African Life and Customs

by Edward Wilmot Blyden

In African Life and Customs, Blyden examined the culture of "pure" Africans-- those untouched by European and Asiatic influences. He identified the family as the basic unit in African society and polygamy as the foundation of African families. He described African social systems as cooperative; everyone worked for each other. No one went without work, food, or clothing. Blyden challenged white racial theorists who held Africans were inferior and whose arguments supported their preconceived ideas. He assumed Africans to be "distinct" rather than inferior, and he analyzed African culture within the context of African social experiences.

Genres: Africa

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Edward Wilmot Blyden was an educator, writer, diplomat, and politician primarily in Liberia.