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Accepted Paper:
Beyond 'Westplaining' in writing West-African intellectual history
Pieter van Hensbroek
(University of Groningen)
Paper short abstract:
Gold Coast political action between 1870 and 1910 tried to revitalise Fanti states facing British encroachment - with focus on the Fanti Confederation and the Aborigines' Rights Protection Society. Contrary to Westplaining accounts, such movements were directly rooted in Fanti political culture.
Paper long abstract:
Describing the emergence of African nationalism as resulting from African intellectuals contacting Enlightenment idea about freedom and equality can be considered an example of 'Westplaining'. In this way indigenous knowledge traditions and social ideals are neglected and the creative thinking of African activists remains unseen. This paper reports on a study of Gold Coast debates and political action between 1870 and 1910 that tried to revitalise Fanti states in the face of British encroachment - with special attention to the remarkable Fanti Confederation and the Aborigines Rights Protection Society. It shows that, contrary to most accounts by historians, such movements were not steered by a separate, westernised 'educated elite', but were directly rooted in local political and intellectual cultures, and produced remarkably sophisticated and original political thinking.
Country/region-specific knowledge development histories in Africa [initiated/coordinated by ASCL]
Session 1