“Edward [Wilmot] Blyden’s Africanist writings and speeches are the foundation of the Pan- Africanist ideologies of the twentieth century. The effect of his ideas on black political leaders such as Marcus Garvey of Jamaica, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana , Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria, Sekou Toure of Guinea and on a whole movement of black historians and philosophers like C.L.R. James, Cheik Anta Diop, John Henrik Clark makes him one of the most influential African figures of recent history. He is all the more remarkable because he was mostly self-taught, which may be the reason his work remains so original long after the particular contexts of his time. Blyden’s life was a physical, spiritual and intellectual journey that is hard to interpret without a knowledge of his biography. Through intellectual challenge and personal exploration he changed the view of Africans from one of savages whose only salvation was christianity to the revolutionary and empowering vision of Africans as the originators of civilisation and the guardians of spirituality for the human race. Many of his pronouncements are still revolutionary and inspiring today.”
Source: Columbia University’s Virtual Museum Honoring Edward Wilmot Blyden. “Evolution of an Africanist Perspective.” http://www.columbia.edu/~hcb8/EWB_Museum/EWB1.html.
Me Against Iniquity: Understanding the Complexities of Global White Supremacy (Racism) Through The Eyes of an Unapologetically BLACK Intellectual 