Sob a lente do nacionalismo: o Pan-africanismo e o desafio de uma teoria política historicamente informada

Abstract

The history of nationalism, dating from the eighteenth century, presents specific challenges that circulate not only around its conceptualization, but also the scope of this new type of collective identity. Nationalism, as a rule, is perceived as part of the development of modern state; however, there are some specialists who locate their germs elsewhere, conceiving it almost always as a result of the development of class antagonisms and/or social position and of the development of capitalism. In this sense, the goal is to locate Pan-Africanism within the history of nationalism, from the 19th century, and later inform its transformation into a theory that was able to capture the tensions between race and class. The approach of semantic holism helps us to interpret belief systems in confrontation with reality as interconnected networks. I have proposed a reading, under the sign of Africa, in which literate black elites in the American diaspora, especially the English-speaking one, developed a nationalist collective identity, culminating in the development of Pan-Africanism and in the theories and practices of independence in African countries.