Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1961-07-14
(COntlmned from Page I

Yet, Howe sllstains now, In 1851,
his argument that the use Of Am
erican Negroes in Africa lis dam
gerous for all concerned" by citing
The us. Protestant Missions,
who live with 'their' tribes and
know them better than British or
French colonial administrators,
and who have never encouraged
Negro missionaries"
For 80 years, United States Pro-
testant missionaries had also to
live with" colonial administra-
lions in daily fear of African revolt
ution. Long ago. the big American
mission boards decided that It was
better to live with the colonialists,
than to hire American Negro mis-
sionariesl
Africans, writes Isaacs sent
entiously, "scornfuIly reject the
term Negro" American Negroes,
he says, are distressed to discover
That in Africa Negro is some
one with a stigma African rejec-
ton Of the term Negro is part of
the assertion Of African sIperiori-
ty over Negroes"
1t happens that in 1919, I was
the guest Of the African Academy
Of Arts and Research in what
turned into a triumphal tour Of Nj
geria. My principal host was
Kingsley Ozuomba Moadiwe, who
was, and is, a most masterful
adept at public relations. I had, at
Mbadiwe's request, written out a
biography; had designedly billed
myself, as the first person of
African descent" to become presi-
dent of Lincoln university. My
self-made publicity flier was, in
most cases, faithfully followed in
the numerous scrolls of official
greetings handed to me in each of
the communities I visited; I per-
sonally prefer the term, person
Of African descent, as a basis for
establishing international relations
with Africans, by other persons Of
African descent throughout the
world, in preference to the par
ochial term, American Negro.
Hence, I was surprised to note
that my favored phrase had been
discarded time after time, by the
local scribes, who had substituted
for my grandiloquent person of
African descent, the word: NE
gro" This was in widely separated
places such as Lagos; Ibadan;
Benin; Ohafia; onitsha; Sapele;
and Enugu.
But if 1919 is too long ago
things changing in Africa so rapid
ly-let me cite an instance that
transpired on January 7, 1851,
during a meeting Of the Commits
sion on University Education for
Ghana, at the University College
at Legion.
We entertained a delegation con-
sisting Of the foremost academic
lights among the African faculty
Of the University College. They
had come to present their case for
an accelerated program Of Afri-
canization in the staff. The spokes-
man was a distinguished member
Of the law faculty, and man
prominent in the higher circles Of
the Convention Peoples Party.
Although pleading for African
ization", he used the word: NE
gro"
Doubtless Isaacs - and Howe
have a ready explanation for this
performance; one that will still
prove the "scornful rejection" -
by Africans-of the term Negro.
My own explanation Is, that
Howe, and Isaacs, as interpreters
Of African opinions and attitudes
toward American Negroes, are
strictly in, Of, and from, the Bush;
and this, in all of the African,
American, and American Negro
meanings Of the word
Articles like those Of Howe and
Isaacs do not just happen, by coin
cidence. They were, Of course, COM
missioned. The fact that two edi-
tors of two such magazines should,
at the same time, feel the neces-
sity to commission two such arti-
cles-the main burden of which is
an alleged mutual prejudice" be-
tween American Negroes, and AZ
ricans, Is a revelation of some
thing deeper than the current in
terest in Africa
Obviously. the editors knew that |
an avid public would welcome such |
and 50, they commissioned
them to be written to supply the |
waiting market. Themes: Negroes
don't like Africans, Africans don't |
like Negroes; there Is mutual pre-
JUDGE between them, it il danger
Gus to send American Negroes to
Africa.
It IL not difficult to see that
there must be a powerful public
feeling, that it IL dangerous to
send Negroes to Africa; and that,
whether true or not, American Ne a.,
groes ought to dislike Africans.
and vice versa.