ABSTRACT
Across centuries of Western imperialism in Africa, education has been imposed and embraced as a mechanism for economic and social development, functioning as a pretext for imperial, state, and international development interventions alike. This chapter examines the role of education in colonial structures of racial domination and the afterlives of coloniality and racialization in the educational experiences of African youth, who represent the largest and fastest-growing youth population in the world. Using case studies of three nations colonized by Britain, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and South Africa, we explore how educational development in these contexts was shaped by different histories of racialization and colonialism, which produced forms of social difference and uneven development related to race, class, ethnicity, gender, and region. We argue that educational development in Africa must contend with these enduring legacies – and, more importantly, the demands of past and present struggles to undo these forms of structural inequality – to advance education that is socially transformative and furthers the interests of African people.
