Dilemma of a “Decolonial Historiography of Africa”?: Challenges in the Provinciality of the Anglo-European Academy

Abstract

This paper seeks to broaden the discourse surrounding decolonial historiography of Africa and decolonization as a whole by critically examining both the theoretical discussions surrounding de-colonial historiography and the practical efforts aimed at decolonization. Many scholarly dialogues have already centred on defining and understanding decolonial historiography, yet these conversations often operate at an abstract and philosophical level. Simultaneously, there has been increasing scholarly activity that scrutinizes the existing structures, power dynamics, and practices within the Anglo-European academy with the goal of decolonization. By uniting these two disparate areas of inquiry through a unifying perspective, this article endeavours to redirect the conversation toward acknowledging the myriad implicit legacies stemming from the provincial nature of the Anglo-European academy. Therefore, a comprehensive response that addresses both theoretical and applied aspects involves questioning whether ongoing research focused on Africa within the Anglo-European academic sphere still remains relevant today given the unprecedented advancements in global knowledge production around the world over recent decades.