Edward Wilmot Blyden
Encyclopedia
Edward Wilmot Blyden was an Americo-Liberian
educator, writer
, diplomat
, and politician
primarily in Liberia
. He also taught for five years in Sierra Leone
, and his writings were influential in both countries.
on 3 August 1832 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
(then under Danish
rule) to enslaved parents who were Igbo
from present-day Nigeria
.
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. 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 and the colony set up by the American Colonization Society
(ACS), where he thought Blyden would be able to use his talents.
from the prominent Yates family. She was the niece of the Liberian vice president, Hilary Yates. She and Blyden had three children together.
Later while living in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Blyden had a long-term relationship with Anna Erskine, an African American
from Louisiana
. She was a granddaughter of James Spriggs-Payne, who was elected twice as the President of Liberia
. Erskine and Blyden had five children together, and his direct descendants in Sierra Leone are from this union. They have been considered part of the Krio
population. Some Blyden descendants continue to live in Freetown, among them Sylvia Blyden
, publisher of the Awareness Times.
Blyden died in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 7 February 1912. He was buried at Racecourse Cemetery in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
and Sierra Leone
, writing for early newspapers in both colonies. He maintained ties with the American Colonization Society and published in their journal, African Depository and Colonial Journal.
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 congregations about his work in Africa. Blyden believed that Black Americans
' could end their suffering of racial discrimination by returning to Africa
and helping develop it. He was criticized African Americans who did not identify with Africa.
As a young man, Blyden was appointed the Liberia
n Secretary of State
(1862–1864). He was later appointed Minister of the Interior (1880–1882).
In addition to holding many positions of leadership in politics and diplomacy, Blyden taught classics
at Liberia College (1862–1871). He also served as its president (1880–1884), leading the college through a period of expansion.
From 1901-06, Blyden directed the education of Muslims at an institution in Sierra Leone, where he lived in Freetown. This is when he had his relationship and several children with Anna Erskine.
". His major work, Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race (1887), promoted the idea that practicing Islam
, a major religion in sub-Saharan Africa, was more unifying and fulfilling for sub-Saharan Africans than Christianity. The latter was introduced later, mostly by European colonizers. Blyden believed it had a demoralizing effect, although he continued to be a Christian. He thought Islam was more authentically African, although it had been introduced by Arab
traders. His book was controversial in Great Britain, both for its subject and because many people at first did not believe that a black African had written it. In later printings, Blyden included his photograph as the frontispiece.
Blyden supported the creation of a Jewish state in Israel and praised Theodore Herzl as the creator of "that marvelous movement called Zionism
."
Americo-Liberian
Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. The sister ethnic group of Americo Liberians are the Sierra Leone Creole people who are of African American, West Indian, and liberated African descent...
educator, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
primarily in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. He also taught for five years in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, and his writings were influential in both countries.
Early life and education
Blyden was born into slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
on 3 August 1832 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
(then under Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
rule) to enslaved parents who were Igbo
Igbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
from present-day Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
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. 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 and the colony set up by the American Colonization Society
American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society , founded in 1816, was the primary vehicle to support the "return" of free African Americans to what was considered greater freedom in Africa. It helped to found the colony of Liberia in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen...
(ACS), where he thought Blyden would be able to use his talents.
Marriage and family
Later that year, Blyden arrived in Liberia and soon became deeply involved in its development. Blyden married Sarah Yates, an Americo-LiberianAmerico-Liberian
Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. The sister ethnic group of Americo Liberians are the Sierra Leone Creole people who are of African American, West Indian, and liberated African descent...
from the prominent Yates family. She was the niece of the Liberian vice president, Hilary Yates. She and Blyden had three children together.
Later while living in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Blyden had a long-term relationship with Anna Erskine, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
from Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. She was a granddaughter of James Spriggs-Payne, who was elected twice as the President of Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
. Erskine and Blyden had five children together, and his direct descendants in Sierra Leone are from this union. They have been considered part of the Krio
Krio
Krio may refer to:*Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio language, language of the Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio Dayak people, an ethnic group in West Kalimantan, Indonesia*Krio Dayak language*Keriau River, in West Kalimantan, Indonesia...
population. Some Blyden descendants continue to live in Freetown, among them Sylvia Blyden
Sylvia Blyden
Sylvia Blyden, full name: Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Walmina Oreshola Blyden is the only female news publisher in Sierra Leone, and "one of the most recognisable names in the country." Blyden is a social and political commentator, rights activist, newspaper publisher and philanthropist...
, publisher of the Awareness Times.
Blyden died in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 7 February 1912. He was buried at Racecourse Cemetery in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Career
From 1855-1856, Blyden edited the Liberia Herald and wrote the column, "A Voice From Bleeding Africa". He also spent time in other British colonies in West Africa, particularly NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
, writing for early newspapers in both colonies. He maintained ties with the American Colonization Society and published in their journal, African Depository and Colonial Journal.
As a diplomat, Blyden served as an ambassador for Liberia to Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He also traveled to the United States, where he spoke to major black congregations about his work in Africa. Blyden believed that Black Americans
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
' could end their suffering of racial discrimination by returning to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and helping develop it. He was criticized African Americans who did not identify with Africa.
As a young man, Blyden was appointed the Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
(1862–1864). He was later appointed Minister of the Interior (1880–1882).
In addition to holding many positions of leadership in politics and diplomacy, Blyden taught classics
Classics
Classics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
at Liberia College (1862–1871). He also served as its president (1880–1884), leading the college through a period of expansion.
From 1901-06, Blyden directed the education of Muslims at an institution in Sierra Leone, where he lived in Freetown. This is when he had his relationship and several children with Anna Erskine.
Writings
As a writer, Blyden is regarded widely as the "father of Pan-AfricanismPan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to unify African people or people living in Africa, into a "one African community". Differing types of Pan-Africanism seek different levels of economic, racial, social, or political unity...
". His major work, Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race (1887), promoted the idea that practicing Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, a major religion in sub-Saharan Africa, was more unifying and fulfilling for sub-Saharan Africans than Christianity. The latter was introduced later, mostly by European colonizers. Blyden believed it had a demoralizing effect, although he continued to be a Christian. He thought Islam was more authentically African, although it had been introduced by Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
traders. His book was controversial in Great Britain, both for its subject and because many people at first did not believe that a black African had written it. In later printings, Blyden included his photograph as the frontispiece.
Blyden supported the creation of a Jewish state in Israel and praised Theodore Herzl as the creator of "that marvelous movement called Zionism
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
."
Books
- http://books.google.com/books?id=up4UAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Liberia%27s+Offering&source=bl&ots=iE-XgnDFgB&sig=Qwy6OvZoNM8f7YtiUC7ww0o4Uf0&hl=en&ei=_RIiTblYjaefB-PJ2coO&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false"TheCall 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, 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, 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, D.C., 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, 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 SocietyAmerican Colonization SocietyThe American Colonization Society , founded in 1816, was the primary vehicle to support the "return" of free African Americans to what was considered greater freedom in Africa. It helped to found the colony of Liberia in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen...
, Washington, D.C., 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, January 1900.
See also
- Sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...