gloria,
i know many a western--"western"--scholar who would hesitate to cite the criticisms toyin boldly made for fear of being called a racist. toyin actually spoke with sadness.
when i read his piece, i couldn't help but think this was the kind of summation a human rights organization, like amnesty or human rights watch might make. they cite these problems so as to mobilize the adherents to take action, to free prisoners of conscience, to oppose an abusive ruler.
when i once spoke to the officials at the burundian embassy, as a representative of amnesty, a few years ago, they angrily said, why don't you people mention the good things in our country, and not always the bad. well, human rights organizations are trying to change human rights abuses, not to be public relations officials. and when a prisoner of conscience is released, we do try to publicize it and thank the govt, but that's not really news to anyone.
i think we have heard toyin falola sing praises to more people than anyone, period. he is a real griot for the accomplishments of african scholars, and fosters that scholarship more than anyone. but he can lend his voice to critique, and encourage people to work for change. it is very delicate being critical these days: i am more and more reluctant to come out against a given work of literature or cinema, knowing the hard work that went into creating it. but if we are to advance things, we can't always be praisesingers.
ken
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
517 803-8839
harrow@msu.edu
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Gloria Emeagwali <gloria.emeagwali@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2021 1:20 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Africa - A Devastating Moment For UsAll, By Toyin Falola
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2021 1:20 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Africa - A Devastating Moment For UsAll, By Toyin Falola
Well my question to Olayinka is a bit different: How does TF's apocalyptic analysis differ from that of Western scholars?We have heard this for the last three decades.
GE
On Fri, Jul 23, 2021 at 13:12 Harrow, Kenneth <harrow@msu.edu> wrote:
dear olayinka
i am not sure why you write that "western scholars" would be heard, whereas an african like toyin falola, with this very very powerful statement about the sad condition in africa would not.
i am not sure what you mean by "ignored," but i assume it is the major news outlets? in our field of african studies, of course, major african scholars are never ignored. but as far as the news outlets go, i would definitely agree that african affairs, regardless
of who is writing about them, are denigrated or relegated to minor pages. the report on devastation in the drc,or elsewhere, so prominent in al jazeera, is ignored largely in the new york times, the washington post, the guardian, le monde. you name it. i
read those papers, and they really do scant african news, unlike al jazeera.
but you assume further that if a western specialist or historian wrote, they'd be published. i doubt that is the case. furthermore, along with toyin we have many famous scholars like mamdani or mbembe, whose voices are more likely to be heard than any mediocre
western scholar, since they are known and respected. perhaps you were alluding to some other outlets besides the major news services? i don't follow cnn or tv news, so maybe the situation is different there?
but i want to claim that the kind of discrimination to which you allude for news outlets is no longer true in the fields of scholarship dealing with africa. i feel certain that is true. consider the past presidents of the asa, the largest scholarly org i know,
and whom do you find there? our own toyin falola, among others!
ken
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
517 803-8839
From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of OLAYINKA AGBETUYI <yagbetuyi@hotmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2021 6:05 AM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>; Yoruba Affairs <yorubaaffairs@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Africa - A Devastating Moment For UsAll, By Toyin Falola
This is a worthy analytical essay contextualising the magnitude and nature of the problem facing Africa today as it can only be examined by a top African historian.
It also brings to focus how African scholars analyses are ignored whilel western scholars are honoured for commenting on issues already analysed by Africans. A bit like crediting the discovery of the source of River Niger to a European, as
if Africans living in the banks for millenia were ignorant that a river passed by them!
Sent from my Galaxy
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Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Africa - A Devastating Moment For UsAll, By Toyin Falola
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