Taking the class Colonial Africa while exploring Belgium and the Netherlands has allowed me to expand my worldview and learn about the modern legacies of colonialism that form our current global capitalist economy. Since traveling to both Belgium and the Netherlands, it is extremely clear that our current society and economic system is extremely impacted by colonialism. The things that I learned in this class will forever change how I navigate and move through the world.

Based on my understanding, the largest repercussion of colonialism comes in the form of historical narratives that are shaped by the use of rhetoric. These narratives then develop into social institutions that form the foundation for a global capitalist system. This might sound extremely confusing and convoluted, however; it’s actually quite simple to understand after learning how important the use of rhetoric was and continues to be in creating ideologies that justify the use of exploitation and dehumanization for financial gain.

Throughout each of my blog posts, I have discussed the importance of rhetoric and language in not only allowing European imperial powers to deflect responsibility, but also to justify their use of violence and exploitation to reap economic benefits. The use of rhetoric to gain economic control can first be seen by Leopold II and other European imperial powers in the Berlin Conference. During the Berlin Conference in 1885, European imperial powers established a plan to colonize and extract raw materials from Africa.

At this point in time, the Industrial Revolution was well underway and the need for raw materials to manufacture and create new infrastructure was higher than ever. Because of this, many European powers looked to Africa for its rich natural resources. Instead of strengthening their trade relationships with Africa in a mutually beneficial way, European powers desired complete control over Africa’s economy and rich natural resources. In order to gain this control, Europeans created an ideology to justify their actions to the general public so they could continue to exploit Africa. This ideology is known as the “civilizing mission,” which painted Africans as inferior, un-advanced and in need of European help to become more socially developed. In actuality, this narrative was created as a propaganda tool to justify the use of violence for economic control. This racist ideology, continues to permeate through our society today in the form of racist stereotypes, racism, and the capitalist standard of beauty.

At the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the exhibition titled “Racism exists, not race” discusses how race is nothing more than a social construction which is used to oppress people and create a social hierarchy. This allows the people at the top to exploit those with less power than them for their own economic gain. This was especially prevalent during the colonial period and can also be seen during during the Apartheid in South Africa. During this period of colonialism, a group of European colonizers settled in South Africa and formed the  Afrikaner Nationalist Party. Instead of assimilating into the culture that already existed in South Africa, these Europeans wanted to have complete control over the economy. This meant having complete control over the social institutions that people need to function as a society. The way the Afrikaners seized this control was through segregation, so that people were unable to stand as a united front. This took the form of a series of laws and regulations that made intermingling between races illegal. To put it simply, the Afrikaners were scared that if all of the non-white people were able to stand together, they would overthrow their government and the Afrikaners would no longer reap economic benefits from South Africa’s economy. This example illustrates how historical narratives are used to establish social institutions that enforce economic systems of exploitation. 

Another example of the type of economic system that was created during colonialism and continues to be present in Africa today is referred to as the “gatekeeper state.” As Fred Cooper describes in Africa Since 1940: the past of the Present and I mentioned in my previous blog post, the “gatekeeper state” is designed to extract resources from Africa for the benefit of European imperial powers. The economic system set up during colonialism did not disappear after African countries gained their independence from colonial rule. This system continued because during formal colonization, only Europeans were trained as highly-skilled workers that manufactured raw materials and built relationships with trading partners; therefore, even after after Africa gained its independence from colonial rule, it was still dependent upon trading relationships with Europeans to make money from the natural resources that were extracted.

This type of economic system would not have been possible without the use of rhetoric and bogus peace treaties that European powers used to seize control of African countries. Because many Africans did not read, speak, or understand European languages, this allowed European governments to take advantage of and exploit African kings. In addition, European powers wielded their military protection for political and economic control over Africa. If it was not for the use of language to justify, exploit, and take advantage of Africa, our current economic system would not exist.

The most important thing that I learned from this class is that our global capitalist economy is dependant upon dehumanization and commodification to function. This means that our economic system relies on minimizing the worth of people to their rate of output and success. Global capitalism directly relies upon the commodification of all natural resources and the subsequent exploitation of such natural materials to generate wealth. The global climate crisis is a direct result of our globalized capitalist economy which views virtually everything as a means to make money. 

