Edward Wilmot Blyden (c. 1900).jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Edward Wilmot Blyden (3 August 1832 – 7 February 1912) was a Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician who was primarily active in West Africa. Born in the Danish West Indies, he joined the waves of black immigrants from
the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
who migrated to the country. Blyden became a teacher for five years in the
British West Africa British West Africa was the collective name for British colonies in West Africa during the colonial period, either in the general geographical sense or the formal colonial administrative entity. British West Africa as a colonial entity was orig ...
n
colony of Sierra Leone The Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone (informally British Sierra Leone) was the British colonial administration in Sierra Leone from 1808 to 1961, part of the British Empire from the abolitionism era until the decolonisation era. The Cr ...
in the early twentieth century. His writings on pan-Africanism became influential throughout West Africa, attracting attention in countries such as the United States as well. He believed that Zionism was a model for what he termed
Ethiopianism Ethiopianism may refer to: * Ethiopian studies, the western academic study of Ethiopian history and culture * The Ethiopian movement, a social movement the began in Southern Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries * The Ethiopian nationalism ...
, and that
African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
could return to Africa and help in the rebuilding of the continent. Blyden was recognised in his youth for his talents and drive; he was educated and mentored by John Knox, an
American Protestant Protestantism is the largest grouping of Christians in the United States, with its combined denominations collectively comprising about 43% of the country's population (or 141 million people) in 2019. Other estimates suggest that 48.5% of the U ...
minister in
Sankt Thomas Sankt Thomas is a village in the district Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of south ...
who encouraged him to continue his education in the United States. In 1850 Blyden was refused admission to three Northern theological seminaries because of his race. Knox encouraged him to go to Liberia, a colony set up for
free people of color In the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, free people of color (French: ''gens de couleur libres''; Spanish: ''gente de color libre'') were primarily people of mixed African, European, and Native American descent who were not ...
by the American Colonization Society. Blyden emigrated in 1850 and made his career and life there. He married into a prominent family and soon started working as a journalist. Blyden's ideas remain influential to this day.


Early life and education

Blyden was born on 3 August 1832 in
Sankt Thomas Sankt Thomas is a village in the district Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated in the Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of south ...
, Danish West Indies (now known as the
American Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...
), to free black parents who claimed descent from the Igbo people of present-day Nigeria. Between 1842 and 1845 the family lived in Porto Bello, Venezuela, where Blyden discovered a facility for languages, becoming fluent in Spanish. According to the historian Hollis R. Lynch, in 1845 Blyden met the Reverend John P. Knox, a white American, who became pastor of the St. Thomas Protestant Dutch Reformed Church.Hollis R. Lynch
''Edward Wilmot Blyden: Pan-Negro Patriot, 1832–1912''
New York: Oxford University Press, 1967, p. 4.
Blyden and his family lived near the church, and Knox was impressed with the studious, intelligent boy. Knox became his mentor, encouraging Blyden's considerable aptitude for oratory and literature. Mainly because of his close association with Knox, the young Blyden decided to become a minister, which his parents encouraged. In May 1850, Blyden, accompanied by Reverend Knox's wife, went to the United States to enroll in Rutgers Theological College, Knox's ''alma mater.'' He was refused admission due to his race. Efforts to enroll him in two other theological colleges also failed. Knox encouraged Blyden to go to
Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
, the colony set up in the 1830s by the American Colonization Society (ACS) in West Africa, where he thought Blyden would be able to use his talents. Later in 1850, Blyden sailed to Liberia. He soon became deeply involved in its development. Starting in 1860, Blyden corresponded with William Ewart Gladstone, who would later become a significant Liberal leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Gladstone offered Blyden an opportunity to study in England in 1861, but Blyden declined due to his obligations in Liberia.


Marriage, family and legacy

Blyden married Sarah Yates, an Americo-Liberian from the prominent Yates family. She was the daughter of Hilary Yates and his wife. Her paternal uncle,
Beverly Page Yates Beverly or Beverley may refer to: Places Australia *Beverley, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide * Beverley, Western Australia, a town * Shire of Beverley, Western Australia Canada *Beverly, Alberta, a town that amalgamated with the City of ...
, served as vice-president of Liberia from 1856 to 1860 under President Stephen Allen Benson. Blyden and Sarah had three children together. Later, while living for several years in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Blyden had a long-term relationship with Anna Erskine, a Liberian woman from Clay-Ashland who had moved to Freetown in 1877. She was a granddaughter of
James Spriggs-Payne James Spriggs Payne (December 19, 1819 – January 31, 1882) served as the fourth and eighth president of Liberia, from 1868 to 1870 and from 1876 to 1878.President of Liberia The president of the Republic of Liberia is the head of state and government of Liberia. The president serves as the leader of the executive branch and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Prior to the independence of Liberia ...
. Blyden and Erskine had five children together. In the 21st century, many Blyden descendants living in Sierra Leone identify as part of the Krio population. Among these descendants is
Sylvia Blyden Sylvia Olayinka Walmina Oreshola Blyden (born 1 October 1971 in Freetown, Sierra Leone) is a Sierra Leonean journalist, political commentator, newspaper publisher, and former Sierra Leone minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs un ...
, publisher of the ''Awareness Times''. Blyden died on 7 February 1912 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was buried at
Racecourse Cemetery A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also us ...
. In honour of him, the 20th-century Pan-Africanist George Padmore named his daughter Blyden.


