The Ideology of the Black African Literary Movement

Abstract

Contacts between black artists and white artistic circles in Europe and America have always been fruitful. But only the present century has clearly revealed the fact that such cultural influences are mutual. As the black man became increasingly active in both the economic and ideological spheres, the absurd assumption of his inherent inferiority began to break down. The special qualities of Black African art gradually won a certain amount of recognition between the two world wars among the colonialists who, however, were convinced that the domain of politics and economics in the countries under their control should be left to the white man, “in order that the African might develop his own genuine culture”.