Post-Colonialism Among Africans

Post-colonialism is (in basic terms) the aftermath of a community or group of people that have been colonized by a powerful foreign country. Although it is present everywhere in the world, it is most prominent in Africa. After the Europeans annexed and colonized some parts of Africa, post-colonialism began to develop. Since the Europeans thought the beliefs of the African people were foolish, they forced them to assimilate into the European culture and customs. Thus, resulting in a potential loss of the Africans native traditions and sabotaging their authentic way of life for generations to come. The Africans were encouraged and convinced that being 'white' would mean being intelligent, superior, and beautiful.



The photo above is taken by a very famous photographer, Annie Leibovitz. She is known for her innovative and controversial portraits of celebrities. This photo of actress, Whoopi Goldberg, shows a creative example of post-colonialism. After this photo became public, "it changed [Whoopi's] career and what people thought" says Whoopi in an interview in Annie Leibovitz' documentary Life Through A Lens. It provoked people to think about the contrast between black and white and how a black woman can be just as beautiful even if it is against the colour white. Because of the way Whoopi's face looks like in this photo, it gives off a humorous feel which portrays the thought of how far we have gone with post-colonialism and racism so much that an explicit photo like this can be publicized and considered without a huge dispute. However this photo is not a clear definition of post-colonialism, it is still a clear example of how people react and think about the controversy between black and white people. I believe Leibovitz is trying to say that it does not matter anymore what colour you are, you are still beautiful even in a tub of milk.