African System Of Thought.
The Black Race,
The African Continent And The Ultimate Necessity For The
Development Of Black Cultural Science
(BLACOLOGY)—The 21st Century
African System Of Thought.
By Amos M. D. Sirleaf, Ph.D.
Professor and Vice President
“Blacology” A Cultural Science Research and Development Institute, Inc.
"What Is And What Is Not "Blacology"?
Blacology is an interdisciplinary cultural science. This science entails a culturalscientific study for black people, specifically, the "Dark Skinned Black/African people.The "K" is eliminated to deduce more scientific implications and universal relevance, i.e.,"science". The "K", of course, implies the strength, wisdom, and the unique "Dark"pigmentation of the original inhabitants of the continent of Africa. Many researchers,readers, and observers of this paper would like to know the actual role and significance ofBlacology, or "Black Cultural Science" as it relates to "Dark Skinned People of Africa" inthe midst of a multi-racially diverse black cultures in contemporary society. As a youngAfrican boy growing up from a traditional Mandingo Muslim background in LiberiaWest Africa during the early 1960s and 1970s, the consciousness of race relations withspecific emphasis on the white racism other than the black race has never been a
profound significant with the exception of the "Light-Skinned-Dark-Skinned-Mulattophenomena among the Americo-Liberians in Liberia. Black/African is all I am, is all Iwill be, and that all I have ever been before getting in contact with Europeans fromGermany, United States, Russia, London, Swaziland, and many European nations.
I believe this statement could be true for many Africans, most especially, those ofmy age and experience at the time. As ones' eyes becomes open, one can only say that"our eyes have open and the time of the people has come, the struggle continues". Thequestion of Blacology in the context of an interdisciplinary cultural science for blackpeople, most particularly the "Dark skinned/black People", is not an easy question. As amatter of historic and political fact, many African Nationalists, Black Nationalists, andPan-Africanists alike, have taken to the African people, in the streets of Africa and theDiaspora, the questions, who are Africans. Among those nationalists were the late Dr.Kwame N'Krumah, Julius Nyerere, Ahmah Saku Toure, Ali A. Mazrui and many others.Before approaching the debate of these African scholars, I would access the views of Victor C. Frekiss, an American writer, who states: that "the unity of African was targetby the common experience of European domination and the common venture ofoverthrowing that domination".
Africa, according to Frekiss," is a creation not of common race or geography orculture but of a common experience in world politics…It was not economic or politicaldomination that was the essence of colonial rule, but racial subordination. It is this whichhas determined the essence of African self-identity - not a common genetic heritage but acommon reaction a racial attitudes on the part of colonial rulers". In reaffirming Frekiss'views,
Dr. Nyang also points out that, this interpretation of African experience has notbecome the dominant understanding of what Africa nationalism or Pan-Africanismmeans. In other worlds, according to Dr. Nyang," that African identity is generallydefined negatively, and this is largely due to the fact that it is assumed to be thepsychological and pyschohistorical adhesive which unites the variegated members of thecolonially created community of African suffering".
Viewing from the above prospective of the dynamics inherent in the processes offragmentation of concepts, ideas, phenomenon; experience, reactions, and preventivecollective actions to save the African traditional culture and its black people, the questionof who is African, in my belief, has never been answered. Many African nationalists, asstated in previous paragraph, have tried to give some political, philosophical, andliberated responses to who is an African. Ever since the early days of independence,
African scholars and politicians have been deeply divided on the issues of African unity.A frist group (the Panafricanists) favored political integration as a perquisite to economicintegration. Its members (Cheikh Anta Diop, Modibo Keita, Kwame N'krumah, SekouToure). These men advocated the immediate and total integration of the AfricanContinent, and the setting up of a single continental government with commoninstitutions. The researchers is an activist and advocate of the above concept (Pan-Africanism). As a matter of fact, the researcher was an admirer of the Nkrumahs' "youngPioneer" phenomenon, in the context of the breeding young African revolutionaries totake over the revolution and carry it forward. For the youths, according to Dr. Nkrumah,"have a hiding leadership and grow through a revolutionary struggle and emulation".
Another group, (Gradualists or Functionalist), anxious to preserve the Africanstates recently acquired sovereignty, favored a more gradual approach to Africanintergration. This group (felix Houphouet-Boigny, Jomo Kenyatta, Leopold Senghor).These men held that "economic integration should precede political integration". Itsmembers favored a loose. (Ann Seidman and Frederick Anang 21st Century Africa,Atlanta, GA 1992, p. 73.) Its members favored a loose cooperation in non-controversial(technical and economic) areas and reviewed regional institutions as a stepping-stone forthe progressive political and economic unification of the continent. This debate, ofcourse, has created more damages for many progressive young African scholars, whom Ibelieve that if our so-called founding fathers could not conform to the total unification ofAfrican, as we see in Europe and other countries, that the consciousness of black and whoare considered African must be approached from different prospective that will givecredits and compensations to the bonafide original occupants of the continent. This, Ibelieve will justify the development of "Blacology" (Black Cultural Science). In additionto this, one needs to follow up with the definitions of who is an African from thecontinental Pan-Africanists prospective. There scholars who believe in the unity andsanity of the geographical entity called Africa. These advocates, as Dr. Nyang points outin his writing, stated "that the term African can be legitimately applied to anyone whomakes African his or her home, takes part in African history, proudly labors for herpolitical and economic development, and modestly and devotedly follow the principles ofmajority rule in the governmental process of Africa's societies".