In Gregory Claeys’ book, Utopia, he describes the history of liberalism and capitalism. He eloquently explains the reality of our capitalist economy by describing “[i]n its most extreme form, these elements have been conceived as utopian when they are combined in the fantasy of an unregulated market that aims to supersede national sovereignty by a regime of quasi-omnipotent multinational corporations that impose an economic, political and cultural strategy of globalization on the world’s population” (Claeys, 15) He goes onto say that “[l]iberalism has often promised that the good life consisted of maximizing individual liberty, autonomy and independence, and trumpeted the pursuit of greed or selfishness as the means of achieving them” (Claeys, 15). 

This brings into question how colonialism has shaped what we value as a society. Based on my understanding of our capitalist system, we value the acquisition of wealth by any means necessary. Often, this means the achievement of wealth through the exploitation of the earth, other people, and ourselves. In Brussels, we saw the reality of this in architecture and statues that were created by leaders as a display of power and wealth. This value system leads to an individualistic culture, which values the self over human connection and the collective. A society which exploits one person exploits everyone. Because we are all human, if we condone the dehumanization of others, we are condoning the dehumanization of ourselves.

Although it is impossible to change the reality of our current economic system quickly, I am committed to making any difference that I can. For me, this looks like taking an internship with the Center for Community, Service, and Justice at my college, having conversations with family and friends about colonialism, and not being afraid to stand up for what I know to be true about the modern legacies of colonialism. 

Since taking this class while traveling to Belgium and the Netherlands, I have an exceedingly clear understanding of how vital colonialism was in shaping our current society and economy. Our economy is not sustainable; exploitation is never sustainable. In order to make improvements, we need to see ourselves as a collective. We need to recognize the connection between all of humanity. The only way to begin this change is by examining our past through a critical lens. This will allow us to understand the history of our global capitalist economy and understand what steps need to be taken to decolonize. Learning about our past allows us to see how the ideals, narratives, social institutions, and economies that we have today are influenced by the actions of people that came before us. Without an awareness and understanding of the past, we are powerless to make changes in the present. Since learning about the modern legacies of colonialism, I am committed to the decolonization of my mind, the spaces that I encounter, and the history that I understand.

To aid in our understanding of the modern legacy of colonialism, we visited Amsterdam, Netherlands to conceptualize how the Dutch reckon with their colonial past. This then allowed us to compare their understanding of their past to Belgium’s passive acknowledgement of colonialism.

After visiting the Tropenmuseum and the Rijksmuseum, it is clear to me that language and artistic expression play a huge role in the development of a historical narrative that is then used to support an economic system. Both the Tropenmuseum and the Rijksmuseum offered artifacts, artwork, and historical writings that provide insight into the colonial past and its legacy today.

To begin with, the Tropenmuseum investigated its colonial past through the lens of taking on world cultures and holding a strongly anti-colonial stance on their past. The Tropenmuseum eloquently explains the colonial roots of our global financial system in an exhibition titled “Someone is Getting Rich.” This exhibit explained how the Netherlands played a huge role in our current economic system by developing much of our modern financial tools. These include, but are not limited to insurance, mortgages, and treatable stock. Amsterdam specifically is responsible for treatable stocks, central banking, mortgage-backed securities, and mutual funds. These colonial financial inventions form the basis for the globalization of a capitalist economy that directly relies upon dehumanization and commodification to function. This directly pertains to our class because it provides an explanation and evidence of the transition from colonialism to capitalism.

An example within this exhibit that stood out to me was a tapestry made to model a Chase bank ATM receipt by Gabriel Kuri. Because traditional European tapestries demonstrated historical narratives, this artwork highlights the interconnectedness of banking with the shaping of historical narratives. In fact, JP Morgan Chase accepted the use of enslaved people as collateral for loans made to plantation owners in the colonial period. The type of developed during formal colonization relies upon the dehumanization of individuals to function and is detrimental to collective growth. These systems continue to affect peoples’ lives, they are not just strictly economic. Because colonialism is deeply rooted in human exploitation, the economic system we have today benefits from the dehumanization of the working class.

An example of the interconnectedness between social institutions and economic policy can be seen in South Africa during the Apartheid. Many laws prohibiting the intermingling between races were used to subdue resistance and force dependance on the government (Laumann, 71). In addition, multinational corporations are a transcendence of the charter companies that funded colonial expeditions. For instance, the Dutch East India Company chartered colonial missions for the Dutch government. An example of a modern multinational corporation is Royal Dutch Shell, which monopolizes the oil industry and extraction of fossil fuels. This privately owned company serves governmental interest yet is privately funded. This allows the federal government to avoid full responsibility for the actions of privately funded corporations and to foster economic gain. 

