A HUAMANISM OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

A HUMANISM OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: BY LEOPOLD SEDAR SENGHOR

                             
                         A SUMMARY BY NWANI UCHENNA WILLIAMS

          The term ‘negritude’ as coined by West Indian poet, ‘Aime Cesaire’ is seen as an instrument of liberator and as a contribution to the humanism of the twentieth century.

            Negritude denotes ‘black personality/consciousness.’ Over the years, we have been proclaiming negritude. Many people, especially the English-speaking critics have accused us of ‘racialism.’ This is because the word gave no credence to the English origin.

           The cultural values of our black world like John Reed and Clive Wake remarked: “is the best way of relating ourselves to the world and to others.”

          During the revolution of 1889, the morrow of the Berlin conference, six countries saw themselves at the height of power (excluding Africa) who dominates the world. They became proud of their science, ‘stolen material strength’, and their race also. But it doesn’t really matter. Should we (the Africans) become influenced or affected by their boasts? The American Negro poet, Langston Hughs, gave an answer:  “we the creators of the new generation want to give expression to our black personality without shame or fear…”

     The negritude philosophy of being with its normal law and its aesthetics is a response to the modern humanism that European philosophers and scientist have been bracing since the end of the 19^th century.

        The origin of Africans, comprising their customs, languages, ideas, religion, art et al differs from their European counterparts. The Almighty God, the source of all life forces has so much endowed all according to their kinds. We, (Africans) as his unique creation want to reinforce and revitalize ourselves both as inter-dependent forces and as beings in the re-creation of art.