Thread by @blackrepublican

Before Burke, Kirk, Buckley, or Scruton: A HISTORY OF AFRICAN CONSERVATISM

From the temples of Amun Ra, to the non-Christian Queen NGudi of Axum, straight to the Colonial age, Africans have been making the case for those things worthy of conservation.

"People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors."

- Edmund Burke

A Conservative Queen in Africa: Queen Ndaté Yalla Mbodje 👑 (1810–1860)

"There is NOBODY who can claim that this country belongs to them; it belongs to me only."

"There is nobody who can claim that that country belongs to them; it belongs to me only. I did not sell this country to anybody. I did not entrust it to anybody, nor to any white person.”

Queen Ndaté Yalla Mbodje was the last great lingeer, or queen, of the Waalo, a kingdom located in what is now North-West #Senegal.

africaheritages.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/que…

The above quote is an 1850s correspondence of Ndate Yalla Mbodj to the French Governor of Senegal

Ndatte Yalla to Mr. the Governor,

“The goal of this letter is to let you know that the island of Boyo* belongs to me, from my grandfather down to me today ... "

“You also asked me who was the King of the Waalo today. I replied that the King of the Waalo was me. This is true, and this letter comes from me, I desire that no one should take possession of my territory.”

africaheritages.wordpress.com/2016/09/07/que…

The kingdom of Waalo has been known and listed by oral historians to have had 60 or more kings and queens; and Ndatte was the last to face the devil that was unchained – Gen. Louis Faidherbe, France, and the Senegalese ‘trailleurs’ (sell outs/traitors). columbia.edu/~msj42/Senegam…

"Conservatism is not a new construct. African cultures have been practicing it for generations."

-- Ivo Jackson

#AfricanConservatism
#BlackConservatism

If Burkean conservatism is a response to the French Revolution, so, too, African Conservatism emerges out of and in response to its unique military history, and tribal disputes --- later the continent's reaction to racism, colonialism and slavery.

African Conservatism in Antiquity

An older strain of "African conservatism" existed wherein one African kingdom is fighting another kingdom, and the losing kingdom has to find ways to conserve what was deprived through war.

🇪🇹 Queen Judith of Ethiopia

“She is said to have killed the emperor, ascended the throne herself, and reigned for 40 years. Accounts of her violent misdeeds are still related among peasants in the Ethiopian countryside."

A [non-Christian], Gudit, Gwedit, Yodit or Judith, Queen (perhaps 10th century A.D.), also known in Amharic as 'Esato and in Teltal as Ga'Ewa, was a rebel leader to whom the downfall of the ancient Aksumite Empire is traditionally ascribed.

Ancient African writing is the oldest system of writing in the world, pre-dating European, Greek, by at least 2000 years respectively. Nsibidi and most other written African languages are known to have developed outside Arab, or European influences.“

africaontheblog.org/african-holds-…

Ancient Akan of Ghana called Adrinka

Source: anotherafrica.net/art-culture/ty…

Move over #Odin, #Thor #Ra, and #Zeus, there's an old pantheon in town.

The BLACK Gods of Africa

These African Deities Are The Best Gods You've Never Heard Of

Move over Odin, Ra, and Zeus, there's a new really old pantheon in town. Using photo-manipulation, James C. Lewis makes us wonder why the Orishas don't have their own comic book series.
buzzfeed.com/amphtml/donnad…

Collectivist conservatism is not a new construct. African cultures have been practicing it for generations.

#Blackconservatism refuses to ignore the context of injustice in socioeconomic inequity and rejects any tradition that enables racism or bigotry ...

Whether through sociological study or casual observation, if you actually SEE black conservatives and the way we practice political conservatism, the findings are the same: ‘Colorblind politics’ are the tool of white supremacists and those who whore for their votes."

"We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature, and the means perhaps of its conservation."

― Edmund Burke, father of European conservatism

"Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe."

— Edmund Burke #tcot

Dr. George Ayittey: Most African writers focus on freedom from oppression – from the white colonialists to the black neocolonialists.

Dr. George Ayittey: Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe are Nigerian writers who dabble in philosophy and economic development ..

... but concentrate mostly on Nigeria. If one is looking for wisdom and conservative values, you may find them in African proverbs,

.. African proverbs, which were widely used in traditional Africa as a means of educating the young.

Dr. George Ayittey: Here is one example “If you rely on somebody for breakfast you will go without food.”

Dr. George Ayittey: Here is another one “To get lost is to learn the way."

You will find more at this link

afritorial.com/the-best-72-af….

Augustus Casely-Hayford, contends that Africa's philosophy, (and I'd argue its conservative philosophy too) is found in the culture & traditions!

