Moral Rights Summary

Beaten, tortured, and whipped. Living on the edge while dangling off a cliff. Only these Africans could ever express the suffering and gruesome nights they faced. In regards to the colonization of lands originally inhabited by people of color, finding the line that distinguishes the benefits from the misfortunes of white Europeans and the people they colonized, is more complex than simply the victor and the defeated. In theory, Europe’s conquest of the new world was intended to have been a movement that would elevate not only the European countries but also the nations they would infiltrate. Only through this discourse were these “maternal countries” able to legitimize the various systems of oppression. Colonialism seemed to have a clear beneficiary but after closer examination in this game, no winner would be identified. Colonialism breed the internalization of pseudo-humanism in both the the colonizer and the colonized. During the establishment of colonization, the moral base of the colonizer was disassembled and sold for wealth. While the colonized were massacred and exploited which undermined the futures of their economies and national development. In this paper I take you on a conquest to explore the effects of colonization on the ingenious people of Africa, particularly Democratic Republic of Congo; as well as the European colonizers. Europe and Africa had established a relationship centuries before Europe’s intrusion of the continent for its goods. European countries were competing for power and wealth. According to W.E.B Du Bois’s article “Worlds of Color”, European countries like Belgium, France and England were looking to maintain and engage the the competitive market for manufactured goods throughout western civilization. In order to execute this, European countries pursued cheap labor and the lush natural resources of countries closer to the equator were the best places to ensure monitory gain. They yearned for expansion. They needed more land to control. There answers lied in colonialism. Colonialism by definition is the practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country by occupying the land with settlers and exploiting it economically. In Aime Cesaire’s Discourse of Colonialism, he exclaims what it is not “... neither evangelization, philanthropic enterprise, nor a desire to push back the frontiers of ignorance, disease, and tyranny, nor a project undertaken for the greater glory of God, nor an attempt to extend the rule of law”. Cesaire makes these point because during and after colonization, these claims were made to justify the actions of the European countries. The story was that these countries were taking scientific expeditions, wanted to convert the heathens and educate them. By making these powers seem innocent or oblivious to the evils they would sow these myths to cover it up. In King Leopold’s Ghost, King Leopold II was a primary example of Du Bois’s claim. Because of his strong desires to enter the new world’s competitive market, he used deception of his parliament to gain access to Africa to satisfy the greed that was beginning to build up within himself. From inception the entire project would breed brutality and violation of African people. Colonization would “awaken him to buried instincts, to covetousness, violence, race hatred and moral relativism ...” (Cesaire 35) . Leopold hired Henry Morton Stanley who decimated villages and had over one hundred men die just while he was exploring the Congo. Stanley treated the people like animals. He would kill them if they refused servitude. The sacrifice of people’s lives seemed like a fair exchange for the quarter million dollars he would receive yearly during his five year contract. It is amusing to think that he nor the people who employed him had not taken into consideration that while extending their civilization they were forever destroying establishments that already were there and held of importance. “Nobody didn 't bow down to nobody just so. To get a man to follow your instructions you had to pen him and beat him and cut off his ears or his foot when he run away. You had to take away his woman from him and his child. And still that fellow stand up and oppose you.” (Lovelace) The European nations took over indigenous people of Africa’s establishments by force, thievery and deception. In order to obtain cheap free labor to carry out the establishment of their colonies, Europeans used immoral practices to instill fear in the people to make them work. They did so by using iron cuffs and chains to make them feel shameful, uncomfortable, and less than human. “...wherever there are colonizers and colonized face to face I see force, brutality, cruelty, sadism, conflict ...” (Cesaire 42). Thousands of Africans were murdered or died unnatural deaths. In Congo, Africans were mutilated. Their hands were dismember if they would drop materials or didn’t reach the quota set for them for that particular day. Because of the industrial revolution rubber had become essential. The africans would place the rubber on their skin a rip it off for