African History & Literature Unit 1 Lesson 1 PDF

UNIT 1: Lesson 1  Discuss the history of Africa and the development of African literature. Describe the notable literary genres contributed by African writers. Gain an appreciation for the role that literature plays in culture and society.  How did African history contribute to the d...

UNIT 1: Lesson 1  Discuss the history of Africa and the development of African literature. Describe the notable literary genres contributed by African writers. Gain an appreciation for the role that literature plays in culture and society.  How did African history contribute to the development of its literature?  servitude (noun) — the state of being under control of someone more powerful Ex: Filipinos lived in servitude under the Spanish for 333 years. diaspora (noun) — dispersion or the scattering of a group of people Ex: Scholars refer to the migration of millions of OFWs as the “Filipino diaspora.”  pseudonym (noun) — a pen name or a fictitious name used by some authors Ex: Our literature teacher wrote romance novelettes under a pseudonym to earn extra income while remaining anonymous.  emancipation (noun) — freedom from slavery Ex: Filipinos and Mexicans alike fought for emancipation from Spanish rule. secular (adjective) — not bound by religious control Ex: A secular government is better able to provide the needs of a citizenry with multiple religious groups.  World’s second largest and second most populated continent Subregions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa Home to 54 countries, 10 small dependent territories still controlled by former colonial powers, and two disputed territories  5 to 2.5 million BCE: fossils and skeletal remains were discovered in the Rift Valley and surrounding areas, leading to the theory that humans originated from Africa. 600,000 to 200,000 BCE: human species spread throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe Homo sapiens: hunter-gatherers capable of making crude stone tools  6,000 to 4,000 BCE: river people emerged along Nile, Niger, and Congo Rivers First written documents were made Ancient Egyptians began using burial texts to accompany the dead. 2,300 to 2,100 BCE: earliest written creation stories on papyrus  ⚬ Heliopolis Creation Narrative of the Kemetic Priests of On (“Kemet” - ancient name of Egypt) ⚬ Memphite Declaration of the Deities Creation narratives are passed on through oral tradition. Ancient Egyptian literature includes poems, plays and narratives, and religious texts. Africans have mostly oral literature expressed through music, dance, and other oral genres.  AD 300 to 700: expansion of Roman Empire, rise of Axum (Ethiopia), and African conversion to Christianity AD 639 to 641: Khalif Omar conquered Egypt together with Islamic troops and established Islamic presence through the promotion of written literature. Since AD 700, roughly 14 million Africans were sold through the Arab Slave Trade.  The rise of an Islamic empire in Africa influenced the early written literature of sub-Saharan West Africa. East African literature emerged during the 14th to the 15th century. Written in Arabic, an anonymous history of the city-state of Kilwa Kisiwani was discovered; this document was believed to be from 1520.  “Message” poems containing religious viewpoints also existed. 1441: European Slave Trade in Africa began; African slaves were exported from Africa to Portugal. The coming of the Arabs and the Europeans redefined African slavery. The concept of race and large-scale human trade were introduced.  Portugal, Spain, Britain, North America, Holland, France, Sweden, and Denmark 18th century: height of Atlantic Slave Trade; “Black Holocaust” refers to the slaughter of 28 million Africans African diaspora led Africans to carry with them their oral arts. African folktales were widespread on the African continent and were carried to the Caribbean, Latin America, and the United States.  One of the first slave narratives in English: The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) Slaved from Nigeria to the United States, Olaudah Equiano wrote an autobiography under the pseudonym Gustavus Vassa. This fueled the Abolitionist Movement in Europe and the United States.  The 19th century sought the emancipation of slaves from foreign colonial powers. From the 1850s, Black journalism and secular writings were published. Works of literature were written in European and African languages. In the 1880s, writers justified the concept of “Africanness,” which led to the rejection of European culture in literature.  1920s to 1930s: African writings reflected ideas from Black nationalism and anti-colonial politics movements. European missionary-influenced writings integrated traditional oral forms and were translated into African languages. 1930s: Negritude movement — asserted African identity and culture and denounced the colonization of Africa  In the 1950s, anti-apartheid literature existed through the works of white South African writers in English. The turn of the 20th century gave rise to publishing African oratures. After African colonies gained independence from European colonial powers, African literature reflected Africans’ battle against the effects of neocolonialism.  