Afro-Pessimism Creates Rift Between African and Black Diasporas

The Kingdom of Dahomey, before the transatlantic slave trade, implemented a ritual where captives were forced to march around a “Tree of Forgetfulness” six times, aiming to erase memories of their homeland and people. This practice highlights the deliberate severing of ties imposed upon enslaved Africans.

The Middle Passage and its Legacy

By the 18th century, the British were transporting tens of thousands of Africans annually across the Atlantic to fuel sugar plantations. This journey, known as the Middle Passage, fundamentally transformed Africans into enslaved people, becoming a cornerstone of the African American origin story. Contemporary Afro-pessimist intellectuals, including Frank Wilderson, Christina Sharpe, Saidiya Hartman, and Fred Moten, argue that the Middle Passage has resulted in a disconnect between Africans and members of the African diaspora, suggesting a shared identity for solidarity is impossible. However, historical records reveal instances of captives returning to Africa as freemen after crossing the Atlantic.

Historical Connections Despite Enslavement

In 1777, Captain Benjamin Hughes sold African navigators into slavery, a situation mirroring a previous incident involving nine Englishmen. The British Company of Merchants Trading to Africa dispatched Cofee Aboan to retrieve a captive, Quamino Amissah, demonstrating that even during the height of the transatlantic slave trade, the British did not uniformly treat all Black people.

Pan-Africanism and Shared Struggles

Despite the brutality of slavery and efforts to erase cultural ties, connections between the African diaspora and Africa persisted. This led to the rise of Pan-Africanism in the early 20th century, fueling social movements that resulted in African independence and Civil Rights legislation in the United States during the 1960s. Pan-Africanism views the suffering of Black people worldwide, stemming from colonialism, slavery, or segregation, as interconnected. Martin Luther King Jr., during Ghana’s independence celebration, emphasized the global implications of this event for oppressed peoples.

The Rise of Afro-Pessimism and Shifting Perspectives

By the 1990s, critiques emerged challenging the equation of self-determination with self-respect. These critiques included concerns about authoritarianism in postcolonial states, the exploitation of African people by their own elites, and a growing sense among Black American intellectuals that the Black American experience was unique and incomparable to the suffering of other peoples. This led to the rise of Afro-pessimism, which rejects the connection between the Black American struggle and anti-colonial movements.

Economic Growth and Shifting U.S. Engagement

Despite Afro-pessimism, Sub-Saharan Africa experienced significant economic growth between 2000 and 2019, with an average GDP growth rate of 4.35%. This contrasts sharply with the “African Tragedy” period (1975-1999), when Africa’s share of global GNP declined. However, U.S. engagement with Africa has diminished, with China becoming a major trading partner. The decline of organizations like TransAfrica and a focus on security and counterterrorism have further distanced the United States from Africa.

The Enduring Legacy of the Past

Saidiya Hartman argued that independence for African nations was a “short century,” referencing coups and conflicts that plagued the continent. Robert Bates’ work highlighted the decline in African agricultural productivity due to political negligence. Even contemporary narratives, like “Born on the Water,” reflect a complex and sometimes fraught relationship between the African diaspora and the continent, acknowledging the historical severing of ties and the challenges of reconciliation. Despite these complexities, the ties forged by the Middle Passage, European racism, and Black intellectual thought remain undeniable.