In both museums, the use of rhetoric and artistic expression play a vital role in shaping historical narratives. In the Rijksmusuem, the language used throughout the majority of museum was very objective and straight to the point when describing the period of formal colonization. However, the use of language in the exhibit spanning the time from 1950 to 2000 was more subjective and framed with a clear positive bias towards the Netherlands’ current sociopolitical economy. Although it’s important to acknowledge the strides Amsterdam has made to be more progressive, neglecting to also acknowledge the modern economic structures developed during colonialism renders their attempt to celebrate their socialist government inaccurate.

The placard titled, “Structure” in the Rijskmuseum, describes the progressive development of the socialist economy in the Netherlands. Although it is important for the strides the Netherlands has made towards an equitable economy to be recognized, it is equally important that the modern legacy of colonialism in the Netherlands continues to be explored and discussed to decolonize spaces and historical narratives.

Another example of the use of rhetoric and characterization to shape historical narratives and spread an ideology can be seen in artwork. Nicolaas Pieneman’s “Diepo Negoro” shows the moment when Indonesia became a Dutch colony. In this image, the Dutch colonizers are cast in a bright white light, elevated on a platform, and centered in the middle of the photograph. The use of proportion and light to frame the Dutch colonizers as strong, important, and powerful was key in the “civilizing mission” and the colonizers’ historical narrative. If these men were painted to be valiant, strong leaders, how could they be ridiculed for their actions? In contrast, the Javanese are characterized as being smaller, lower to the ground, and in the lower frame of the painting. These formal techniques create the expressive quality of inferiority and subjugation, further feeding into the “civilizing mission” that characterized the people being colonized as needing help to become more developed.  

Related to characterization playing a role in the social structures that lay the foundation for capitalism to be enforced, the exhibit “Racism exists, not race” in the Tropenmuseum accounts how the social construction of race is used to oppress people of color and grant power to white people. This is directly related to the economic system of colonialism because it allowed colonizers to justify their violence and exploitation of human beings based on this social hierarchy. 

Furthermore, in the Tropenmuseum, “The Power of Language” by Farida Sedoc discusses how the use and abuse of language was used to justify and enhance colonial rule and propaganda. During colonization, the individual people being colonized were often forbidden from using their own languages and were forced to learn the dialect of their colonizers. This led to the loss of many languages and the history that comes with it. It is vitally important that this is recognized, and for efforts to be made to restore these lost languages and pay reparations to the people affected by language loss. By taking away a person’s language, you take away their voice. You take away their ability to speak up for themselves and stand together as one. The colonizers did this to safeguard their power and continue exploitation for economic gain.

Visiting Amsterdam and touring the Rijksmuseum and Tropenmuseum allowed us to compare the narratives presented in Belgium and the Netherlands on the modern legacy colonialism. As stated in my previous post, Belgium takes a more passive stance on reckoning with its colonial past. The language used in the Africa Museum paired with the Belgian Parliament neglecting to formally apologize for colonization creates a sense that they have not quite come to terms with their past. In contrast, the Dutch take a strong anti-colonial stance, condemning their past, offering information on how colonialism affects capitalism, and attempting to educate the public. This was extremely present in the Tropenmuseum, and lesser so in the Rijksmuseum, where the rhetoric was often objective when discussing their wrongdoings and subjective when discussing their current socialist economy. However, the overarching throughout the Netherlands was that they are coming to terms with their colonial past to make efforts to decolonize their spaces and historical narratives.

Relating to Belgium’s acknowledgment of their colonial past, on Wednesday, July 12^th, we visited the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Brussels. Formerly known as the ‘Colonial Palace,’ King Leopold created this museum as a tool to gain investment and to further his political aims for the colonization of Africa. This museum was home to Human Zoos, in which Congolese people were forced to dress in what King Leopold considered “traditional clothing” and live in a constructed “African village” during the day to attract investors. According to Lenore Manderson in his article, “Humans on show: performance, race and representation” in Critical African Studies, human zoos were created for the purpose of showcasing ways money could be made from the extractive plantation industry in Africa, as well as an investment tool to gain support and funds for colonization. To further this mission, non-white people were characterized as being “un-advanced” and in need of European intervention. In 1960, the Museum was renamed the Royal Museum of Central Africa when the Congo gained its independence. After a renovation in 2018, it is now recognized as the Africa Museum.

