1. Kobi Kazembe Kalongi
Kambon aka Joseph Baldwin
The African Personality in America:
An African-Centred Framework

2. Overview
The Worldview paradigm
Africentric vs. non Africentric approaches
The Nature of African Personality
Basic traits of African personality
Reclaiming Africanity

3. Key points
There is in fact an African reality system that
is indigenous to Africans in the Diaspora
The ‘average’ African operates in a mentally
disordered state on a daily basis.
In order for Africans to to heal ourselves, we
must rebuild our African cultural
infrastructure.

4. The Worldview paradigm
A people without a knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like
a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
Recognition of fundamental differences
between groups
Socio-political, Cultural, Social realities.
Ultimately in basic nature.
Lead to distinct approach ‘Survival
Thrust’

5. On Worldviews...
each culture generates it’s own
this system evolves and reinforces .. the culture
there are ‘families’ and ‘cousins’
cultures vary with race… a race specific phenomena
there are fundamental differences between
worldviews
under normal/normal conditions Africans operate
African Worldview
any deviation is therefore represents abnormality

6. African vs European
worldveiws
Not only are they distinct, but they are
also Oppositional
Diop (1974) outlined a two-cradle
theory of the African & European
branches of human development.
Southern as earliest form, Northern
developed later.

7. European
‘Humanity vs. Nature’
antagonistic, conflictual
mastery and control
survival of the fittest
dichotomization of nature or reality into
linear order rankings
strong/weak, best/worst,
superior/inferior

8. African
‘Human nature Unity’
interdependent
complementarily, balance and
reciprocity
synthesis, co-operation and spirituality
The ‘Maatian’ principle - survival of the
corporate whole or nature

9. Evidence
our music, our songs
our deep felt emotionality
our religious fervour
our fundamental moral temperament

10. Black/African Psychology
… a system of knowledge - philosophy,
definitions concepts, models, procedures and
practice - concerning the nature of the social
universe from the perspective of the African
Worldview.
Baldwin 1986

11. Analysing African personality
Non-African centred theories - reliance on
conceptual framework of the European
worldview, negative energy,
abnormality/deficiency emphasis, reactive
motivational emphasis.
African centred theories- reliance on African
worldview for understanding Black personality,
positive energy, proactive motivational emphasis.
Finally, emphasis on normalcy/naturalness of
African centeredness core of functioning.

12. Model of African Personality
Theory
focus on need for African self determination
‘biogenic’ must be able to account for the differences in
behaviour and functioning
distinguish between normal and abnormal functioning in African
personality
must explain how white supremacy has affected African
personality functioning
must explain how to ‘maintain order’ (normal functioning) and
how to ‘restore order’ where it occurs
must have explicit liberation implications for the African mind -
African World Nation

13. ASC
African Self Consciousness
awareness of one’s African identity ( a
collective consciousness)
focus on African survival and positive
development
respect for & perpetuation of things
African
uncompromising resistance to all things
‘anti African’

14. ASEO
African Self Extension Orientation
innate-biologically determined
unconscious, deep rooted psychical
energy
defined by concept of spirituality
transcends space and time
ability to achieve cosmic synthesis

15. Traits / Expresssions of African
personality
1 ‘I feel the phenomena; therefore I think; I know’
2 Para sensory or extra sensory ‘ I feel it in my bones’
3 rhythmic manners of African speech patterns - irony,
proverbs, metaphor
4 use of body in day to day experience of life
5 distinctive inventive-creative quality for flair
6 propensity for affiliation and social communal
expression
7 ‘no formal separation between the religious and non-
religious - TOTAL’

16. Reclaiming Africanity
Massive re-education. Developing African Nation
structure with an African Centred interest
Remove/eliminate Eurocentric cultural icons from all
‘natural environments’
Elimination of non African names from our African
identities
Return to belief in and practice of African cosmology
Institute lifecycle rituals