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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | In and out of Africa: misreading Afrocentrism |
Author: | Verharen, Charles C. |
Year: | 1997 |
Periodical: | Présence africaine |
Issue: | 156 |
Pages: | 163-185 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Africa |
Subjects: | cultural history African culture |
Abstract: | In 'Not out of Africa: how Afrocentrism became an excuse to teach myth as history' (1996), Mary Lefkowitz criticizes the Afrocentrism of Cheikh Anta Diop who claimed that all cultures have a continuity that can be traced back to an African origin, and argues that Afrocentrists dispense with evidence for the sake of a higher cultural 'truth'. However, Lefkowitz's criticism of Afrocentrism commits her to several hypotheses that are remarkable for their Afrocentric character. This paper examines alternative definitions of Afrocentrism and explores Lefkowitz's dismissal of Cheikh Anta Diop's Afrocentric claims. It also addresses Afrocentric research methodology. The author concludes that Lefkowitz's position undermines the self-image of African-American people. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in French. |