Although the museum states that they prioritize decolonization, some of the language used on the placards in the museum was passive and avoiding responsibility. This type of language to deflect blame is reminiscent of the colonial propaganda used in the 1880s during the Berlin Conference to outline the terms directing the colonization of Africa. In chapter 1, Article 6, it is stated that “[a]ll the Powers exercising sovereign rights or influence in the aforesaid territories bind themselves to watch over the preservation of the native tribes, and to care for the im­provement of the conditions of their moral and material well-being, and to help in suppress- ing slavery, and especially the slave trade” (Berlin Conference, 1885). This language not only further’s the “civilizing mission,” it is direct hypocrisy; the Europeans are stating that they will look after the moral well-being of Africans as part of their “civilizing mission”, and then precede to deny them of the most basic human rights and exploit them through forced labor by violent means. The use of language to shape historical narratives is extremely important and often can be shaped by bias. An example of the use of rhetoric to deflect blame can be seen on the placards in the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium.

In the Africa Museum, the explicitly expressed narrative is that they are committed to decolonizing spaces and spreading awareness of the atrocities enacted during formal colonization. However, the wording used in placards describing different artifacts and sculptures was often passive and neglected to take full responsibility for the reality of situations (see image above). The museum refers to the stolen Nkisi nkonde, a sacred ritual object in African society used to enhance the potency of medical treatment, as “looted cultural property.” Instead of explicitly stating that they stole a significant cultural artifact from Africa, the museum uses passive language to deflect the full responsibility of their actions.

In addition, the museum effectually blames the resource paradox on Africans without acknowledging this is a result of the gatekeeper state which was caused by colonization. By not explaining how the “resource paradox” came to be, the Africa Museum does not have to bear the weight for the full responsibility of colonialism and its lasting effects on the African economy.

Furthermore, the museum should have recognized how the economic system in the Congo is permanently altered because of colonization, specifically because of the development of a “gatekeeper state,” outlined in Fred Cooper’s in Africa Since 1940: the past of the Present in which power is focused on control of the “gate” between inside and the outside (Cooper, 2019). Since the acquisition of power is derived externally in a gatekeeper state, it is entirely based on external circumstances, therefore very unstable and independent from internal circumstances. Following the end of colonial rule, Africans embodied the economic system modeled to them by the Europeans. They recognized the fleeting power of their former colonizers because of their successful attempts to generate wealth under the noses of their colonial leaders and created a similar gatekeeping state. Scared of losing their power, African leaders heavily relied on control of ports to control trade. Because Africans had relied on Europeans in the past to take care of highly-skilled manufacturing jobs, the African government continued to keep relations with Europeans so they could keep exporting products and raw materials. This economic system makes it extremely difficult for Africa to generate its own wealth and become independent from European powers. This is known as the “resource paradox.”

A more compelling way to decolonize space was in the rotunda of the Africa Museum. The original sculptures created by King Leopold II depict colonial propaganda. However, they have since been covered by the artwork of Congolese artist, Aime Mpane, and Belgian artist, Jean Pierre Muller, to offer a new interpretation that unveils the reality of colonization. I found this exhibit compelling because it acknowledged Belgium’s colonial past and made attempts to to decolonize the historical narrative presented in the Africa Museum. In order for the process of decolonization to improve, acknowledgement of the past needs to be direct and take full responsibility for the heinous violence enacted during colonization.

Since exploring multiple cities in Belgium, it is alarmingly clear that the markers of colonialism are still extremely prevalent. In this post, I will be discussing the modern legacy of colonialism in Brussels, and how the organization of space holds onto its colonial past. In addition, I will be discussing Belgium’s current stance, or rather lack thereof, concerning the colonization of the Congo and how their national identity resonates with their imperial past. 

To observe the modern impact of colonization, it is important to critically observe colonizing countries. To do this, on Tuesday July 11th, we traveled to Brussels to tour the city and learn about the colonization of space. To illustrate this point, we traveled to Matonge, a district within the city originally created for Africans to reside once Belgium opened up its borders to Africa in 1960 after the Congo gained its independence from colonial rule.

Matonge was originally founded as a center for Congolese people to study and eventually developed into an “elite society” of Africans that were conditioned to act like Europeans. The “civilizing mission” of conditioning Africans to act like Europeans to be accepted into society created self-hatred and a social hierarchy within Africans. This furthered the European imperial mission to divide and conquer to oppress and exploit Africans. After all, it is much easier to control people when they don’t view themselves as a collective.

