Books How Colonialism Preempted Modernity in Africa by Olufemi Taiwo (Author)

"How Colonialism Preempted Modernity in Africa" by Olufemi Taiwo is a critical examination of the relationship between colonialism and modernity in Africa. Taiwo argues that while modernity and colonialism are often conflated, they are historically distinct phenomena. He posits that modernity, characterized by concepts such as self-realization, reason, and agency, predated colonialism in Africa and was initially introduced to the continent primarily through missionaries rather than colonial administrators.

The book explores how African agency played a crucial role in the early adoption and propagation of modernity, often led by African missionaries themselves who sought to rebuild and empower their communities post-slavery. However, the later colonial administrators, whom Taiwo describes as reactionaries, obstructed this modernity, imposing structures that preempted Africa's autonomous development.