African Freedom
How Africa Responded to Independence

A comprehensive synthesis of the ideal of freedom in African culture from a pan-African perspective after independence.

Phyllis Taoua (Author)

9781108427418, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 26 July 2018

330 pages, 9 b/w illus.
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.65 kg

'… a powerful and important book that opens up new perspectives on the history of the struggle for freedom in Africa, and it deserves a wide readership.' Emma Hunter, H-Diplo

The push for independence in African nations was ultimately an incomplete process, with the people often left to wrestle with a partial, imperfect legacy. Rather than settle for liberation in name alone, the people engaged in an ongoing struggle for meaningful freedom. Phyllis Taoua shows how the idea of freedom in Africa today evolved from this complex history. With a pan-African, interdisciplinary approach, she synthesizes the most significant issues into a clear, compelling narrative. Tracing the evolution of a conversation about freedom since the 1960s, she defines three types and shows how they are interdependent. Taoua investigates their importance in key areas of narrative interest: the intimate self, gender identity, the nation, global capital, and the spiritual realm. Allowing us to hear the voices of African artists and activists, this compelling study makes sense of their struggle and the broad importance of the idea of freedom in contemporary African culture.

Introduction. The meaning of freedom in Africa
1. The self: unfettering identity after independence
2. Gender: women's engagement with freedom
3. The nation: from liberation to meaningful freedom
4. Global Africa: pillaging with less impunity in the era of neoliberal capital
5. The spiritual realm: Okonkwo's unraveling and other responses
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], African history [HBJH]