RE-THINKING EDWARD WILMOT BLYDEN'S NOTION OF AFRICAN IDENTITY

Abstract

African identity has long been a subject of debate in human history. This is partly due to Africa’s difficult historical experience of conquest, slavery, colonialism, and neo-colonialism by European powers. The identity of the African has been deeply undermined as a result of this painful and dehumanizing past. Edward Wilmot Blyden was an African-American intellectual who was compelled to leave his birthplace and relocate to Liberia as a result of institutionalized racism. In his philosophy of African identity, he sought to demonstrate that Africa and Africans possess a rich and valuable history and culture. He rejected the prevailing notion of the inferiority of Black people but accepted the view that each major race has a unique contribution to make to world civilization. The method of this research is the philosophical tool of critical analysis. Blyden’s central thesis is that African culture should be promoted in the face of alien influences, in contrast to certain Christian abolitionist ideas. He argued for a deeply rooted African identity and maintained that Africans must follow their natural instincts and reaffirm their own values in order to regain their sense of dignity and contribute meaningfully to global civilization. Although there are notable flaws and inconsistencies in his philosophy, his ideas remain a springboard for further discourse on the question of African identity.