oral traditions, archaeological findings, and indigenous knowledge systems, providing a nuanced understanding of the continent's pre-colonial cultures, societies, and achievements. The post-colonial era witnessed a surge in efforts to reclaim Africa's historical narrative from the shadows of distortion and omission. Scholars engaged in the reinterpretation of historical events, challenging prevailing stereotypes and presenting alternative perspectives on key epochs such as ancient civilizations, trans-Saharan trade routes, and pre-colonial political systems. This new wave of historiography has empowered Africans to assert control over their own narratives, fostering a sense of pride and identity rooted in a comprehensive understanding of the past. Moreover, the emergence of diverse theoretical frameworks, such as Afrocentrism and postcolonial theory, has enriched African historiography by providing analytical tools to deconstruct colonial legacies and explore the interconnectedness of African societies. This article also delves into the ongoing debates within the field, including discussions on the integration of oral histories, the role of African diaspora studies, and the challenges posed by limited archival resources.