Europeans also had a strong sense of national identity, which allowed them to come together as a Nation to colonize other places. Colonization was supported by the ideology created in the “civilizing mission,” which painted Africans as inferior, and therefore in need of European help. As Timothy Reiss states in his article, “Mapping Identities: Literature, Nationalism, and Colonialism,” viewing different cultures as the “other” will always be problematic and leads to colonizing ideologies.

This area was and still is largely focused on commerce and business development. Although the neighborhood of Matonge is home to many African businesses and restaurants, it is still alarmingly separate from the rest of the city of Brussels and is not recognized as a legal quarter of Brussels. Furthermore, according to an article in The Guardian titled, “Out of Africa: Brussels’ Vibrant Matonge Quarter” after the first wave of Africans were sent to study in Matonge, the area has been too expensive for many African migrants to live in due to the high cost of living (Beddington).

Furthermore, it is extremely important to note that Matonge remains a legally undocumented neighborhood in the city of Brussels. Although the district is extremely established and recognized socially, it does not receive governmental funds because it is not legally recognized. This allows the Belgian government to evade responsibility for the neighborhood and focus funds elsewhere. In addition, during my trip to Matonge, the only legal recognition present was the police. As we walked back to the train station, multiple police cars lined the street. This instance illustrates the nature of African-European relations, one in which policing is often the only form of governmental intervention.

This further feeds into the extractive nature of the European-African relationship, in which Europeans exploits Africans for economic gain through the use of policing and oppressive systems. In addition, this extractive relationship boils down the livelihood of people to their level of output, which is highly consistent with our capitalist economy. In David Boucher’s article “Reclaiming history: dehumanization and the failure of decolonization,” in the International Journal of Social Economics, he argues that the impetus for capitalism and Neo-colonialism is dehumanization through the denying of basic human rights and forced labor.

In my experience being in Matonge, it was like walking through a separate city with an entirely different culture and energy. Although I believe it is extremely important for African culture to be recognized and celebrated in Brussels, the idea that this neighborhood is the only area in which African businesses flourish, and Africans cannot even afford to live here is extremely disheartening. The high cost of living, segregation of space, and the unofficial legality of Matonge is another lasting effect of colonialism that forms the current capitalist society in which we live.

The segregation of space allows the government to concentrate funds and wealth in certain areas, neglecting other spaces where people of color live. This directly correlates to the segregation of space in Baltimore, Maryland, in which wealth is heavily segregated in areas that are predominantly white. This is eloquently outlined in Lawrence Brown’s, The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in American. It is never separate and equal. There will always be a power imbalance with division.

Our tour guide in Brussels even mentioned that when people speak of Matonge they use words such as “dangerous” to describe this area. This type of rhetoric is used to deny Africans acceptance as equal members of society and another product of colonial propaganda. The language we use to describe places is important in shaping historical narratives and in how we navigate the world.

In addition to the colonization of space and the language used to keep systems of oppression in place, the characterizations of Africans stemming from the “civilizing mission” are deeply intertwined with Belgium’s passive acknowledgement of its colonialist past. As of 2020, Belgium still had not formally condemned its colonial past, nor made a public apology. According to an article in the Brussels Times titled “Congo Commission: Apologies are Not Enough,” the Belgian parliament had organized to hold meetings that would discuss the colonization of the Congo and attempt to make reparations. Belgium’s avoidance of their colonial past does not make their heinous actions disappear. These spaces bear markers of their colonial past, even without explicit acknowledgment. Until the Belgian government recognizes their colonization of the Congo, the process of decolonization cannot begin.

The study abroad course, Colonial Africa, covers the period of formal European colonization that stretches from the late 1800s to the late 1990s. During this course, we will be exploring different cities in Belgium and observing how colonialism is still reflected in the architecture, historical narratives, and in museums. Prior to arriving in Belgium, my expectations for this course were to expand my worldview and explore the modern legacy of colonialism. Recently I have been doing research and listening to podcasts on how people in power obtain and sustain their status through a cycle of oppression.

