The African Diaspora

The term Diaspora means the dispersion of people from their original homeland. The term African Diaspora refers to the dispersion of the African people across the world throughout the human history. This is a complex process created by the movements and mobility of African people across the globe. The presence of the black people in the Americas, Asia and Europe is the result of African Diaspora. This paper will discuss the African Diaspora and in context of the modern era with a brief account of its history. African Diaspora Historically:

The African Diaspora is not a phenomenon of the Middle Ages when the Western nations enslaved millions of Africans and transported them to the Caribbean, Americas. During the post Christian era the African continent has been a center of a glorious civilization. During the Islamic rule the Africans prospered and at that time invaded the Iberian Peninsula along the Arabs. This amalgamation of Afro-Arabic culture created the glorious Moorish civilization in the Iberian Peninsula which lasted until the 15th Century A.D.

Many Africans settled across the Asian continent during this period of Islamic rule because of near absence of racial discrimination in the Islamic society. That’s why many people of African origin are still seen in Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Indian Subcontinent and other predominantly Muslim areas. In the middle of the 15th Century the western explorers discovered new lands and continents in the Western Hemisphere. These discoveries unveiled potentials of riches and wealth by plantation in the Americas and Caribbean.

To fulfill the needs of these Plantations the Western nations looked towards the African Continent. From this age nearly 11 million taken to the New World, 8 Million to the European Countries while 4 million were transported to the plantations in the Indian Ocean. (Larson, 1999) This was largest forced migration and dispersion of the people of African ancestry in the history and shaped the African Diaspora of modern times. African Diaspora in Modern Age: In the 21st Century both the people living inside the African continent and outside it are sustaining harsh and adverse conditions.

People in the African continent are torn by Civil Wars, famine, poverty, fallacies of the leadership and the worst AIDs epidemic. Africans have the largest infant and maternal mortality rate in the world as well as the lowest life expectancy in the world. Most of the Africans are deprived of education, medication and other primary needs. The conditions of the Africans are also not that favorable. The largest group of people of African ancestry living outside the home continent is Afro-Brazilians.

The situation of Afro-Brazilians is no better than their brethren living in Africa. Officially they constitute 45% of the population of Brazil but their contribution in education, business, military and legislation in nothing compared to their population ratio. Whites are dominant in every profitable sector and white collar jobs are only secured for Whites. Blacks living in cities are forced to live in segregated suburbs, where there are no modern municipal facilities provided.

Other countries with prominent black populations are the United States and Canada (Combine population 4 million), Caribbean 15 million, France 2 million, U. K. 1. 6 million. (African Diaspora) Conclusion: The African Diaspora in the modern era despite all the slogans of racial equality has been deliberately deprived of all the rights and facilities enjoyed by the developed nations. If the developed nations didn’t take serious measures to cure the deteriorating situation of the African people things will go beyond control.