Derogatorily ‘Tribalizing’ the Entire Continent of Africa
The early European archeologists and anthropologists of African studies purposely concentrated their efforts on smaller African communities, which they referred to as tribes. Furthermore, these scholars failed to highlight the interesting cultural complexities that existed within these settings. Dr. Lansiné Kaba, a scholar, writer and prominent professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University at Qatar, states that these archeologists described the activities of these communities as “savage or at best as exotic curiosities.”
via hali.com
Disrespecting Sacred African Aspects
Institutions, especially those of mainstream media, have been known to take terms that are significant to Africans and attribute them to aspects that are unimportant or senseless to Europeans. For instance, according to Dashu, the phrase “mumbo jumbo” was derived from the Mandinke word mama dyambo, which refers to a ceremonial staff characterized by the image of a female ancestor. This tactic inevitably caused individuals to devalue sacred African culture and tradition.