collection. Orphans, whose parents were more than likely killed in the scramble for Africa, were made shoulder’s “so that the only persons they were loyal to was the state” as mention in King Leopold’s Ghost. The women were sexually objectified, raped and treated as bait to ensure the men would do their work. “They beat them. They hold them down and turn them over and do whatever wickedness they could manage ...” (Lovelace). All the ingenious people were dehumanized and treated and worked like animals and and they were uncompensated for indefinitely. Cesaire explains that in order for the colonized to be comfortable his action he animalized the colonized and inherently colonized himself. By 1912 all parts of Africa had been colonized except for Ethiopia and Liberia. All parts of Africa had been unethically taken advantage of as well. In 1884 western leaders met in Berlin to discuss how territories in Africa would be divided civilly. This meant that lines were drawn that split up ethnic groups and forced rivalry ethnic groups to come to together. These colonies were drawn up with complete disregard of the ethnic groups histories and statues that they lived by. People were placed together who didn’t even speak the same languages but were forced to work together or else they would be killed. Within these colonies hierarchies were built and even more social and class division happened on top of what was already established. This was all done in the interest on economics, wealth and power. King Leopold died with one of the greatest fortunes known to man and I was hidden and tucked away for himself. All that is left of his legacy is death and stories of cruelty and exploitation. After the colonization era ended immediate lack of development and finical ruin became apparent in mostly all of the newly independent countries. It was very apparent that reform and reorganization needed to be made if these countries wanted to recover from the invasion of the European mother lands. Cesiare spoke on the fact that although the Europeans had removed themselves they could remove the infrastructure they left for these people the ports, the railroad lines none of it was made to benefit the African countries themselves. The European governments destabilized these countries. It was in their best interest to keep them that way because Africa has so many resources that are “essential to the modern world”. White people seem to be enslaved to power because they only allow governments to run in way that benefit them. A prime example would be the assassination of Lumumba the first democratically elected prime minister of the DRC by Untied States and Belgium officials. Although they had removed themselves politically these countries couldn’t help but to kill someone who was leading their people in a direction contrary to what favored western political interest. Despite their efforts “it is the colonized man who wants to move forward, and the colonizer who holds things back” (Cesaire 46) There have not been many successful government that have come out of Africa after they were released from European rule after World War II. Most government officials follow the model that was left for them to govern the people. These leaders continue to be corrupt thieves and puppets that Europeans countries continue to exploit for their own benefit. Most of the countries in Africa are considered to be third world countries whose population are consist mostly of children. This makes a 360 degree circle because although the European Nations do not political rule over these countries they are the source of income to the country. With new natural resources being found constantly the need for cheap labor is still needed. There are no worker’s rights and African people world for little to nothing. Gaining health issue in the process. The younger generations suffering from deformations because of exposure to radioactive materials. African countries are among the poorest of the world. In February 2013 Zimbabwe 's president announced that there was only $217 in the National Treasury. That Nation is completely bankrupt as are so many others. “The great historical tragedy of Africa has been not so much that it was too late in making contact with the rest of the world ... that it was our misfortune to encounter that particular Europe on our path, and that Europe is responsible before the human community for the highest heap of corpses in human history.” (Cesaire 45) Through colonization Europe underdeveloped Africa and morally debased itself. The desire of wealth as left Western civilization enslaved to machines and has left Africa raped of it’s potential and of it’s essence. Works Cited
Césaire, Aimé. Discourse on Colonialism. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2000. Print.
Du Bois, W.E.B. Worlds of Color. Spelman College. 2013
Lovelace, Earl. Bango. Spelman College. 2013
King Leopold’s Ghost

Cited: Césaire, Aimé. Discourse on Colonialism. New York: Monthly Review Press, 2000. Print. Du Bois, W.E.B. Worlds of Color. Spelman College. 2013 Lovelace, Earl. Bango. Spelman College. 2013 King Leopold’s Ghost