Career

Emigrating to Liberia in 1850 Blyden was soon working in journalism. From 1855 to 1856 he edited the ''Liberia Herald'' and wrote the column "A Voice From Bleeding Africa". He also spent time in British colonies in West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Sierra Leone, writing for early newspapers in both colonies. He also served as editor at ''The Negro'' and ''The African World''. He maintained ties with the American Colonization Society and published in their ''
African Repository and Colonial Journal The ''African Repository and Colonial Journal'', title simplified in 1850 to the ''African Repository'', was the official publication of the American Colonization Society, which supported the migration of free American Blacks to Africa, specificall ...
''. In 1861 Blyden became professor of Greek and Latin at Liberia College. He was selected as president of the college, serving 1880–1884 during a period of expansion. As a diplomat Blyden served as an ambassador for Liberia to Britain and France. He also traveled to the United States where he spoke to major black churches about his work in Africa. Blyden believed that
Black Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
could end their suffering of racial discrimination by returning to Africa and helping to develop it. He was criticized by African Americans who wanted to gain full civil rights in their birth nation of the United States and did not identify with Africa. In suggesting a redemptive role for African Americans in Africa through what he called
Ethiopianism Ethiopianism may refer to: * Ethiopian studies, the western academic study of Ethiopian history and culture * The Ethiopian movement, a social movement the began in Southern Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries * The Ethiopian nationalism ...
, Blyden likened their suffering in the
diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
to that of the Jews; he supported the 19th-century Zionist project of Jews returning to Palestine.''Black Zion : African American Religious Encounters with Judaism''
edited by Yvonne Chireau, Nathaniel Deutsch; Oxford University Press, 1999, Google eBook, p. 15.
In their book ''Israel in the Black American Perspective'',
Robert G. Weisbord The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and Richard Kazarian write that in his booklet ''The Jewish Question'' (published in 1898, the year after the First Zionist Congress) Blyden describes that while travelling in the Middle East in 1866 he wanted to travel to "the original home of the Jews--to see Jerusalem and Mt. Zion, the joy of the whole earth". While in Jerusalem he visited the Western Wall. Blyden advocated for the Jewish settlement of Palestine and chided Jews for not taking advantage of the opportunity to live in their ancient homeland. Blyden was familiar with Theodor Herzl and his book ''
The Jewish State ''Der Judenstaat'' (German, literally ''The State of the Jews'', commonly rendered as ''The Jewish State'') is a pamphlet written by Theodor Herzl and published in February 1896 in Leipzig and Vienna by M. Breitenstein's Verlags-Buchhandlung. ...
'', praising it for expressing ideas that "have given such an impetus to the real work of the Jews as will tell with enormous effect upon their future history". Later in life Blyden became involved in
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
and concluded that it was a more "African" religion than Christianity for African Americans and Americo-Liberians. Participating in the development of the country, Blyden was appointed the Liberian Secretary of State (1862–64). He was later appointed as Secretary of the Interior (1880–82). Blyden contested the 1885 presidential election for the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...
, but lost to incumbent
Hilary R. W. Johnson Hilary Richard Wright Johnson (June 1, 1837 – 1901) served as the 11th president of Liberia from 1884 to 1892. He was elected four times. He was the first Liberian president to be born in Africa. He had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Li ...
. From 1901 to 1906, Blyden directed the education of Sierra Leonean
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s at an institution in Sierra Leone where he lived in Freetown. This is when he had his relationship with Anna Erskine; they had five children together. He became passionate about Islam during this period, recommending it to African Americans as the major religion most in keeping with their historic roots in Africa.