Augustus (Gus) Casely-Hayford is the director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art.

"Scarcity of a written record doesn't mean #Africa lacks history. It's found in the artefacts, culture and in the traditions of her people."

Augustus (Gus) Casely-Hayford

"Before the French Revolution, #conservatism was simply ones traditional way of living out your life without systematic thinking about how they lived their lives".

Dr. Laurie Johnson, Professor on conservatism

She contends that the French Revolution was such a rapid movement, that it forced people to question (and defend) that traditional lifestyle!

So, Burkean conservatism is an intellectual response to rapid change - a European/British defense of the traditional ways of life!

Like Black Conservatism, Professor Johnson, says "It emerges as a reaction."

"In that sense, conservatism reacts to revolutionary change."

— Professor Laurie Johnson

"The violence, radical changes and the executions during the French Revolution happened so abruptly - that it became fanatical. So, early Conservatism was forced to think about why they didn't like these egalitarian proposals embodied by the French Revolution — they

... for the first time had to justify what had previously been assumptions and prejudices."

— Dr. Laurie Johnson

And no one better articulated this argument, this conservative argument better than an Irish politician, by the name of Edmund Burke!

If you're interested in his writings, this link has some of the best: gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/…

Traditional Conservatism was practised in Africa, and predates Europe - predates Colonialism, race-based-slavery --- predates classical Burkean conservatism.

Fun Fact: Edmund Burke likely formulated the first coherent policy to end the African slave trade!

The father of European conservatism wasn't color-blind, and created one of the first egalitarian "race-conscious" policies to liberate Africans from an immoral and racist institution.

“Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil.”

– Edmund Burke

The Black Pharaoh Who Saved #Israel & Solomon's Temple: Pharaoh Taharqa

“At sixteen the boy pharaoh was called by the Hebrews for help, he led his armies against the Assyrians defeating them.”

eurweb.com/2016/03/black-…

Learn more about the black Pharaoh Taharqa (mentioned in the Bible) who rescued Israel.

Biblical references: (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9).

jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14403…

2 Kings 19:9

Now King Sennacherib had received this report concerning - King Tirhakah - of Cush: “He has marched out to fight against you.” When he heard it, he returned and sent messengers to Hezekiah.

This is another example of Black Africans not only conserving what was there's, but also displaying tolerance -- helping to defend and conserve other people's cultures as well.

When #Salt Was Traded for #Gold: The Salt Trade of West Africa that Built Kingdoms and Spread Culture.

ancient-origins.net/history-ancien…

The Black African Kingdoms Before Egypt: Nubia & Punt

Nubia was a civilization long before Egypt, and Punt (today, Somalia) was Egypt's Grandfather.

Historian Gus Casely-Hayford explores the history of the African kingdom of Nubia.

The Tragedy of Aruan

"This story is a well known story in Benin and has been retold to generations of kids by parents for ages. Benin Kingdom is located in Nigeria, West Africa and is said to be the second largest kingdom after the British kingdom."

Prince Nicolau, Kingdom of Kongo

Dom Nicolau, prince of Kongo is perhaps the earliest African leader who wrote publicly to protest colonial influences.

…kudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2012/10/prince…

White Supremacy and South African Archaeology

How #whitesupremacy in #SouthAfrica harmed archeological understanding of an ancient kingdom, The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1075–1220).

The Black Queen Who Put The Fear Of God Into the Roman Empire.

Amanirenas was the queen of the Kingdom of Kush. Her full name and title was #Amnirense qore li kdwe li ("Ameniras, Qore and Kandake").

She reigned from about 40 BCE to 10 BCE.

solarey.net/queen-amaniren…

She then "buried the severed head of the glorious Augustus beneath the steps of a temple dedicated to victory."

The head, found in Meroë in 1912, now resides in the British Museum.

Neil MacGregor refers to Strabo's account of a "fierce one-eyed queen Candace" capturing a series of Roman forts in southern 25 BC Egypt. Her army returned with a bronze depiction of Augustus' head, taken from a statue of the Roman emperor.

"Communism, socialism and Marxism are all ALIEN ideologies and can NEVER be defended by African tradition."

-- George Ayittey, Ghanaian economist

How Socialism Destroyed Africa
George B N Ayittey, PhD

“One must always make a distinction between African leaders and the African people. The two are not synonymous.” @ayittey

africanliberty.org/2019/03/14/how…

George Ayittey

Indigenous African Institutions

amazon.com/dp/1571053379/…

Property Rights & Indigenous African Institutions

.FACT: Property rights were recognized in traditional Africa and traditional courts existed to enforce them.

amazon.com/Indigenous-Afr…

Ivo Jackson ― What is the difference between black/white conservatives?

