F.A. Harper stated "the man who knows what freedom means will find a way to be free."
I don't know what it was, but something made most of Africa realize that they didn't have to put up with the crap anymore. Somehow they realized that they could tell their colonial rulers to get lost. And once they made up their minds, the European powers went running home. I am struck by how quickly this all seemed to have happened. Once the movement began, it was unstoppable.
I was particularly impressed with the sort of African Declaration of Independence in 1945 at the sixth Pan-African Congress. It reads "We are determined to be free. We want education. We want the right to earn a decent living... We are unwilling to starve any longer doing the world's drudgery... We will fight in every way we can for freedom, democracy, and social betterment." (pg 643)
Unfortunately, as we read, things still didn't turn out as hoped for. Democracy faltered, governments collapsed, internal wars raged, and economies crumbled. Why? I don't know what else to ask! Is it simply human nature to exploit power? Did the "elites" covet too much? Were they trying too hard to be European? Or were the U.S. and the Soviets trying too hard to make Africa theirs?
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I'm really glad you made this post Bryson--it mirrors a lot of my same feelings I had while doing the readings. It really is amazing how quickly it happened once they made up their minds. I don't have any solid answers to the questions that you bring up--because if these questions could be answered, then maybe the problem could be fixed. Perhaps something to think about is the fact that maybe they just need more time. When American gained independence, we also had some similar problems. I realize that this only plays into the picture minimally. Obviously, Africa was under different circumstances and influences; but I still wonder what you guys think about that: How much of these problems can be smoothed out with time?
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