Djembe - Concordia College

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Albert Memmi on his part echoes Fanon and Césaire on how colonization works to depersonalize
the colonized. He calls the stubborn effort to dehumanize the colonized the “mark of the plural”.
He writes: “The colonized is never characterized in an individual manner; he is entitled only to
drown in an anonymous collectivity (“They are this.” “They are all the same.”).” 11
In the long run, and by dint of repetition, the process becomes extraordinarily efficient: the
colonized internalizes many of the labels invented by the colonizer. “Constant repetition carries
conviction.” 12 People’s indolence in postcolonial societies in Africa results partly from decades of
propaganda and disinformation. No wonder leaders and many people, including some intellectuals,
are skeptical about their own ability to stand up for their rights and answers to development
challenges without imitating Western models or getting their approval. An article in South Asian
Voice Review is by far unambiguous about this malaise:
Robbed of any measure of self-confidence, the colonized (and even post-colonial)
intelligentsia looked upon its heritage with skepticism or disdain, or conversely,
sought refuge in fundamentalism, obscurantism, or idealistic myth-making. When
a native tradition had the stamp of approval from a ‘respected’ Western ‘authority’,
it attracted excited and flattering attention. But rarely and only in relatively isolated
cases, was it possible for the colonized cultural intelligentsia to rise above the
cultural stereotypes, and critically explore and examine its cultural legacy for any
intrinsic (or sustainable) merit. 13
Following the analysis above, one may wonder about the fate of freedom and independence
in African postcolonial countries. Freedom many leaders of the liberation movements shed their
blood in seeking becomes meaningless. Obviously, many impediments skillfully set by former
colonial masters and approved by their puppets render independence futile or simply invalidate it.
What shall we then characterize African countries? Are they independent or postcolonial dependent
entities? Anyhow, history of colonization is repeating itself; wrapped up in its humanitarian
garments, neocolonialism is so effective today that one would wonder if colonization ever ended.
What a utopian idea to imagine the advent of a whole new world. Césaire, for instance, was
dreaming at such a world with the overthrow of the old colonialist system. 14 Robin D. G. Kelley
writes: “As the true radicals of postcolonial theory will tell you, we are hardly in a postcolonial
moment. The official apparatus might have been removed, but the political, economic, and cultural
links established by colonial domination still remain with some alterations.” 15 It’s sad to notice
how the aggression of sovereign countries is carried out for fallacious or fabricated reasons with
the help of the United Nations, which is supposed to stand guarantor for justice and equity, freedom
and peace in the world.
The West would like to flatten the world not so as to explain it, like Thomas Friedman
does in his acclaimed book, but to dominate it. 16 And yet, the world is bigger and more diverse than
their interests. Postcolonial citizens are improving their access to knowledge through education
that helps them grow stronger and prepares them for genuine freedom. This reminds me of the
famous poem, I too, Langston Hughes wrote to express his will and readiness for equality, despite
the subjugation of his body in the days of racial segregation in America. The excerpt of the poem
reads: