APC 1502
ASSIGNMENT 2
1. Pan- Africanism
Firstly, the term Pan-Africanism is multifaceted, in nature it is probably one of the few concepts
hard to define. This is because the term has been defined to mean many things since it was
popularized in the early 19th century. The concept of Pan-Africanism; which could mean
anything from the collective recognition of one’s African heritage to the political and socioeconomic
union of all African people, has been at the forefront of Africa’s independence as a
guiding ideology. Still, the interpretation of the concept is open to however an individual
chooses to interpret its core values. However, In the African context, Tim Murithi describes
Pan-Africanism best as a concept or movement that “seeks to respond to Africa’s
contemporary crises of post-coloniality demonstrated most starkly by underdevelopment”
(Murithi, 2005). The variability of the concept Pan-Africanism makes it somewhat difficult to
pinpoint its purpose for the continent. Pan Africanism, offered a hope that Africa will be one,
united, not dived by colonial powers. It made possible to give a systematic presentation of a
united Africa, in doing so, it also helped connect the struggles of Africans on the continent as
they were experiencing colonialism and African Americans based on the racial treatment they
were receiving in the United States. Throughout generations, it’s important to note that, Pan
Africanism promoted a consciousness of Africa as the ancestral home for Black people, and
a desire to work for its liberation (Gebrekidan, 2012). At the core was the understanding that
people of African heritage had similar experiences, regardless of their location in the world.
,