#africanstudies

Special Edition of My Journey Through African Heritage

I came across this unique binding in our special collections.  This special edition was handbound in handmade royal Buganda barkcloth, with brass and bone decorations from the African Heritage Jewelry Workshops.

The barkcloth has a strange feel to it - it looks like suede, but with a rough texture.  Does anyone else have books bound in barkcloth?

The Fight for Independence

Throughout the twentieth century, African nations fought for independence against European colonial rule. Colonial governments controlled land, labor, resources, and political systems while limiting the freedom and autonomy of African populations. As resistance movements grew stronger, many African communities organized protests, political movements, armed struggles, and cultural resistance campaigns to demand self-determination and national independence.

This connects closely to class discussions about decolonization and postcolonial Africa. While independence represented liberation from colonial rule, many newly independent nations also faced political instability, economic struggles, and the lasting effects of colonialism. Colonial borders, systems of exploitation, and foreign influence continued shaping many African societies even after independence. These struggles demonstrate how decolonization was not only about gaining political freedom, but also about reclaiming culture, identity, and power after generations of colonial domination.

Course Topics:

Independence Movements

National Identity

Postcolonial Africa

Academic Connections:

Reclaiming Black Identity

The Negritude movement emerged as a response to colonialism and the dehumanization of Black identity. Writers and intellectuals such as Léopold Sédar Senghor emphasized the importance of embracing African culture, history, spirituality, and Black consciousness during a time when colonial systems attempted to portray African identities as inferior. Negritude encouraged pride in Blackness and rejected European ideas that defined civilization only through Western culture and values.

This movement connects closely to class discussions about colonialism, identity, and resistance because it challenged the psychological effects of colonial domination. Through poetry, literature, philosophy, and art, Negritude became both a cultural and political movement that reclaimed African identity on a global scale. The movement also influenced later forms of Black consciousness and Pan-African thought throughout Africa and the diaspora. Today, themes of cultural pride, self-definition, and resistance continue appearing in music, fashion, film, and social media.

Course Topics:

Negritude

Black Consciousness

Identity

Pan-Africanism

Academic Connections:

Who Gets to Tell Africa’s Story?

Western media has historically portrayed Africa through a limited lens focused on poverty, violence, war, disease, and helplessness. These representations often ignore the diversity, complexity, creativity, and modernity that exist across the continent. In many films, advertisements, and news reports, Africa is presented as a single place instead of a continent made up of many cultures, languages, and histories. These stereotypes shape how global audiences understand Africa and reinforce harmful colonial ideas.

This connects directly to Binyavanga Wainaina’s essay “How to Write About Africa,” which critiques the repetitive and stereotypical ways Africa is represented in Western media. Wainaina uses satire to expose how Africa is often reduced to images of suffering while African voices, innovation, and individuality are ignored. This also relates to discussions of colonialism in class because colonial powers often controlled narratives about Africa in order to justify domination and exploitation. By challenging these stereotypes, African writers, filmmakers, musicians, and artists continue reclaiming their own stories and identities.

Course Topics:

Representation

Media and Power

Global Narratives

Connections: