)
Problem 1: Using white terminology to describe what was going on in pre-colonial, ancient African societies prior to contact with whites is the first issue here.
Western terms are devisive by nature because the West interprets things rigidly and categorically.
Most African societies were far more egalitarian and fluid than Western societies. There was both male and female leadership depending on what societies you are referencing, AND elder leadership or seniority trumped even gendered rule.
So slapping the title of "patriarchy or matriarchy" on traditional African leadership is oversimplifying and harmful to discourse.
In lieu of these misleading terms, I'd encourage terms such as Traditional African leadership or Blk male leadership because Western patriarchy isn't descriptive enough to truly describe what was goin on there.
Problem 2:
The fluidity of various African cultures is what allowed African women more freedom in these societies. It was also a de-emphasis on gender vs a hard emphasis on age and seniority in terms of power. There were gender roles but important power aspects of leadership (i.e. Both male and female councils) land ownership (women were given plots of land in many African communities for their own farms), decision making (males and female elders contributed to decisions in communities), economic independence (for instance female business guilds in pre-colonial Nigeria) were dominated by males but shared with women. Moreover if and when females were better suited for leadership, these communities were supportive.
European contact is what instigated gender wars. They wanted land ownership and in many cases they saw that there was one unprecedented factor in their way: blk women. African women traditionally were land owners due to being the childbearers. They tended their own gardens for their husband and children. And also had economic influence due to control over profits from surplus from their gardens.
To gain access to these lands, Europeans spoke to African males and got them to undermine African female leadership in different areas b/c it hurt their land and resource interests. Much of the seizement of land from female owners led to starvation and famine because this land was given to whites for cash cropping and other environmentally harmful farming practices.
The adoption of harmful gender ideas from the West followed Africans even in diaspora. Where blk women were looked at as masculine for knowing about enterprises that Westerners considered masculine such as agriculture. The adoption of b*stardized versions of Christianity further emphasized males over females.
Some blk men adopted harmful White ideas about patriarchy and in turn many blk chicks adopted harmful white ideas about feminism. And here we are today still adopting a bunch of white red pill/PUA rhetoric from our white brethren which has led to a social rift.
(Give me a second to pull sources for this info while ya'll call me out my name for holding our community accountable.
"Fukk u fat bytch!" "Man-hater!"
Bottom line: Blk men and blk women never had these issues prior to divisive ideologies namely the idea that women are inferior (whole damn lineages of African queens) or that male leadership is harmful being introduced to our community via the West. And why did the West introduce this shyt to Africa? Because the power of its women were standing in the way of the scramble for land ownership in Africa. What better way to get rid of them than to encourage their men to get those "manly land owning heffers" under control, you inferior egalitarian African man!
And some blk female hating blk dudes keep falling for this shyt even today, hook, line, and sinker.
Sources: Women and Society in Pre-Colonial Iyede-book
Women, Power and Society-article
» Gender & Power Women & Religion in Africa
Ya'll REALLY need to read about how colonialism fukked gender roles in Africa and in the African diaspora and in other ethnic communities. I know this all gonna fall on deaf ears because some are too far gone down the gender war rabbit hole but ah well. Truth is worth telling even when nobody is listening.
It really don't but loud minorities in our race always take the spotlight away from pragmatic hard workers who don't give a rats ass about none of this mess.
Problem 1: Using white terminology to describe what was going on in pre-colonial, ancient African societies prior to contact with whites is the first issue here.
Western terms are devisive by nature because the West interprets things rigidly and categorically.
Most African societies were far more egalitarian and fluid than Western societies. There was both male and female leadership depending on what societies you are referencing, AND elder leadership or seniority trumped even gendered rule.
So slapping the title of "patriarchy or matriarchy" on traditional African leadership is oversimplifying and harmful to discourse.
In lieu of these misleading terms, I'd encourage terms such as Traditional African leadership or Blk male leadership because Western patriarchy isn't descriptive enough to truly describe what was goin on there.
Problem 2:
The fluidity of various African cultures is what allowed African women more freedom in these societies. It was also a de-emphasis on gender vs a hard emphasis on age and seniority in terms of power. There were gender roles but important power aspects of leadership (i.e. Both male and female councils) land ownership (women were given plots of land in many African communities for their own farms), decision making (males and female elders contributed to decisions in communities), economic independence (for instance female business guilds in pre-colonial Nigeria) were dominated by males but shared with women. Moreover if and when females were better suited for leadership, these communities were supportive.
European contact is what instigated gender wars. They wanted land ownership and in many cases they saw that there was one unprecedented factor in their way: blk women. African women traditionally were land owners due to being the childbearers. They tended their own gardens for their husband and children. And also had economic influence due to control over profits from surplus from their gardens.
To gain access to these lands, Europeans spoke to African males and got them to undermine African female leadership in different areas b/c it hurt their land and resource interests. Much of the seizement of land from female owners led to starvation and famine because this land was given to whites for cash cropping and other environmentally harmful farming practices.
The adoption of harmful gender ideas from the West followed Africans even in diaspora. Where blk women were looked at as masculine for knowing about enterprises that Westerners considered masculine such as agriculture. The adoption of b*stardized versions of Christianity further emphasized males over females.
Some blk men adopted harmful White ideas about patriarchy and in turn many blk chicks adopted harmful white ideas about feminism. And here we are today still adopting a bunch of white red pill/PUA rhetoric from our white brethren which has led to a social rift.
(Give me a second to pull sources for this info while ya'll call me out my name for holding our community accountable.
"Fukk u fat bytch!" "Man-hater!"
Bottom line: Blk men and blk women never had these issues prior to divisive ideologies namely the idea that women are inferior (whole damn lineages of African queens) or that male leadership is harmful being introduced to our community via the West. And why did the West introduce this shyt to Africa? Because the power of its women were standing in the way of the scramble for land ownership in Africa. What better way to get rid of them than to encourage their men to get those "manly land owning heffers" under control, you inferior egalitarian African man!
And some blk female hating blk dudes keep falling for this shyt even today, hook, line, and sinker.
Sources: Women and Society in Pre-Colonial Iyede-book
Women, Power and Society-article
» Gender & Power Women & Religion in Africa
Ya'll REALLY need to read about how colonialism fukked gender roles in Africa and in the African diaspora and in other ethnic communities. I know this all gonna fall on deaf ears because some are too far gone down the gender war rabbit hole but ah well. Truth is worth telling even when nobody is listening.