Many scholars including the researcher have problem with the above definition.However, the first position of this definition was embraced by Dr. Kwame N'krumah whospelled out his views on this subject early in his political career. During a very successfulvisit to the Republic of Liberia, N'krumah of Ghana addressed himself to the racialquestion and to the African identity crisis in these words": I do not believe in racialismor tribalism. The concept African for the Africans does not mean that other races areexcluded from it. No, it only means that Africans can and must govern themselves intheir own countries without imperialist or foreign impositions, but that peoples of otherraces can remain on African soil, carry on their legitimate adovcation, live on terms ofpeace, friendship and equality with Africans on their own soil….". (Dr. Sulayman S.Nyang, Islam, Christianity, and African Identity, VermontUnited States of America
1990. P 7.)
The researcher shares many concepts of African with many progressive foundingfathers and scholars, among them were Dr. N'krumah. But N'krumahs' defintions ofAfrican I believe, were much of a political, social, and ecominic nature. This, of course,was appropriate for Africa at that time. N'krumahs' concept of racialism, I also believethat was his personal perception, because of his matrimonial companionship with person
out of his race, (i.e., his Jewish wife). It is essential; therefore, to also point out thatNkrumah was not only the only founding father of African independence to havemarriage out of his race causing him to be very conservative on the facial problem andAfrican identity. For instance, Jomo Kenyatta was also married to a (British whitewoman), W.E. Dubois did look white and he was a strong advocate of justice for Jews.These social integration's in many ways, affected the thinking of many of our founding
fathers for fear of personal embarrassment with their white families. On the continent ofAfrica, while some Africans where fighting for the total emancipation, Liberation, andfreedom from colonial regime, some Africans were enthusiastic and fascinated aboutcolonial relationship.
This, I believe created diversion from the absolute definition to African and whoare Africans. In this light therefore, the development of "Black Cultural Science,(Blacology), has been one of the following major reasons, (1) that no African scholarshave tried to align a "Dark Skinned Black African people as absolute symbols of theAfrican continent, (2) and that the concepts of many African scholars of "Africa for theAfrican" is undefined, (3) and that the concept of we are all Africans is not an acceptablefact. Therefore, the concept of Blacology is specifically geared toward the developmentof an interdisciplinary cultural science. This science will at least help bring out theabsolute biological and genetic definitions of Africa. This definition, I believe will createsome positive self-concept for the dark Skinned Black people of Africa who have beenconsidered a historic shames, laughing stocks, and mockers in the world of racism and
prejudices.
THE BIOLOGICAL AND GENETIC DEFINTIONS OF BLACOLOGY
"Black," as a people, and by its biological implications, one many mention
biologically that every living creative is a mass of chemical cells. The bone, blood, fleshare all composed of small particles of elements which can only be seem microscopically.These cells are composed of jelly-like substance called protoplasm, surrounding anucleus, a center, which contains chromosomes. The chromosomes are like little strings.These strings are called genes. It is the specific natural combinations of the genesworking in a unique faction, which determine the individual's eyes color and hair color,
lack of curliness of the hair, the color of the skin. This is also responsible for theindividuals' physical, emotional, and psychological characteristics. Every mother givesher child half of the chromosomes (X), the father provides the other (Y). Thecharacteristics of any child, according to biology, are a combination of genetic traitsinherited from both parents. It is however, significant to acknowledge that a biologicalcharacteristic trait of one of the parents may simply dominate the similar trait in the otherparent. For instance, if both parents have brown eyes, there is a possibility that the child
will virtually have brown eyes also. If one of the parents has gray eyes and the other hasbrown eyes, the child is likely to have either brown or gray eyes.
Sometimes a group of genes for one characteristic will simply dominate acontrasting group of genes for the same characteristics or trait, making the dominatedgenes recessive. At other times the two competing sets of genes will produce an obviousmixture; this often happens with skin color- although in a large family, for instance, somechildren of a white mother and black father will take the color of the mother while otherchildren of the same parents will take color of the father. In each case, the genes for thecolor of the parents whose skin color is not apparent in the child because of the recessivegenes. These recessive, dominate, or subordinated genes can become dominant if matedwith dominate genes for the same color. It had been both scientifically,sociophyshological, and biologically proven by many biologists, sciopsychologists, andscholars in the areas of humanity; among them are Dr. Imari Abubakari, who said that"
when a group is isolated from other groups by geography, the people, or species of thatgroup will grow and develop in absolute similarities, (i.e., specifies look a like, if theisolation persists over many generations". Dr. Imari Abubakari Obadele, A beginners'Outline of the History of Afrikan People, Washington, DC 1982. p.4). This hypothesiscan be both inductively and deductively justified in the context of the "Dark Skin AfricanPeople" of the continent of Africa, whom this researcher believes are the originaloccupants and are the bonafide definition of Africa. This is true due to the biological,socio-psychological, and the geographical impact of what the researcher refers to aspositive isolationism. The fact which also indicates that the groups in a perpetualisolation will begin to mate or mutate within it kinds and types with one another in thesame population. They will ultimately be sharing the same genes pool creating the samegenetic reproductive results. This population will be making group of genes for certainphysical characteristics stronger and stronger, more and more dominate, recessive,subordinate, and superior.
