Colonialism in Africa is the first thing to come to mind when thinking of significant tests of faith throughout history. Africans suffered the most unjustified and cruel treatment possible to inflict onto humans. There was no basis for taking away a man’s freedom. The simple fact that the colonizers had machinery that could instantly kill a peaceful African is the only reason why Americans and Europeans succeeded in their ambition to kill as many dreams as humanly possible. In 1444 the first slaves were brought to Portugal from northern Mauritania and the continent was destined for centuries of hardship after that. Colonizers attempted to rationalize their argument by claiming that “the necessary and logical outlet for resolving the problem of poverty inherent to capitalism” (Eze, 215). The events that took place can provide evidence to support the claim that “slavery was not born of racism: rather, racism was the consequence of slavery” (Williams, 111). The business of slave holding began when there was heightened interest in the trading raw materials, such as gold and ivory. The trading began including Africans not long after. Europeans saw a “system of wants” (Eze, 215) that needed to be satisfied. There was no reason to feel ashamed in any way since “Negroes [are] naturally inferior to the whites” (Eze, 214). The disease, destruction, tearing apart of families, famine, territorial conflicts, and other detrimental effects of colonialism changed the history of Africa forever. Europeans took lengths to ensure prevention of growth of African communities, in order to kill spirits and crush a sense of identity in exchange for obedience. Captain Willem Bosmon described what he saw of the slave trade first hand, “most of the slaves that are offered to us, are prisoners of war, which are sold by the victors as their booty.”

The objective of making slaves feel as if they are insignificant for some reason out of their control is to make them feel helpless. Masters assumed that by crushing slaves’ dreams, more power could be exerted over them. Yet if the slaves know that their masters are lying then “their masters are weak” (Cesaire, 222) defeating the purpose. By not allowing themselves to be brainwashed, enslaved Africans protected their identities. However they stood a slim chance of keeping them. Soon families were being separated and the way they were treated became progressively worse. Europeans forced assimilation among the colonies, prying African identity out of their tightly clenched hands. They necessitated a certain education, economic, religion, and value system. They rewarded those that were loyal to the colonizers, further stripping them of their dignity. Rape became a form of power and if victims attempted to make that public they faced severe, brutal punishment. Europeans taught slaves a new language to speak and a foreign religious doctrine to worship. The result was a new, hastily molded African identity with both European and traditional African influences. But do not be fooled into thinking the Africans did not allow this happen easily. They resisted force and put up a fight. The Zulu are the biggest tribe of South Africa. They too lost power to the British by treaties signed by Zulu leaders in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Zulu attempted to defend themselves but were no match for the British arms. In 1879 enough became enough and the Zulu people declared war against the British. In the beginning the Zulu were doing well and managed to protect their land. But 6 months in, the British were swiftly debilitating the Zulu when they exiled the Zulu kings and divided up their kingdom. There was another major but unsuccessful uprising in 1906. To this day, the Zulu continue to fight for their sacred kingdom. They have managed to maintain a thriving culture today, with half of them living in cities and half on farms. Their success proves that the colonizers were not entirely victorious in their mission to crush African spirits. The incredibly arduous efforts made to weaken Africans created some sort of general consensus that Africans are indigenous people that are far from a developed civilization. When Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman was asked about his upcoming trip to meet with African Olympic coaches he stated, “[Why] would I want to go to a place like Mombasa? I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me.” It is quite unsettling knowing that a man in a position of such leadership can be so ignorant.

The modern Pan-African movement has been created to prove the significance of African culture and find what was lost during colonialism. It is targeted to inspire faith in both native Africans and those of the African Diaspora. The movement is crafted as a moral philosophy. They trace their ancestry back to the origin and promote traditional African civilization values. They make known the historical struggles against slavery, racism, and colonialism. Despite the atrocities they’ve faced, despite the obstacles in their way, Africans are still protecting and promoting proud identities of strength and sturdy community values. Perhaps this is something other parts of the world can learn form them.

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