Africa for the African

edited by Joseph Booth

'I cannot afford to be a participator, by passiveness in such stupendous and widespread wrongs as I perceive are being abundantly inflicted upon the African race. Hence my appeal...to the British Queen and Government...that "Africa for the African" be made a reality as far as each has the power to bring it about.'

Joseph Booth penned his appeal in 1897 in protest of the racist stereotpying of the Africans by the colonisers; and witnessing the unjust and inhumane exploitation of the native peoples, for the sole benefit of the Europeans. He drew his ideas from the social and political messages he inferred from the Gospel and his appeal was published only thirteen years after European leaders met in Berlin to divide up the African continent. This now seminal text was republished in its centenary year and has continual relevance to debates about race and development in Africa. It is edited to include explanations of local and contemporary political references, biblical references and the sources of the author's citations.

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