African Creation Myth Essay

Historical Facts: The first known human civilizations were characterized to have been artistically creative, community oriented, and socially diverse. They lived simple lives, with strong communal values emphasizing on nature, family, and the spiritual realm. These first societies lived in what is now known as the central and southern region of Africa ("African History and Literature" Power point-Hall). In the African creation myth, "The Creation of the Universe, Ife, and Human Being", it states that in order for the human race to prosper, the most strongest/wisest god should always be superior than the rest and the other gods must know this, and not attempt to challenge his title (430).In the early African societies, respect for elders and …show more content…
The arrival of settlers in Africa economically created a market that allowed Africa to trade with other countries. Cash crops and other methods were introduced into the continent by the colonialist which created export bases out eastern Africa and to this day, “Agriculture employs 65 percent of Africa’s labor force and accounts for 32 percent of gross domestic product”(“The World Bank and Agriculture”,4-5). On the other hand, in the article “South Africa and The West” Thriven Reddy explains how the colonialist abuse this power an create and unfair market for the natives, “The imposition of tax laws compelled Africans to enter the wage economy, give up their independent communal existence based on agriculture, and work in the mines under terrible conditions and low wages” (24). Another factor to look at is the social division the Europeans brought into the continent, Reddy’s states, “The separation and unequal treatment of the ‘races’ in all areas of public life created a social structure where class hierarchy largely overlapped with race and a political system”(25). The African tribes originally had a system of equal opportunity, where despite your ethnic/social background you were still respected (Hall, “The Igbo Culture & Chinua Achebe"), the Europeans then came and took this away teaching the Africans the ugly concepts of racism and prejudice. Which is seen in modern Africa today; BBC news reports, “In Tanzania and Burundi, at least 50 albinos have been murdered for their body parts in recent years according to a 2010 Red Cross report”(29). However as one of the flourishing countries of Africa, South Africa has been able to merge different races together creating a multicultural setting, “After centuries of ignoring education for blacks, the colonial and later Apartheid