Reference
Scholarship, essays and articles that explore the concept and cultures of the African Diaspora.
The Formation of Diaspora, Part 1
In 1965, after more than six decades of Pan-Africanism, a new paradigm was emerging, led by a new generation of intellectuals, politicos, and activists. In that moment, the framework that had begun with a brief conference in London, had been formed in the shadow of empires, grew to span nations and, nurtured by many of the best minds of the century, played a key role in reshaping the world, began to end.
The Emergence of Diaspora
The world of Pan-Africanism in the 1960s was very different from the one into which the Trinidadian lawyer Henry Sylvester Williams first introduced the term in 1900. Not only had 60 years passed, but with them two World Wars that had depleted the empires of Europe, loosening the stranglehold they once held on much of the rest of the world. But the impact of time wasn’t felt by Europe alone. Pan-Africanism had made its share of strides in that time as well.
Journey to Diaspora
From it’s beginnings in London at the turn of the 20th century, through the first World War and the start of the New Negro Movement, Pan-Africanism became the primary descriptor under which a host of movements, philosophies and organizations were grouped and understood. By the second decade of the century, New York stood out as a beacon of Black life and a center for the emerging themes of Black culture.
The Roots of Diaspora
In the first installment of this series, we explored questions pertaining to the nature of the African Diaspora. The concept as we currently understand it emerges from the much longer history of Pan-Africanism - a massive body of individuals, organizations, movements, thinkers, creatives and artists that worked on all levels across many nations to improve the lives and lots of Black people around the world.
The Questions of Diaspora
It’s hip-hop and street style. It’s Juneteenth in Harlem, the Caribbean Day Parade in Brooklyn and Carnevale everywhere. It’s all over Beyonce’s latest video. But what is the African Diaspora? It’s a common term for referring to the collection of cultures across the world that trace their roots back to the African continent.