Caribbean Thought 2026 Part 2: On Afrocentricity
This lecture was delivered on May 18th 2026by Rev. Renaldo McKenzie at Jamaica Theological Seminary to students in the Caribbean Thought course. Today we explored the concept of Afrocentricity and developing an Afrocentric Paradigm to the study of the Caribbean or o Caribbean Thought. Towards the end we reviewed the Course Outline.Notes:_________________I. Why This Inquiry MattersBefore we define these concepts, we must recognize one important point:Perspective shapes thought.The way we are taught to see the world determines how we understand history, religion, race, culture, and even ourselves. Caribbean societies emerged out of colonization, slavery, displacement, and resistance. Therefore, many of the ideas we inherit about civilization, morality, religion, and identity are rooted within colonial structures.The Caribbean person often lives within competing worlds:• African heritage, • European institutions, • Christian theology, • colonial education, • and postcolonial realities. Thus, Caribbean Thought requires critical examination of the foundations of knowledge itself.________________II. Defining Key Terms1. AfrocentricityAccording to Molefi Kete Asante and Ama Mazama, Afrocentricity is a way of seeing and interpreting the world from the perspective of African people as subjects rather than objects of history.Afrocentricity seeks to:• center African agency, • restore African humanity, • reclaim African history, • and cultivate what Dr. Mazama calls a “consciousness of victory” rather than perpetual oppression. Afrocentricity does not necessarily reject other cultures. Rather, it insists that African people have the right to define themselves and interpret reality from their own historical and cultural experiences.In simple terms:Afrocentricity asks: What happens when African people become the center of their own narratives instead of existing only through European interpretations?ConclusionToday’s lecture introduced the conceptual foundations for our study of Caribbean Thought.We examined:• Afrocentricity, • Afrocentrism, • Eurocentrism, • ethnocentrism, • colonialism, • and the Afrocentric Paradigm. We also explored how colonial consciousness continues to shape Caribbean identity, religion, culture, and historical understanding.Next week, we will move into African civilizations and early African contributions to world history as we continue developing an African-centered understanding of Caribbean identity and consciousness.Bibliography / Source ListMolefi Kete Asante. Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change. Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, 1988.Ama Mazama. “The Afrocentric Paradigm: Contours and Definitions.” Journal of Black Studies 31, no. 4 (2001): 387–405.Frantz Fanon. The Wretched of the Earth. Translated by Richard Philcox. New York: Grove Press, 2004.Edward Said. Orientalism. New York: Vintage Books, 1978.W. E. B. Du Bois. The Souls of Black Folk. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1903.Marcus Garvey. Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey. Edited by Amy Jacques Garvey. Dover Publications, 1986.Bob Marley. Selected interviews, speeches, and lyrics on African consciousness and Rastafari.Homi K. Bhabha. The Location of Culture. London: Routledge, 1994.Course Papers and Lecture MaterialsRenaldo McKenzie. “Presentation on Afrocentrism and Afrocentricity: How Does Sarah Balakrishnan Approach Afrocentrism and Afrocentricity?” Class Paper, Temple University, October 31, 2024.Renaldo McKenzie. “Reflection Paper: The Afrocentric Paradigm.” Temple University, September 10, 2024.Sarah Balakrishnan. “Afrocentrism Revisited: Africa in the Philosophy of Black Nationalism.” Souls 22, no. 1 (2020): 71–88.___________Renaldo is President of The Neoliberal Corporation, Author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance, and Lecturer at Jamaica Theological Seminary.JTS: https://jts.edu.jm
The Neoliberal Corporation: https://theneoliberal.com
