Hosted by the Departments of Political Studies and Philosophy, Ongoing Racism as Residual Slavery, Colonialism, and Apartheid examines how the circumstances of slavery, colonialism, and apartheid make the demand for rectificatory justice. This event is part of the Black Political Thought Speaker Series.
The anti-racism Rhodes Must Fall protests in South Africa (2015-2016) and the Black Lives Matter protests all over the USA, along with other protests around the world, resulted in the demolition of the statues of historical figures who have been accused by the protesters of being racist by engaging in slave trade, owning slaves, engaging in crimes against humanity during colonialism such as extermination of peoples and dispossessing them of their land, promulgating or supporting racist laws, and so on. These protests inspired an anti-racism movement that called for decolonization and remind us of prominent cases of historical injustice that are racist in nature, namely slavery, colonialism and apartheid.
Join Dr. Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere as he explains his views that historical injustices of slavery, colonialism and apartheid deserve rectificatory justice even though some argue the legitimacy of rectificatory justice in the aforementioned events depends on circumstances, and that in certain circumstances, such historical injustices are superseded. Dr. Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere bases this argument on the grounds that the aforementioned ongoing racism is, in some places directly and in other places indirectly, a consequence of slavery, colonialism and apartheid.
About the Speaker
Dr. Frank Aragbonfoh Abumere is a philosopher and political scientist who specializes in ethics, political philosophy/political theory and international politics. His research interests include identity politics and race relations, human rights and minority rights, social justice and global justice, African political theory and postcolonial theory, African politics and African diaspora politics, and international political theory and normative international theory.
