A diaspora, according to a definition given by the Dartmouth Library, is a ‘human population scattered beyond a home territory, although still interconnected’. By using the word ‘scattered’, a sense of detachment within a culture is created, giving connotations of a disorganised, and poorly planned community, that has sat passively, allowing themselves to become ‘scattered’ across the globe.
To an extent, this is true of the African diaspora. One of the largest diasporas globally, it refers to the many movements and mass dispersions of people of African descent throughout the world, as a result of previous historic events. Although in recent years, growing trends of globalisation and encouragement of international migration has led to a further expansion of the Black community globally, the diaspora is largely a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as 12.5 million African people were torn from their homes as European and North American colonisation exploited African communities as a whole for long-term economic gain, leaving devastation, depopulation and under-development economically of many countries within the African continent.
The African Diaspora was created by ‘scattering’ the population by more industrially developed countries. This ‘scattering’ was felt within the community as some struggled to understand their heritage, as explored by Mallence Bart Williams in her Ted Talk (which I would highly recommend watching), and some cultures and traditions were lost through this act of ripping communities apart.
Over time, however, this sense of disconnection has diminished, as those with shared experiences began to connect, further linking their connection to their heritage and origins. Continued discussions such as these began to build a strong support group, widening throughout cities, states, and countries as momentum within the diaspora began to grow. The sense of connection is to be explored in this year’s BHM, with 2021’s theme being ‘Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity’.
As widespread connection and communication within the diaspora continued to grow, attention was turned to gaining political power and recognition. Racial injustice was especially prevalent during the 1940s and 50s, leading to the creation of the Civil Rights movement. The large scale of the diaspora was a driving force behind the desire to remove racial segregation and institutionalised racism within various countries, most noticeably focussing on the US.
A safe haven available to almost all in the displaced community during these times was the Christian Church. Although geographically separated, many churches followed similar practices, and provided a beacon of freedom for Black communities, allowing gatherings, practices, and family relationships without the presence of oppression, whilst allowing for a sense of community to be experienced throughout the diaspora.
However, this was not the only benefit of the Church during this time: Churches played a pivotal part in the Civil Rights movement, in organising mass meetings, rallies and providing support on emotional, physical, and moral levels. Due to the widespread nature of those within the diaspora, this enabled the Church to place pressure on the government calling against racial prejudice, providing a powerful bottom-up solution that was the driving force behind support within the community, eventually allowing the Black community to gain deserved recognition, and reducing racial inequality within many countries globally.
However, in current times, the power of this diaspora has not declined. In fact, momentum is only growing, turning to an international scale with aims to reduce inequality within all parts of the community. Pan-Africanism ties directly in with 2021’s BHM theme, being ‘a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all indigenous and diaspora ethnic groups of African descent’.
As a result of previous European colonisation, parts of Africa have struggled to develop at rates similar to those of Western Europe and North America. Pan-Africanism aims to shift powers from the antiquated levels of global inequality to a more financially and socially stable future. Globally reaching, the diaspora is able to place pressure on governments, with members from all over the globe allowing for the movement to be continued on an international scale. Eight meetings have been held since 1900, most recently in 2014, highlighting the steps taken to tackle these growing issues. Support continues to grow, reducing inequality gaps by raising awareness and funding aid schemes, showing the positive effect of the African diaspora.
Rather than focusing on the potential negative characteristics of diasporas, the African diaspora has taken the widespreadness of its members and used it to hold political, social and cultural power internationally for the greater good. The global nature of the diaspora increases influence and representation of the group on a variety of scales, taking steps to a more equal and diversely represented world.
