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Molefi Kete Asante Afrocentricity
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Molefi Kete AsanteAfrocentricityMolefi K. Asante (previously Arthur L. Smith) has been called a “visionary” and “revolutionary” in his thinking about African-American philosophy. His philosophy differs from Cornel West’s in that it has less of a socio-political -- and more of a cultural -- approach in holding onto African roots in today’s culture. While Asante emphasizes the “African” in African-American, West emphasizes the “American.” This biography will highlight some specific elements of Afrocentricity, the necessity of an Afrocentric perspective, according to Asante, and the five levels of awareness that the Afrocentric person possesses. Finally, it will present two ways that blacks can gain additional independence: the first is to change the names given to them by their ancestors’ owners back to African names, and second, blacks must create their own language, or at least not be bound to current language usage as a step in reclaiming their cultural roots. Asante’ s philosophy of Afrocentricity is complex, combining elements of philosophy, science, history, and mythology to offer a critical social perspective for African-Americans. It is clear from his writings that he borrows ideas from a diverse group of thinkers, including Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Elijah Muhammad, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Malcolm X. Afrocentricity is both a critique of modem society and a prescription of how blacks should hold onto their African roots. For example, in much of Asante’ s writings, he critiques the “Eurocentric” perspective which is heavily influenced by white men. He maintains that it is too narrow and does not account for the African experience. His prescription for blacks living in the United States is even more elaborate than the bible’s ten commandments. He provides direction for male/female romantic relationships, he explains the notion of truth grounded in African mythology and black struggle and argues that African Americans should be focused on such truths in order to become whole, well-functioning adults in society. But, according to Asante, Afrocentricity is not a “back to Africa movement,” rather, it is an uncovering of one’s true self or center. It is an awakening into African culture for a sense of African genius and values. It is a process of reclaiming more and more of African history and culture. Afrocentricity is the belief in the centrality of Africans in today’s culture. He sees Afrocentricity as a way for Afro-Americans to climb out of their demise and become who they were meant to be. In this sense, Afrocentricity improves blacks’ quality of life. Within Asante’s philosophy of Afrocentricity, Africa is placed at the center because, as Asante maintains, it resembles black people, speaks to them, looks like them, and wants for them what they want for themselves. Placing Africa at the center also prevents African-Americans from being detached, isolated, and spiritually lonely people in a society which is filled with anti-African rhetoric and symbols. Without an Afrocentric perspective, an African-American person operates in a manner that is predictably self destructive. For example, the black person’s images, symbols, lifestyles, and manners are contradictory, and therefore destructive, to personal and collective growth and development. In Afrocentricity, Asante maintains that African Americans have the possibility of being proud of a culture which has produced people of strength of mind, body and character. Asante recommends several changes for blacks who are committed to living an Afrocentric existence. First, he recommends the changing of one’s slave name to an African one. This, he believes, will create a greater sense of unity among African-Americans. Asante argues that because blacks have accepted their white names as their own, they have lost much of their African heritage. He says that the truly Afrocentric individual will change his or her name to demonstrate a belief in Africa. Second, he maintains that freedom is based on seizing the instruments of control. In other words, to be truly free, black language must begin to be liberated so that Afrocentrists can talk and act separately from others. Asante recommends the use of African terms to describe contemporary life as well as creating new words to describe black experiences. Asante is criticized for being a separatist, meaning that he encourages blacks to resist assimilation into American culture (Menand, 1992). Speaking to black youth, he maintains that “assimilation is death” (Asante, 1989), and that identification with the African in each black person is the way to personal and social transformation.
Molefi K. Asante, “Television and black consciousness.” JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION, 1976, 137-141.
STUDIES, 1979. Molefi K. Asante & A. Barnes, “Demystification of the Intercultural Encounter.” In M. K. Asante et al., Eds., HANDBOOK OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION, Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1979. Molefi K. Asante, Ed., HANDBOOK OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1979. Molefi K. Asante, “The Communication Person in Society.” CONTEMPORARY BLACK THOUGHT: ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1980, pp. 15-28. Molefi K. Asante, “International lntercultural Relations.” CONTEMPORARY BLACK THOUGHT: ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1980, pp. 43-58. Molefi K. Asante, “Television’s Impact on Black Children’s Language: An Exploration.” CONTEMPORARY BLACK THOUGHT: ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1980, pp. 181-194. Molefi K. Asante & A. S. Vandi, Eds., CONTEMPORARY BLACK THOUGHT: ALTERNATIVE ANALYSES IN SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1980. Molefi K. Asante & K. W. Asante, AFRICAN CULTURE: THE RHYTHMS OF UNITY. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 1985. Molefi K. Asante, THE AFROCENTRIC IDEA. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1987. Molefi K. Asante, AFROCENTRICITY. Trenton, New Jersey: Africa World Press, 1989. Louis Menand, “School daze: The trend toward multicultural education may be more confusing than elucidating.” HARPER’S BAZAAR, September, 1992, p. 380. Arthur L. Smith, THE RHETORIC OF BLACK REVOLUTION. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1969. Arthur L. Smith, “Socio-Historical Perspectives of Black Oratory,” QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SPEECH, 1969, 56, 264-69. Arthur L. Smith, “Markings of an African Concept of Rhetoric,” TODAY’S SPEECH, 1971, 19, 13-18. Arthur L. Smith, TRANSRACIAL COMMUNICATION. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1973. Directory: uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> Department of science and humanities department of mathematics part-a questions and answers uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Ownership Models There are two different types of ownership models uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> City of rising star regular meting thursday, july 14, 2016 uploads -> Township of winfield uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program What We Want Now! Download 5.81 Mb. Share with your friends:
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