HL Blog Post

  • Prompt: Social equality between Africans and Europeans is both a desirable and beneficial outcome of colonial systems

The social equality gained by Africans in postcolonial period is not a desirable and beneficial outcome of colonial systems. In fact, the colonial system of most African countries discouraged the idea of social equality between Africans and Europeans, since the racial discrimination had been the core of colonialism adapted by different states during that time period. Therefore, European colonialism was strongly motivated by racial policies that placed Africans under the Europeans, the colonizers. These major motivations and sentiments at that time did nothing to encourage the social equality movements that came along with the independence movements.

By Ministry of Defence POST-1945 OFFICIAL COLLECTION [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Both Kenya and Angola, despite their colonizers being different, suffered great obstacles that had been imposed upon by their colonial authority in their course to achieve their independence and gain social equality rights. For Kenya, the existence of White Highlands represented the social hierarchy in the colonial system; it was the British colonial government that placed white settlers above Africans and demanded the locals to work for the settlers. The numerous attempts and successes were made by the British authority to enforce its oppressive system that came out purely as a product of its racial discrimination on the locals. The huge taxation and the adaptation of Kipande system did no efforts to contribute to the benefits of the locals but to slowly familiarize British system of dehumanization to the Africans. The British did not aim for the social equality for its results of colonial system. This is clear by the Mau Mau rebellion that took place in Kenya for a considerable length. It was after the local’s fierce resistance against the British authority that the colonial government finally reconsidered the independence for Kenya (source: Kenya). From local’s perspectives, it was not the British colonial system that eventually helped them gain their social equality, but it was their solemn determination, efforts and sacrifices that made them gain their independence. Not only in Kenya but for most former colonies in Africa, the social equality was not granted but rather achieved after the countless resistance from the local populations were held. From the British perspectives, the social equality was not “desirable and beneficial” results of colonial system, since the British resented the independence movements which were stimulated by the local population at first. This indicates it was not the British intention to stimulate those social equality movements in Kenya.

 

For Angola, the Portuguese initiated the assimilados, which resembled the French assimilation system in its colonies. Although the Portugal had long been regarded by international powers for its non-racial policies in its colonial system, this so-called “non racist policy” was a racist policy in reality. The colonial government encouraged the settlements of Portuguese in Angola. In fact, Angola had been used as the best foundation for the Portuguese to stabilize their financial capabilities, since the Portuguese used the local population for labor force. The Portuguese could not accept the social equality movements between Africans and Europeans; it will lose their most convenient form of labor source. Nonetheless, the social equality movements by the locals would only stand as obstacles for the Portuguese to maintain its wealth from the Portuguese perspectives. The colonizer did not wishfully expect or welcome the social equality movements that were led by the local population of Angola. In fact, the independence was only achieved after the war of independence had taken place by the local population and the Portuguese. The Portuguese resented the social equality as long as they could hold onto its “territories.” The massacre led by the Portuguese authority in 1961 also shows how the Portuguese did not tolerate any forms of resistance or independence movements attempted by the locals. The establishments of FNLA and GRAE were only achieved by the Angolans but the Portuguese did nothing to change its colonial system to benefit the local population.

 

These two colonial systems adapted by different countries did not benevolently tolerate the social equality movements that were led by the local population. Some people may argue the changes in colonizers’ perspectives regarding independence movements, which led them to accept those movements and start the process of decolonization. However, the initial system set by the colonizers indicate their colonial policies which created the social hierarchies that placed Africans at the lowest caste in most African colonies.  These colonial system does not show any intentions of colonizers to stimulate the social equality between Africans and Europeans. From the local’s perspectives, their independence was not achieved by the colonial system that existed. Instead, the colonial system only served as a form of oppression for the locals who wanted to gain the social equality.