Why do so many Africans believe they cannot break the "One Step Forward,
Two Steps Back" cycle? Six decades after colonial flags were lowered and
African countries gained formal independence, the continent struggles to
free itself from the deep legacies of colonialism, imperialism and
patriarchy. Many intellectuals, politicians, feminists and other
activists, eager to contribute to Africa's liberation, have
frustratingly, felt like they took the wrong path. Analyzed through the
eyes of Afro-feminism, this book revisits some of the fundamental
preconditions needed for radical transformation. The main focus of
Decolonization and Afro-feminism is unlearning imperial power relations
by relearning to "shake off" the colonial filters through which we view
the world, including the instruments of law, education, religion, family
and sexuality. It re-envisions Pan-Africanism as a more inclusive
decolonizing/decolonial movement that embraces Afro-feminist politics.
It also challenges the traditional human rights paradigm and its
concomitant idea of "gender equality," flagging instead, the African
philosophy of Ubuntu as a serious alternative for reinvigorating African
notions of social justice. If you are a student of Africa or in a space
where you wish to recalibrate your compass and reboot your consciousness
in the struggle for Africa's liberation, this book is for you. Sylvia
Tamale's Decolonization and Afro-Feminism makes a compelling case for
unlearning imperial power relations by "shaking off" the colonial
filters through which we view the world. This process, she argues, is a
process of relearning that re-envisions Pan-Africanism as a more
inclusive decolonizing/decolonial movement that embraces afro-feminist
politics. Tamale also challenges the traditional human rights paradigm
and its concomitant idea of "gender equality," flagging instead the
African philosophy of Ubuntu as a serious alternative for reinvigorating
African notions of social justice.
