Liberian Literary Magazine
Common Themes
in African, African
American and
Caribbean
Literatures
By Nvasekie N. Konneh
To fully understand and
appreciate
African
and
African American literatures
or fictions for that matter,
it’s imperative to understand
the historical backgrounds of
their experiences. First it was
the
Trans-Atlantic
slave
trade, which brought millions
of Africans to Europe and
America
as
slaves
in
plantations in America and
elsewhere.
European
colonization
of
Africa
followed the Trans-Atlantic
slave trade. Both of these
were very dehumanizing for
the
Africans.
They
experienced
degradation,
considered less human than
others. The main justification
of Europeans’ domination,
enslavement
and
colonization, was that they
had brought “civilization” to
Africans.
European
intellectuals, for many years,
wrote books that only
denigrated black people,
considering them as inferior
human beings.
Black writing, fiction or nonfiction, emerged primarily as
a result of the social condition
of the African people. It is
said that “African American
literature began with the
desire to achieve freedom,
and to define the racial self.”
This same sentiment was
expressed in the editorial of
January Issue 0115
the first African American
newspaper,
“Freedom
Journal.” In its first editorial,
it said, “We wish to plead our
own case. Too long have
others spoken for us.” This
expression is not much
different from what African
writers have said about
African literature. In his book,
“Nuggets of the African
Novels,” K. Moses Nagbe
expressed similar view about
African literature, “Africa has
had its perennial problems in
the battle of life. It has been
denigrated for too long.” The
response of Africans in this
light is “eternal vigilance,”
according to the author. This
“eternal vigilance” has over
the years inspired and
informed African and African
American fictions and other
literary forms.
To put it in another way,
African and African American
literatures emerged to prove
that Africans, just like the
Europeans,
“possess
the
requisite degree of reason
and wit to create literature
and that they were indeed full
and equal members of
community of rational and
salient beings that they could
write.”
Phillis Wheatley was a young
African slave woman with
incredible amount of talent
and creativity. When she had
the manuscript of her first
collection of poems, “Poems
on
Various
Subjects,
Religious, and Moral,” it was
not published in America
because the publishers or
printers could not believe
that a “negro” could write
those poems. The book was
18
first published in London in
the fall of 1773. This singular
effort by Phillis Wheatley is
considered as the foundation
of
African
American
literature. It would take 86
years from 1773 for the first
African American novel to be
published. This was written
by Harriet E. Wilson in 1859.
The fact that both Phillis
Wheatley and Harriet E.
Wilson were women is very
important indication of the
involvement and contribution
of women in the African
Americans’
quest
for
recognition and respect as
human beings. Their works
served as reaffirmation of the
humanity of black people as
well as protest against the
dehumanizing experience of
slavery, racism and sexism.
They are celebrated by the
African American writers in
general for their pioneering
roles in the development of
African American literature;
they serve as role models
particularly
for
African
American female writers.
Over the years, African
American women voices have
been heard loud and clear in
the republic of letters. They
have won literary prizes not
only at the national levels but
international levels as well.
African Consciousness
Caribbean Poetry
in
From Nicolas Guillen to Aime
Cesaire;
from
Kamau
Braithwaite to Derek Walcott,
and from Muthabaruka to
Mighty Sparrow, from Gregory
Isaac to Bob Marley, Africa is
a constant reference point in
Caribbean poetry and songs.