At the University of Nairobi, Kenya, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Henry Owuor-Anyumba, and Taban Lo Liyong called for the abolition of the English department to be replaced by a Department of African Literature and Languages that would study African oral traditions.  Several African writers were awarded with the Nobel Prize in Literature: Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka in 1986, Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz in 1988 (the first prize- winning writer with Arabic as his native tongue), and South African writer Nadine Gordimer in 1991.  A long-time political prisoner, Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for his leadership that ushered in a democratic South Africa. Then, in South Africa’s first multiracial elections in 1994, Mandela was elected president. 1. When did Africans start writing their literature? How did they share their literary works before that period? 2. What is the Negritude movement? What did it stand for? 3. Who were the African literary scholars who called for the abolition of the University of Nairobi’s English department? What was their purpose? “The Gift of a Cow Tail Switch” A West African Tale  The Gift of a Cow Tail Switch A West African Tale A great warrior did not return from the hunt. His family gave him up for dead, all except his youngest child who each day would ask, "Where is my father? Where is my father?" The child's older brothers, who were magicians, finally went forth to find him. They came upon his broken spear and a pile of bones. The first son assembled the bones into a skeleton; the second son put flesh upon the bones; the third son breathed life into the flesh. The warrior arose and walked into the village where there was great celebration. He said, "I will give a fine gift to the one who has brought me back to life.“ Each one of his sons cried out, "Give it to me, for I have done the most." "I will give the gift to my youngest child," said the warrior. "For it is this child who saved my life. A man is never truly dead until he is forgotten!" 1. What motivated the magician brothers to find their missing father? 2. Why did the great warrior choose to reward his youngest child? 3. What does each of the characters represent? 4. What does the warrior mean by his statement, “A man is never truly dead until he is forgotten”?  As a young Filipino, how can you show your knowledge and appreciation of African history and literature? In what ways will these help you become more engaged with current affairs and social issues? Read and analyze the following excerpt from Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela’s speech “I Am Prepared to Die,” which he delivered before serving 27 years in prison.  I Am Prepared to Die By Nelson Mandela The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the policy of white supremacy. White supremacy implies black inferiority. Legislation designed to preserve white supremacy entrenches this notion. Menial tasks in South Africa are invariably performed by Africans. When anything has to be carried or cleaned the white man will look around for an African to do it for him, whether the African is employed by him or not. Because of this sort of attitude, whites tend to regard Africans as a separate breed. They do not look upon them as people with families of their own; they do not realize that they have emotions - that they fall in love like white people do; that they want to be with their wives and children like white people want to be with theirs; that they want to earn enough money to support their families properly, to feed and clothe them and send them to school. And what ‘house-boy’ or ‘garden-boy’ or labourer can ever hope to do this? Answer the following questions: 1. What African experience is shown by the selection? 2. How does this experience influence the writing of the selection? 3. Why do you think the title of this speech is “I am prepared to die?” 4. How is this experience relevant in the context of Filipinos?  To the Right Honourable William, Earl of Dartmouth (an excerpt) By Phillis Wheatley 1. Why does the persona (speaker of the poem) address the newly appointed Earl of Dartmouth? 2. What personal experience of the persona is related in the poem? 3. What other aspects of African history are reflected in the poem? 4. What are the persona’s hopes in William of Dartmouth and his position? 5. How do you think the persona’s experiences influenced the writing of the poem? After the activity, answer the following questions: What did you observe from the different examples of African literature that you provided? Given these observations, would you agree that literature can be an important tool for social action and change? Why or why not? 1. Form groups of three to four members. 2. In your groups, fill out the following chart by searching for examples of African literary works online. 3. Assign a representative to share your work with the rest of the class.