Middle Africa: From the Tribe to the Town

Africa is a figment of the white man’s fears. Actually, there is no political, economic or social unit which can be called Africa; there is only a collection of colonial areas, emerging states, tribal divisions, towns, villages, cities. Even as a geographical expression there is only diversity; Middle Africa south of the Sahara and north of the Union of South Africa presents varieties of geography which extend far beyond the classic conception of Africa as jungle. Within Middle Africa five states govern: Portugal, France, Belgium, Ethiopia, and Liberia. Africa, south of the Sahara and north of the Union, is not a unit today; even the communication marvels of the white man cannot overcome the brute facts of African variety.

I. Who is the African?

Like Africa, there is no African. Instead, there is a conglomeration of tribal members, town people, and those half-way between town society and tribal society. The African—to use the tradition...