Power and Prestige in Black Diplomacy

Abstract

This article builds on the prevalent discussions of Western and Asian prestigious states to provide a distinct account of power and prestige in black diplomacy through the lens of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (T-AST), colonization, and neocolonialism. The principal argument is twofold namely; that T-AST and colonization have contributed significantly to prestige deficit of African states and contemporary forms of racism and discrimination targeted at blacks in the diaspora. Second, the paper argues that the pursuit of prestige recovery by African states, notably through attainment of political independence, has been undermined by neocolonialism. The analysis helps to fill a major gap in the literature with respect to the limited attention paid to African states and black communities in the rejuvenated discussion of prestige in International Relations. The policy recommendation is that power and prestige need to be redefined along the lines of genuine respect and cooperation between African societies and foreign powers.