On Pan-Africanism and Ethnic-centred Literature

[AdventuresOfMrQuest]

i think you are confusing pan-africanism the idealogy with the culture.

Pan-africanism is not about reducing ones ethnicity but about all africans all over the world working together,moving as a single unit to defeat and over come all adversities. it has very little to do with changing your own personal or tribal culture.

[Sapphonouveau]

@AdventuresOfMrQuest Thank you for commenting and sorry if you found the video boring.

I know pan-Africanism is not about disregarding one's persobal or tribal culture. That's not my issue. My issue was with the labelling of Chiamanda as being 'igbo centric' in a negative way, whereas I think it's a good thing. I then went on to explain why in regards to this sort of case, a naive type of pan-African philosophy is not always enough.

[Sapphonouveau]

@AdventuresOfMrQuest I know I didn't explain myself very well, but I thought it was clear I wasn't trashing all forms of pan-Africanism. I was making a comment specific to this example and not to pan africanism in general.

[BrotherChimaobi]

Nwannem, this was a fascinating upload. Therefore, it is a bit sad to see you settling for a halfassed argument and ending up in an intellectial ditch. You do know white people have come so far by embracing their commonalities in whiteness right? And Afrikan-Centredness, or Pan Afrikanism is all about embracing the commonalities without forgetting your ethnicity.

Afrikan-Centredness is not opposite of Igbocentric. Anyway, Youtube has a typing limit. I'd love to discuss with you further.

Udo.

[Sapphonouveau]

@BrotherChimaobi I'll probably do another video on this topic to clarify my position. I don't think pan Afrikanism necessarily means ditchting Igbocentrism full stop (or is necessarily a bad thing either). I was really commenting on the comment made by the reviewer in this specific case and got sidetracked into making generalities I had no cause to make.

Thanks for commenting!

[AfricanPrince]

I appreciate your view and you make a good point but I consider all Black/sub-saharan Africans to be my people.

[Sapphonouveau]

@AfricanPrince As do I, though I also include the Arab and the White. The issue is that for too long much of our individual histories and cultures have been neglected. I don't think it's a bad thing to want to explore them and see what can be remembered before we brave anew, so to speak. It doesn't mean we have to bring up the old vendettas, you know?

Thanks for commenting!

[youngcounty1]

I enjoyed your vlog, but i would like to respectfully disagree in respect to pan Africanism. I do not think you have to lose your individuality because of it. Though Africa had many tribes before encountering Europeans /Arabs, the borders that make up the current countries did not exist. In fact i think it is important to maintain individuality to build a strong network, which is how i view the pan African movement. but i agree there is much work to do as individuals before unifying.

[Sapphonouveau]

@youngcounty1 Thank you for commenting! I understand there are many different strands to pan-Africanism and I am definitely more sympathetic to your version where we maintain individuality. I tend to be cynical, however, because I don't think enough work has been done on an individual basis (so I we agree on that point) and it seems that tends to get ignored as we all rush towards our pan-African vision.

But that's just me being cynical!