One of the main ways in which power is established and sustained in a capitalist society is through language and rhetoric. As part of their “civilizing mission,” European powers painted Africans as “primitive,” “childlike,” “savage,” and therefore undeserving of basic human decency. This justified their violence to the general public because the circulating belief created in the media was that Africans needed Europeans to help them become more “civilized.” This type of language was then compounded with colonial propaganda and caricatures that depicted Africans with over-exaggerated physical traits. These physical traits then became associated with specific character traits. An example of such rhetoric paired with certain physical traits can be seen in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “The White Man’s Burden” (1899) accompanied by Victor Gillam’s cartoon representation of the poem. The poem describes non-white people as “half-child and half devil,” (Kipling, 1899). By characterizing Africans as evil and childlike, European imperial powers were able to justify their violent exploitation of Africans because the narrative being generated was that non-white people needed help to become more civilized and developed. This enabled colonizers to wield power and use violence with impunity.

I am extremely interested in learning the history of capitalism and how the European’s “civilizing mission” formed into the capitalistic standards we currently face today. Although I have a solid understanding of the general lasting effects of colonialism, I am excited to learn about the specific legacies in modern day life, especially in a country like Belgium whose colonization of Africa was so recent. I also hope to gain an understanding of the legacies of colonization in the United States and how we as a collective society can actively work to make reparations for our past. For now, what is extremely clear to me is that without a distinct understanding of our past, we can never be expected to change.

Victor Gillam’s cartoon, “The White Man’s Burden (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)”

In preparation for this trip, I watched the film King Leopold’s Ghost, read Laumann’s Colonial Africa, and read an excerpt from Fred Cooper’s, Africa Since 1940. Regarding an inability to reckon with their past, the film “King Leopold’s Ghost” recounts Belgium’s colonization of the Congo firstly by King Leopold and later by the country of Belgium. The colonial violence enacted by King Leopold and later the country of Belgium left a lasting effect on the Congolese people, their land, and their economy. Environmental violence was enacted based on the belief that Africa was an area with extremely rich natural resources that provided an opportunity for European Empires to increase economic gain substantially compared to the slave trade (Laumann, 6). Environmental violence enacted by transnational companies to excavate the mineral coltan still exists in the Congo to this day; the extraction of coltan comes at the expense of the health of the Congolese people in the form of radiation poisoning, cancer, and birth defects. Although formal colonization is over, Europeans continue to exploit and take advantage of the natural resources in Africa (2006).

Deeply intertwined to both environmental and physical violence, psychological violence was used to manipulate the public about the reality of the “Congo Free State,” painting the violent colonization of the Congo as a “civilizing mission.” (2006). By painting Africans as “primitive” and “underdeveloped,” Europeans were able to continue exploiting the people living in the Congo for free slave labor. This form of oppression forms the foundation for capitalism in our modern society. The livelihood of people is boiled down to their rate of success and productivity, further dehumanizing the working class and granting power to the oppressors. In addition, political violence was used to manipulate the Congolese to sign over their land in exchange for protection in the form of bogus “peace treaties” (Laumann, 11). King Leopold acquired the Congo under the guise of protection and then used his power to exploit human beings for his own economic gain.

The actions of King Leopold and other European nations continue to affect the lives of people living in Africa and Belgium. This is especially present in the architecture and artwork when walking around the city of Brussels. During our exploration of the city, we encountered countless examples of Belgium’s colonial past and their inability to come to terms with their heinous actions. An example that stuck out to me was the statue of King Leopold II located next to the Royal Palace. His statue appears larger than life, creating an expressive quality of prestige and importance. This statue and the area surrounding it makes no effort to acknowledge King Leopold’s violence enacted against the Congolese people during his colonization.  In addition, the ING Bxl Marnix bank located behind King Leopold’s statue funded his colonization and still exists today. During our discussions, we spoke of ways in which these monuments can be transformed to acknowledge their colonial past. One idea suggested that the statues be replaced with memorials for the people who lost their lives because of King Leopold II and plaques that include information about Belgium’s colonization and the atrocities that occurred. This would allow for an acknowledgement of the past and an attempt to make reparations. Since exploring Belgium, reading through historical texts, and having informed discussions about colonialism, it is clear to see how deeply intertwined the systems of oppression we have today are to formal colonization.

Sources:

King Leopold’s Ghost, directed by Oreet Rees (Linden Productions, 2006).  

Laumann, Dennis. African World Histories: Colonial Africa, 1884-1994. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013. 

Rudyard Kipling, “The White Man’s Burden: The United States & The Philippine Islands, 1899.” McClure’s Magazine 12 (February, 1899). 

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