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A NEW AFRICAN IDENTITY
SAMIR GROVER
ENGLISH 102
PROFESSOR SEN
12 DECEMBER 2016
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A NEW AFRICAN IDENTITY
“The thing to do is to get organized; keep separated and you will be exploited, you will
be robbed, you will be killed. Get organized and you will compel the world to respect you”
(Garvey M., Garvey A. 57). In this quotation Garvey provides a powerful representation of the
power that is gained through organization and unity, as well as the suffering that occurs when
people are separated. Garvey was a leader of the Pan-African movement at the beginning of the
20th Century. Pan-Africanism is a movement that revolves around the idea of uniting those of
African descent with their roots across the globe and giving them a sense of identity.
Furthermore, the movement hopes to strengthen and unify the entire continent of Africa itself to
give Africans a voice in the world. In the past, major leaders of the movement have been Marcus
Garvey, Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, and Patrice Lumumba who all strived to unite Africans
across the globe that had been stripped of their identity through slavery and colonialism. The
belief was that by helping those in African Diaspora they could all have a better situation
economically and socially by having a voice and identity. African diaspora refers to communities
around the world that are of African descent. Unfortunately, many of those in Diaspora today
have been stripped of their identity. In countries across the Western Hemisphere and the world
people of African descent have been discriminated against by the majority and systematically put
down so they are unable to succeed. Through the brutality of slavery Africans across the entire
Western Hemisphere have lost their heritage and their pride. People that are skeptical of Pan-
Africanism wonder how they can find a new identity when they have lost so much. It is true that
bridging the gap between those in Diaspora who are separated by borders, language, and
respective cultures is a difficult task. Furthermore, lifting Africa itself out of division and despair
can sometimes seem impossible as war continues in the region. These concerns are especially
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valid as time continues and the Pan-African movement is losing traction globally. As stated in
the article “Reflection: Is Pan Africanism Dead or Dying” “Its values, ideology and way of life
are slowly fading away. We have failed to hand over the struggle to the next generation of
fighters” (proquest.com). The Pan-African movement has not been appealing to the younger
generation, however, if changes are made to its current ideology it can once again be successful.
Strengths that will result from helping those in diaspora regain a strong identity include giving
people that are in poverty a powerful voice and developing a resilient Pan-African community
that applies to people across the globe. Through strength in numbers this community will help
Africans around the world through their struggles. The Pan-African movement gives those in
African Diaspora a strong identity, and global power. Unity will bring peace and progress by
ending division between those in diaspora and providing resources for those of African descent
in economic and social hardship.
Due to the Atlantic Slave trade Africans across the globe are separated by region, and as
a result of forced assimilation many speak different languages and also carry many cultural
differences. From the 16th Century until the 19th Century the Atlantic Slave trade occurred where
millions of slaves were forcefully transported from Africa on ships through different parts of the
Americas. They were considered as property by European slave-owners and were forced to be
fully stripped of their name, language, and cultural background (Zeuske, proquest.com). As
evinced in the short story “Hell–Heaven” by Jhumpa Lahiri cultural identity can bring people
together. As new immigrants to America, a Bengali family embraces a man named Pranab Kaku
a new immigrant to America from the same region as them that was studying at University alone
and needed support. Since they “Welcomed him to our meals” (Lahiri, 623) the family bonded
with Pranab Kaku over traditional food and developed a strong relationship because of their
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common identity. This story shows that there are two things that carry on a cultural identity. That
is food and a last name. This was taken away from all slaves, and then from there they had to
endure a life of painful work, the raping of women, and being treated as property and not human.
The New York times issued an apology to all of those effected by the Slave trade in 2001 stating
that the slave trade were “appalling tragedies in the history of humanity not only because of their
abhorrent barbarism but also in terms of their magnitude, organized nature and especially their
negation of the essence of the victims” (“Regrets for Past Wrongs and Hopes for Peace”,
proquest.com). This apology has the right intentions, but it does not make up for the horrors of
slavery that are still felt today. In countries like Haiti, where those of African descent are the
majority, the country is doing horribly economically because of purposeful embargos against
their nation as well as a “reparation” fee. When Haiti rightfully won independence in 1804
