Chapter 18: Colonialism

Only One Example

Chapter 18’s main point was that colonialism affected different parts of the world in different ways. It was long and filled with many examples, and I admittedly found it difficult to read and summarize. So for the purpose of this blog, I will dive into one of the longer examples in the book and analyze it to make sure some of my understanding of colonialism is clear. On page 811, the book introduces Wanjiku of Kenya. She was born in 1910 and lived throughout most of the 20th century. In her early life, Wanjiku wasn’t affected too much by colonialism as she stayed with her small tribe called Gikuyu. She practiced what was considered the tradition way of living in her community. She had chores like collecting firewood and getting water. She pierced her ears for maturity. She was even “circumcised” and had her genitals cleaned. At this stage of her life, colonial life had not affected her too much yet. Later on, Wanjiku got married in a traditional African setting. We see a small change later on in Wanjiku’s story. Wanjiku eventually becomes widowed and remarries. At her second wedding, she uses a wedding ring and has a church service. This shows that Africans were slowly being introduced to European culture. Wanjiku also eventually becomes Christian and joins a church-based union for social support, which further immersed her in western ways. In 1952, at the time of the Mau Mau rebellion, Wanjiku was relocated to separate her kind from the freedom fighters that were threatening the end of colonization in that portion of Africa. Wanjiku’s group was forced into labor and was beaten for being behind the work schedule. Wanjiku was scared of angering both the Mau Mau and the Home Guard police who were employed by the European authorities. I appreciated hearing about this part of the story because we usually only hear about the rebellions themselves, the name, the date. We don’t usually hear about the people caught in between the fight and how it affected their lives, people like Wanjiku. There were people who did not want to fight, and wanted to accept colonial rule: either because they saw it as a benefit or didn’t think they had the manpower to fight it. This was a conflict in these times because groups were split over what to do, which created internal conflict within the colonized group. By 1963, Wanjiku’s country (Kenya) achieved independence. But even then, her life and life around her still experienced changes. Her family started to grow tea, which was limited to Europeans during the country’s colonial period. Education, which was provided by some Europeans, made the new generation feel better than the people who raised them. They no longer had the same morals. Many moved to the cities instead of staying on family farms. It surprises me how recent these events have been. Wanjiku’s group was forced into labor in NINETEEN FIFTY TWO (1952). We thought that many abuses were abolished with the end of slavery, but relocation and forced labor still happens. Exploitation is still prominent. The Living Justice handout was right when it said the abuses of colonization have long-lasting effects; this chapter named many examples of them. Wanjiku’s life after independence was still greatly influenced by what the Europeans did decades ago. This is only one example and one viewpoint of how colonialism affected Africa.