Writings

As a writer, Blyden has been regarded by some as the "father of Pan-Africanism" and is noted as one of the first people to articulate a notion of "African Personality" and the uniqueness of the "African race". His ideas have influenced many twentieth-century figures including Marcus Garvey, George Padmore and
Kwame Nkrumah Kwame Nkrumah (born 21 September 190927 April 1972) was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957. An in ...
. His major work, ''Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race'' (1887), promoted the idea that practicing
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
was more unifying and fulfilling for Africans than Christianity. Blyden believed that practicing Christianity had a demoralizing effect on Africans, although he continued to be a Christian. He thought Islam was more authentically African, as it had been brought to Sub-Saharan areas by people from North Africa. His book quickly became controversial. At first many people did not believe that an African had written it; his promotion of Islam was disputed. In later printings, Blyden included his photograph as the frontispiece. His book included the following:
Let us do away with the sentiment of Race. Let us do away with out African personality and be lost, if possible, in another Race.' This is as wise or as philosophical as to say, let us do away with gravitation, with heat and cold and sunshine and rain. Of course, the Race in which these persons would be absorbed is the dominant race, before which, in cringing self-surrender and ignoble self-suppression they lie in prostrate admiration.
Due to his belief in Ethiopianism, in the late 19th century Blyden publicly supported the creation of a Jewish state in Israel, praising Theodor Herzl as the creator of "that marvelous movement called Zionism".George Bornstein
"The Colors of Zion: Black, Jewish, and Irish Nationalisms at the turn of the Century"
''Modernism/modernity'' 12.3 (2005), Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 369–84.


Works


Books


Call of Providence to the Descendants of Africa in America", A Discourse Delivered to Coloured Congregations in the Cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, during the Summer of 1862, in ''Liberia's Offering: Being Addresses, Sermons, etc.''
New York: John A. Gray, 1862.
''Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race''
London, W. B. Whittingham & Co., 1887; 2nd edition 1888; University of Edinburgh Press, 3rd edition, 1967; reprint of 1888 edition, Baltimore, Maryland:
Black Classic Press Black Classic Press (BCP) is an African-American book publishing company, founded by W. Paul Coates in 1978. Since then, BCP has published original titles by notable authors including Walter Mosley, John Henrik Clarke, E. Ethelbert Miller, Yosef ...
, 1994 (edition on Googlebooks).
''African Life and Customs''
London: C. M. Phillips, 1908; reprint Baltimore, Maryland: Black Classic Press, 1994.
''West Africa Before Europe: and Other Addresses, Delivered in England in 1901 and 1903''
London: C. M. Phillips, 1905.


Essays and speeches

* "Africa for the Africans", ''
African Repository and Colonial Journal The ''African Repository and Colonial Journal'', title simplified in 1850 to the ''African Repository'', was the official publication of the American Colonization Society, which supported the migration of free American Blacks to Africa, specificall ...
'', Washington, DC: January 1872. * "The Call of Providence to the Descendants of Africa in America", A Discourse Delivered to Coloured Congregations in the Cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, during the Summer of 1862, in ''Liberia's Offering: Being Addresses, Sermons, etc.'', New York: John A. Gray, 1862.
"The Elements of Permanent Influence"
Discourse Delivered at the 15th St. Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC, Sunday, 16 February 1890, Washington, DC: R. L. Pendleton (published by request), 1890 (hosted on Virtual Museum of Edward W. Blyden). * "Liberia as a Means, Not an End", Liberian Independence Oration: 26 July 1867; ''
African Repository and Colonial Journal The ''African Repository and Colonial Journal'', title simplified in 1850 to the ''African Repository'', was the official publication of the American Colonization Society, which supported the migration of free American Blacks to Africa, specificall ...
'', Washington, DC: November 1867. * "The Negro in Ancient History, Liberia: Past, Present, and Future", ''Methodist Quarterly Review'', Washington, DC: M'Gill & Witherow Printer. * "The Origin and Purpose of African Colonization", A Discourse Delivered at the 66th Anniversary of the American Colonization Society, Washington, DC, 14 January 1883, Washington, 1883. * E. W. Blyden M.A., ''Report on the Falaba Expedition 1872'', Addressed to His Excellency Governor J. Pope Hennessy, C.M.G., Published by authority Freetown, Sierra Leone. Printed at Government Office, 1872. * "Liberia at the American Centennial", ''Methodist Quarterly Review'', July 1877. * "America in Africa," ''Christian Advocate'' I, 28 July 1898, II, 4 August 1898. * "The Negro in the United States", ''
A.M.E. Church Review The ''A.M.E. Church Review'' is the journal of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Established in 1841 and revived in 1884, it is arguably the earliest published African-American journal. It publishes articles on religion, politics, history, a ...
'', January 1900.


See also

Pan-Africanism


References


External links

*
''African Repository and Colonial Journal''
Internet Archive, issues online {{DEFAULTSORT:Blyden, E. W. 1832 births 1912 deaths 19th-century Liberian writers 20th-century Liberian writers Americo-Liberian people Americo-Liberians of Igbo descent Classics educators English-language writers Foreign Ministers of Liberia Interior ministers of Liberia Liberian Christians Liberian pan-Africanists Liberian writers People from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands People from colonial Nigeria Presidents of the University of Liberia Secretaries of the Interior (Liberia) Sierra Leone Creole people Sierra Leonean academics Sierra Leonean Christians Sierra Leonean pan-Africanists Academic staff of the University of Liberia