Introduction

This book explores the genesis and evolution of the description of Africans as black, the consequences of this practice, and how it contributes to the denigration (literally, the blackening) and dehumanisation of Africans. It uses this analysis to advance a case for abandoning the use of the term ‘black’ to describe and categorise Africans. Mainstream discussions on the history of European racism have considered the role of black and white colour symbolisms in sustaining the supposed superiority of those labelled white over those labelled black, but they have generally neglected the question of whether anyone should be described and categorised as black in the first place. This book redresses that neglect by a careful review of the uses of ‘black’ and cognate terms in ancient and early Christian writings, followed by a close analysis of how these uses are replicated in modern English and African texts. It concludes by directly addressing the argument that ‘black’ can be turned into a positive concept and retained as a legitimate identity descriptor.