Collectivist conservatism is not a new construct. African cultures have been practicing it for generations.

blackconservative360.blogspot.com/2019/04/what-i…

@eyeveaux

"It served colonial interests to portray Africans as "savages" with no history and their institutions as "backward and primitive.
Therefore, #colonialism was "good" for them as it "civilized" & freed them from their "terrible and despotic" traditional rulers.”

— @ayittey

FACT: “In pre-colonial Africa a multitude of commodities served as money: Cloth, cattle, goats, cattle, salt, iron, copper/brass bars, cowry shells, beads, fire arms, mats, gold dust, etc.”

— Dr. @ayittey

See chapter 4 of this book.

bit.ly/2CLmfnr

Myths about African Participation in the Slave Trade

By Professor @ayittey

“It is true there was slavery in Africa but not the inhumane chattel variety. Slaves in Africa enjoyed certain rights and privileges”.

ayittey1.tumblr.com/post/176070296…

“African natives not only had history but also viable traditional institutions which enabled them to survive through the centuries. Ghana, Mali, Songhai and Great Zimbabwe were empires they built that lasted for centuries.”

— Professor @ayittey

"Whereas the American sees the state as a threat and hence right to bear arms against it, Frenchman sees the state more benignly/fondly. In traditional Africa some ethnic groups abolished the state altogether; eg. Igbo, Somali, Gikuyu, Kru, etc."

-- @ayittey

The Igbo, Somali, Gikuyu, etc. Compare how they governed themselves then and how Africa does it today.

bit.ly/IC67UB

"Africa’s village meetings often held under shade of ab ig tree were commonplace -- variously called asetena kese among the Ashanti, ama-ala among the Igbo, guurti among the Somali, kgotla among the Tswana, dare among the Shona, pitso among the Xhosa, and ndaba among the Zulu."

Freedom of Expression

"The #Igbo, for example, considered this freedom to be the birthright of every adult. Any member of the community could take part in public discussions of community affairs as was also the case in many other ethnic societies.

Even in native court hearings in many African societies, anyone present at court could express his opinion freely. More than a century ago on the Gold Coast (now Ghana), Cruickshank (1854) noted: "anyone even the most ordinary youth will offer his opinion, or make a suggestion

with equal chance of being heard, as if it proceeded from the most experienced sage." The freedom to express an opinion was a fundamental right of the African people."

"Africa was never 'discovered'. Rather, it was Africans themselves who found that there was a world beyond their shores."

— Dr. Richard Leakey

Sacrificing in order to Conserve

Her name was Queen Pokou, and she was a Queen and founder of the #Baoule tribe in West Africa, now Ivory Coast.

She ruled over a branch of the powerful Ashanti Empire as it expanded westward.

afrolegends.com/2016/06/22/que…

Queen Pokou became the leader of a breakaway group from the main Ashanti Confederacy, which she refused to join.
Disagreements resulted in war. Pokou led her group westward,to the Komoé River. Legend has it that she had to sacrifice her only son for her people to cross the river.

The story of Queen Pokou and the Baoule was retold by Maximilien Quenum in his Légendes africaines. Check out the websites Naforo-Ba and Matricien.org to learn more about it. matricien.wordpress.com/geo-hist-matri…

"This is what underpins the far-right's endless whataboutery and tendency to equate slavery in different contexts across different millenia. The goal is to empty the transatlantic slave trade of its unique racial element and thus remove its legacy as a determinant" @Limerick1914

“All the old writers... concur in stating not only that wars are entered into for the sole purpose of making slaves, but that they are fomented by Europeans, with a view to that object.”

Slave Trade Debates of England in the early 19th century.

youtube.com/watch?v=3NXC4Q…

There is no such thing as #WesternCivilization

The values of liberty, tolerance and rational inquiry are not the birthright of a single culture. In fact, the very notion of something called ‘western culture’ is a modern invention

by Kwame Anthony Appiah

theguardian.com/world/2016/nov…

A NEW Black African Religion Conserving African Tribal Rituals -#Voodoo (full documentary)

The story of the formation of African roots syncretic cults that worship spirits of two faces: black continent mystical entities hidden behind Catholic imagery.

What is the difference between #Santeria and #Voodoo?

- Santeria and Voodoo share a similar beginning in Africa.

- The two were brought to the Western Hemisphere by slaves.

- Santeria is based on the Yoruba belief system, while Voodoo is rooted in Fon and Ewe beliefs system.

The Truth About Voodoo

“Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions.”

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence."

— Frederick Douglass