Nevertheless by ten thousand years ago, and probably much earlier, the threegreat races, or racial stocks, which many anthropologists identify today, had come intoexistence. That is because the people of the Far East, the Asians, or Yellow race, hadpretty much lived isolated from manycenturies from the people of Africa, whom we callthe Black race, and both had pretty much lived isolated from many centuries from thepeople in Africa, whom we call the Black face, and both had pretty much lived isolatedform the people of Europe and Asia Minor (Turkey and Iran/Persia), whom we call theWhite race. Based on these conceptual and biological analysis, one can infer that the"Dark Skinned" people of Africa are the original inhabitants of the continent of Africa;therefore, the "Dark Skinned" (Black People) of the continent of Africa are the symbolsand definition of Africa. When one talks about Blacology, the interdisciplinary scienceof black culture, it refers to the "Dark Skinned Black" people of the continent of Africaspecifically. Even though "Blacology" (Black Cultural Science) is an open doorinterdisplinary cultural science. This science is geared towards the total liberation,rehabilitation, re-education, and re-newing the minds of all conscious black people. It isin themain time, save to say that the subject "Africa, the Continent, and Black People" arevery difficult subject to elucidate because of its controversial political and sociologicalnature. And also its historic sources and discoverers. If one looks at Africa's' pre andpost-colonial historic writers and specialists, many of these so-called discoverers,specialists, and writers of Africa and its people. have always been Europeans. Theseindividuals who colonized the African people, are the same Europeans who gave thename "Africa", and in fact are the same Europeans who gave the name "Africa", and ninefact are the same Europeans who gave many of the colonial African States their names.Liberia was a white man, many of Liberia's presidents were white men, and many ofthese presidents were not born in Liberia nor Africa. There are the same Europeans whoare the so-called experts of the beginning and ending of the Africa continent and itspeople, at times, the destinies of the African continent and its people.
European Powers and its forcible incorporation into a system of exchange base oncapitalist production, the possibility of an autonomous development of intellectualactivity in Africa was cut off as surely as the guillotine serves a head from a body." Thepraise-signers continued to chant, but what they had to say ceased to have the samerelevance." (Bill Freund, The Making of Contemporary Africa, Indiana University PressBloomington, 1980, p. 2.) The colonial masters of Africa took a keen interest in theterritories they ruled, of course. They were as concerned as any African king had been toappropriate knowledge about Africa, for the purpose of effective administration and thepromotion of capitalist enterprise. Much of this knowledge was historical; quantities ofhistorical materials were amassed and collected in colonial archives and libraries.However, the colonial period produced very little in the way of overtly historicalpublication. The dominate colonial science was anthropology. From the time of Sir.Harry Johnson, writing in 1899, it was a full half-century before a European again wrotea general history of Africa. What most interested Europeans in Africa was themselves; ahistory of trade and diplomacy, invasion, and conquest, heavily infused with assumptionsabout racial superiority that buttressed colonial domination. For the period followingconquest, colonial writing focused on the progress of administration structures, transportnetworks and business enterprise in an heroic spirit. Yet it was the colonial context thatfor the first time "African" as an entity from the Cape to Cairo, from the coastal lagoonsof the West to the Horn of the East, could be conceived. While struggling for theultimate development of Black Cultural Science, "Blacology" under the auspices of theabsolute definition of Africa and who are Africans, the "Dark Skinned" black people ofthe continent become major variables from which both written and unwritten history andanthropologists have developed the believes; based on the totality of circumstances, thatthe "Dark Continent of Africa" represents in most part, the dark inhabitants of the land.Therefore, in my practical and unwritten knowledge acquired from my parents and otherAfrican elders as an African and a Mandingo Muslim, I deduced the concepts of Africa asa "Dark Continent, not to connote negativism as European perceived it. I believe that theterm "Dark Continent" implies (the blackness of its original inhabitants), Continent:"implies (the blackness of its original inhabitants), this, I believe that it shows degree ofpositive concepts in relations with Africa personality. Even though Africa has sufferedfrom those who perceived to have founded it, yet an accurate stories, "our stories" of"Alkebu-Lan" has come as an unwritten "our stories" from our elders, not "his stories" which are written by him or by them (the white so-called specialist on Africa).