The White Veil of Colonialism
Europeans who practiced colonialism were motivated by the 3 C’s Culture, Capitalism, and Christianity, which determined the philosophy and the methods they used to conquer foreign lands and people. With each conquest, European colonist inflicted their perceived superior value systems with on their purpose of for colonization. Their cultural value system led to the idea that one’s race determined one’s rank in society. This is significant, because now we have this notion of race as a socially created construct. While Europeans countries were all motivated to some degree by the 3 C’s of colonization. They each had their own method of Colonization. France practiced assimilation, Spain had a view of accommodation, …show more content…
“In theory if Africans accepted French culture and values, they could become assimilated into French culture. It seldom happened in practice however” (Hill,4). Ngugi wa Thi’ongo, a contemporary Kenyan writer, wrote a book about colonialism called Decolonizing the Mind, “arguing that one major effect of colonialism was psychological effect on people (sense of self esteem, etc.). French ‘assimilation’…provide[d] examples: in assimilation, Africans could lose sense of cultural identity and live in a ‘no man’s land.’… disrupted cultural patterns but affected individual African’s sense of where they “fit” in the world” (Hill, 7). In my analysis of Ngugi wa Thi’ongo’s, the French and other colonial powers are using the idea of socially constructed race to create a racial hierarchy where white lives are seen as more valuable based on culture and societal values. France’s practice of colonial assimilation has led to contemporary issues like The Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is made up of African Americans regaining their sense of identity in the contemporary world that was stripped of them by colonialism. According to the 11 Major Misconceptions About the Black Lives Matter Movement website, misconception #8 states: “It is about acknowledging that the system already treats white lives as if they have more value, as if they are more worthy of protection, safety, education, and a good quality of life than black lives are.” Reading the misconceptions about Black Lives Matter has enlightened that me it is a not about being anti-white. My first reaction from the reading affirms my white privilege, because it relates to the article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. To paraphrase McIntosh, I can go through my day and live my life without thinking about the systematic oppression of people of color. I believe this is a true statement about
Europeans who practiced colonialism were motivated by the 3 C’s Culture, Capitalism, and Christianity, which determined the philosophy and the methods they used to conquer foreign lands and people. With each conquest, European colonist inflicted their perceived superior value systems with on their purpose of for colonization. Their cultural value system led to the idea that one’s race determined one’s rank in society. This is significant, because now we have this notion of race as a socially created construct. While Europeans countries were all motivated to some degree by the 3 C’s of colonization. They each had their own method of Colonization. France practiced assimilation, Spain had a view of accommodation, …show more content…
“In theory if Africans accepted French culture and values, they could become assimilated into French culture. It seldom happened in practice however” (Hill,4). Ngugi wa Thi’ongo, a contemporary Kenyan writer, wrote a book about colonialism called Decolonizing the Mind, “arguing that one major effect of colonialism was psychological effect on people (sense of self esteem, etc.). French ‘assimilation’…provide[d] examples: in assimilation, Africans could lose sense of cultural identity and live in a ‘no man’s land.’… disrupted cultural patterns but affected individual African’s sense of where they “fit” in the world” (Hill, 7). In my analysis of Ngugi wa Thi’ongo’s, the French and other colonial powers are using the idea of socially constructed race to create a racial hierarchy where white lives are seen as more valuable based on culture and societal values. France’s practice of colonial assimilation has led to contemporary issues like The Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter is made up of African Americans regaining their sense of identity in the contemporary world that was stripped of them by colonialism. According to the 11 Major Misconceptions About the Black Lives Matter Movement website, misconception #8 states: “It is about acknowledging that the system already treats white lives as if they have more value, as if they are more worthy of protection, safety, education, and a good quality of life than black lives are.” Reading the misconceptions about Black Lives Matter has enlightened that me it is a not about being anti-white. My first reaction from the reading affirms my white privilege, because it relates to the article White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh. To paraphrase McIntosh, I can go through my day and live my life without thinking about the systematic oppression of people of color. I believe this is a true statement about