Segun, no doubt you are right about their views on race. But their work in other fields has been influential.
We all face this dilemma of confronting artists with prejudices and biases, but who might have produced great films or music or art.
When I read your comment I thought you were throwing out the baby with the bath water, as it were.
And when it came to African people, in the 19th century who really knew anything? All they had were reports that were extravagant and ridiculous; later, in the 20th century, you had colonialists who were the ones most in contact, so they knew colonialist ways of thinking and speaking. A few perhaps could overcome the racism, but how many? And the values of racist thinking have marked most Europeans/whites down until this day.
I am not sure I could overcome my distaste for virulent racists, like Naipaul for one. But others, like Conrad, I can still read.
Maybe it is a test of us, not that…how tolerant we can be of others who are intolerant?
ken
Kenneth Harrow
Dept of English and Film Studies
Michigan State University
619 Red Cedar Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-803-8839
harrow@msu.edu
http://www.english.msu.edu/people/faculty/kenneth-harrow/
On 27/09/16 22:14, "Segun Ogungbemi" <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com on behalf of seguno2013@gmail.com> wrote:
"We have often made the mistake of celebrating their words as monuments of wisdom." Kissi Edward
I used to respect Hegel and Toynbee until when we were made to read certain portions of their works. I was a graduate student at Southern Methodist University Dallas, Texas USA then. So I went to the main Library which used to close at 2 a.m to get the works of the two great scholars. I was delighted to get the assigned works. As I settled to read each one and their comments on Black people, I closed the books and never to read them again. I was so disturbed by their denigration of Black race.
I wish African leaders should read them because it could be a turning point in their lives.
Yes both scholars were ignorant, racially bias and stupid. They don't deserve any celebration in my view.
Prof. Segun Ogungbemi.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Sep 26, 2016, at 2:37 PM, Kissi, Edward <ekissi@usf.edu> wrote:
>
> We have often made the mistake of celebrating their words as monuments of wisdom.
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