"Chinua Achebe historic novel, “A Man of the People”, provide a fictional setting thatcontextualizes the political and social climates in post independence in Nigeria. The driving force behind the political and social climateis influence bythe theme of the novel which is corruption in government.When looking at historical accountantsof Nigeria post-independencethere is high level of corruption within the government from Africans leaders by falsely claiming the title of “A Man of the People” when they do not follow through in meeting the people needs. In defining the title, “The Man of the People”it’s a title that garner a level of closeness and appeal to the masses of a country. This is relevant to main charactersOdili and Chief Nanga; within Achebe novel they both assumethe title. Odili, a native of Urua village, wants to represent all the native Nigerian honestly without using corruption and meeting their needs in forming his political power Common People Convention party(CPC). However chief Nanga being Nigeria Minister culture is falsely the “Man of the People” based on his position within country. Through the eyes of the narrator, Odili, Chief Nanga is seen as “a born politician; he could get away with anything he said or did”(Achebe, 66). This significant is showing that Chief Nanga used his charisma in appealing to the emotion of masses in the country by falsely trying to stay in power, so he can gain more wealth. For example the government money that chief Nanga promises to use in helping the community, go toward the construction a four-story building that he uses to rent out to generate his own revenue. Also when looking outside the novel the “Man of the People” title can be used for prominent figure like Lumumbawho wanted to sepearted Congo from any Belgium colonial ruling. Lumumba started from the grassroots in selling beer in hometown and other local area to his follow Congolese, and then made his way to becoming Congo first prime minister. On Congo’s Independenceday Lumumba gave a speech condemning the Belgiumfor their force labor system. The system institutionalized “white supremacy” by allowing Congolese treated harshly in cultivating crops in the region for the Belgium own profit. As result, of the harsh treatment Congolese experience malnutrition from working long period which led to genocide of Congo Population. The speech appealed to the Congolese emotion and was investment he had to the people in wanting to promote Pan africanism.
Frantz Fanon novel, “The Wretched of the Earth”, Fanon uses a quote that illuminate the fight for freedom from French colonialism in Algeria;“Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it, in relative opacity” (Fanon, xli).This quote reflectsthe native Algerians mindset not allowing French colonial direct rule to erase their cultural identity. This mindset was connecting to influential figure such as Messali Hadj. Mesali was an Algerian nationalist who developed the North Africa Star and was involved in many protest for Algeira independence from French colonial direct ruling. One central mission that was important to Meassli North Africa star organization was to redistribute land to the fellahs, the poor peasants that the French colonizer claimed. Messali planted the seeds for the mission of resistance in his Speech, “Fight against French Imperialism!” in Messali speech he plant the seeds of a independence movement on Algeria by motivating all Algerians to realize how much French conquest has used the country land, good, resources. In addition Messali has fought against the French implemented this native code”, which are subjective laws that allows French to oppress Algerians people on their own land.
Also one can link to Fantz Fanon quote to the Student Christian Movement (SCM) in South Africa in the area of bantu education. Bantu education, design by Verwoerd, limited the amount of learning that Africans receive that regulate them to only meeting the needs of the population of country. Martin Meredith reading he discuss how teaching areas of academics studies is useless with teaches the bantu education when child cannot have the opportunity to practice their civic skills Also the bantu education leads a stigma towards Africans in being incapable in being in higher status inside European community in south Africa. This stigma of the bantu education making Africans inferior is convey in the following “ There is no place for him in the European community above the level of certain forms of labor (Martin, 419).” In addition the classes were taught in Afrikaans, a language of Dutch and German origin, student did not like learning Afrikaans because it would make them isolated from the rest world due to there being few people that spoke the language. This African student strike which was invoke on bases of a mission to stand against the Afrikaans language which is label as the language of the “oppressor” being taught within curriculum. All this is mirror in Fanon quote which reflected in the Africans student of south Africa being the generation that evloves from allowing European to take oppression ‘finally make decision to fight against the oppression of the European. The road to liberation of south Africa figure like Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist, was influential in creating famous slogan “Black is Beautiful” in response to apartheid system for black consciousness. The apartheid system was a hierarchical system based on race, voting rights and land right. Blacks in South Africa were oppressed in this system. The apartheid system also banned the African National Congress (ANC) and Pan African Congress (PAC) from operating within South Africa. As result, this lead to combative action in the struggle against apartheid by members of both congress.
Women contribution to resistance of colonialism was just as important as the men were in there efforts to resist. One of the prominent female in leading resistance movement was Nama Yaa Asantewaa. Asantewaa was the leaders in mobilizing Asante’s people in taking direct action against the British to retain their heritage (Brempong, pg 1). The British wanted to take control of the gold coast region in establishing their policies that would eliminate the Asante people traditional culture which allow British to solidify their rule. The first effort to eliminate the culture was from Frederick Hodgson, the British Governor, who addressed the Asante rulers in surrendering the sacred “Golden Stole” to the British authorities. This was high level disrespect to the Asante people as well as Asantewaa, given that the “Golden Stool” represented the Asante people and their historical culture. Since most of the Asante male in village weren’t willing to stand up against the British, Asantewaa was essential in mobilizing Asante female in taken stand to protect the chair at all cost. When its comes to how women history was relayed a great explain would be Aba Riots vs Women war. Occurring in southeast Ghana, The Aba riots was a terminology from the British colonial leaders in not recognizing igbo female rebellion against their taxation and use of indigenous people for their indirect rule history. Also the igbo male recognized the igbo female contribution by calling the rebellion a “women war.” Including both words of “women” and “war” emphasizes “existence of those female political and economic institutions that were never taken into account by British (Allen, 64). However the British viewpoint of naming the igbo women rebellion “Aba riots” is more common in history studies because of the British being the dominant group and igbo being the subordinate group; Allen writes that “the dominant group alone writes history and choice of terminology we be perpetuated. This statement means that a western student who studies southeast region of Nigeria and comes across the British termlogy will not know at first view of term that women were the one involved in the riots into that student studies the term.
History is predicated on the amount of sources Historians has to provide interpretation to historical events. This idea is embodied in Chinua Achebe quote which has significant meaning studying Africa of “Until the lions have their historians, tales of hunt shall always glorify the hunter.” The lions represent the Africans while the European colonizers represent the hunter, since their no history of pre-colonialism of the different African countries the European history of Africa will dominate western studies of the continent. This is reflected Chambi Chachage article “Bringing African Studies Back to Africa: Beyond the African-Africanist’ Divides,” in which he classified development of African history is within of the context of colonialism, the Cold War, and Apartheid (Chachage, 9). These period is are reflected in what Dr. Chery ecompass in educated the class about the history of Africa. In lecture their ecompasses