Sweeping the Crimes of Europe Under the Rug
Many white historians have promoted the practice of what Dashu describes as “double-think.” This technique serves the purpose of downplaying the inhumanity that surrounded the practices of Europeans in Africa. For instance, racially biased historians often described the cruel history of European colonization, imperialism and resource exploitation as ventures characterized by unity and helpfulness. In turn, this excused the crimes committed by Europe and left the resulting unfortunate condition of Africa unexplained and unexcused.
Monopolizing the Field of African Studies
European historians have managed to maintain their monopoly within the field of African studies. Professor Mkandawire refers to them as the “gatekeepers” of the field. According to Mkandawire, these historians “act as a police force” and permit as few Africans as possible into the academy. This is due to the fact that most African historians wish to bring about positive change to the continent, while historically most white historians aimed to maintain social, political and economic influence. This technique inevitably misconstrues recorded African history and negatively impacts the future of Africa.
