Decolonizing the Darkness

Abstract

The presentation and representation of Africa as the dark continent is one that was intricately constructed and weaved by colonial and missionary travellers. Darkness was constructed as evil and dangerous and in need of illumination. The construction of darkness and Africa as the dark continent was embraced by Western philosophical thinkers who popularized this thinking that the same construction continues to reproduce itself globally. Using the medium of a childhood game, played on a farm with little artificial lighting, thinking of darkness takes a completely different turn to the colonially constructed image of darkness. Using a reimagination and reinterpretation of darkness, this article embraces darkness as the space of seeing, of entertainment, of observation and appreciation of that which is often blinded by artificial – colonial – lights or illumination. This article challenges, disrupts, decolonizes the colonial construction of darkness and reclaims darkness and calls for the liberation and embrace of darkness in the manner of reading the Bible or imagining mission. It is a call to counter-create darkness and its significance.