Edward Wilmot Blyden (3 August 1832 – 7 February 1912) was a Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician who was primarily active in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

. Born in the

Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies ( da, Dansk Vestindien) or Danish Antilles or Danish Virgin Islands were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with ; Saint John ( da, St. Jan) with ; and Saint Croix with . The ...

, he joined the waves of black immigrants from

the Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

who migrated to the country. Blyden became a teacher for five years in the British West African colony of Sierra Leone in the early twentieth century. His writings on

pan-Africanism Pan-Africanism is a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous and diaspora peoples of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement exte ...

became influential throughout West Africa, attracting attention in countries such as the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

as well. He believed that

Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

was a model for what he termed

Ethiopianism Ethiopianism may refer to: * Ethiopian studies, the western academic study of Ethiopian history and culture * The Ethiopian movement, a social movement the began in Southern Africa in the late 19th and 20th centuries * The Ethiopian nationalism ...

, and that African Americans could return to Africa and help in the

rebuilding Remanufacturing is "the rebuilding of a product to specifications of the original manufactured product using a combination of reused, repaired and new parts". It requires the repair or replacement of worn out or obsolete components and modules. P ...

of the continent. Blyden was recognised in his youth for his talents and drive; he was educated and mentored by John Knox, an

American Protestant Protestantism is the largest grouping of Christians in the United States, with its combined denominations collectively comprising about 43% of the country's population (or 141 million people) in 2019. Other estimates suggest that 48.5% of the U ...

minister in Sankt Thomas who encouraged him to continue his education in the United States. In 1850 Blyden was refused admission to three Northern theological seminaries because of his race. Knox encouraged him to go to Liberia, a colony set up for free people of color by the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of freebor ...

. Blyden emigrated in 1850 and made his career and life there. He married into a prominent family and soon started working as a journalist. Blyden's ideas remain influential to this day.

Early life and education

Blyden was born on 3 August 1832 in Sankt Thomas,

(now known as the

American Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands,. Also called the ''American Virgin Islands'' and the ''U.S. Virgin Islands''. officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and an unincorporated and organized territory ...

), to free black parents who claimed descent from the

Igbo Igbo may refer to: * Igbo people, an ethnic group of Nigeria * Igbo language, their language * anything related to Igboland, a cultural region in Nigeria See also * Ibo (disambiguation) * Igbo mythology * Igbo music * Igbo art * * Igbo-Ukwu, a ...

people of present-day

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. Between 1842 and 1845 the family lived in Porto Bello,

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, where Blyden discovered a facility for languages, becoming fluent in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

. According to the historian Hollis R. Lynch, in 1845 Blyden met the Reverend John P. Knox, a white American, who became pastor of the St. Thomas Protestant

Dutch Reformed The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

Church.Hollis R. Lynch
''Edward Wilmot Blyden: Pan-Negro Patriot, 1832–1912''
New York: Oxford University Press, 1967, p. 4. Blyden and his family lived near the church, and Knox was impressed with the studious, intelligent boy. Knox became his mentor, encouraging Blyden's considerable aptitude for oratory and literature. Mainly because of his close association with Knox, the young Blyden decided to become a minister, which his parents encouraged. In May 1850, Blyden, accompanied by Reverend Knox's wife, went to the United States to enroll in

Rutgers Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and w ...

Theological College, Knox's ''alma mater.'' He was refused admission due to his race. Efforts to enroll him in two other theological colleges also failed. Knox encouraged Blyden to go to Liberia, the colony set up in the 1830s by the

(ACS) in West Africa, where he thought Blyden would be able to use his talents. Later in 1850, Blyden sailed to Liberia. He soon became deeply involved in its development. Starting in 1860, Blyden corresponded with

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, who would later become a significant

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

leader and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Gladstone offered Blyden an opportunity to study in England in 1861, but Blyden declined due to his obligations in Liberia.

Marriage, family and legacy

Blyden married Sarah Yates, an

Americo-Liberian Americo-Liberian people or Congo people or Congau people in Liberian English,Cooper, Helene, ''The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood'' (United States: Simon and Schuster, 2008), p. 6 are a Liberian ethnic group of Afric ...

from the prominent Yates family. She was the daughter of Hilary Yates and his wife. Her paternal uncle,

Beverly Page Yates Beverly or Beverley may refer to: Places Australia *Beverley, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide *Beverley, Western Australia, a town *Shire of Beverley, Western Australia Canada *Beverly, Alberta, a town that amalgamated with the City of Ed ...

, served as vice-president of Liberia from 1856 to 1860 under President

Stephen Allen Benson Stephen Allen Benson (May 21, 1816 – January 24, 1865) was a Liberian politician who served as the second president of Liberia from 1856 to 1864. Prior to that, he served as the third vice president of Liberia from 1854 to 1856 under President J ...

. Blyden and Sarah had three children together. Later, while living for several years in

Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and po ...

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierr ...

, Blyden had a long-term relationship with Anna Erskine, a Liberian woman from

Clay-Ashland Clay-Ashland is a township located from the capital city of Monrovia in Liberia. The town is in the St. Paul River District of Montserrado County. It is named after Henry Clay — a slaveowner and American Colonization Society co-founder who ...

who had moved to Freetown in 1877. She was a granddaughter of

James Spriggs-Payne James Spriggs Payne (December 19, 1819 – January 31, 1882) served as the fourth and eighth president of Liberia, from 1868 to 1870 and from 1876 to 1878.President of Liberia. Blyden and Erskine had five children together. In the 21st century, many Blyden descendants living in Sierra Leone identify as part of the Krio population. Among these descendants is Sylvia Blyden, publisher of the ''Awareness Times''. Blyden died on 7 February 1912 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he was buried at

Racecourse Cemetery A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

. In honour of him, the 20th-century Pan-Africanist

George Padmore George Padmore (28 June 1903 – 23 September 1959), born Malcolm Ivan Meredith Nurse, was a leading Pan-Africanist, journalist, and author. He left his native Trinidad in 1924 to study medicine in the United States, where he also joined the Com ...

named his daughter Blyden.

Career

Emigrating to Liberia in 1850 Blyden was soon working in journalism. From 1855 to 1856 he edited the ''Liberia Herald'' and wrote the column "A Voice From Bleeding Africa". He also spent time in British colonies in West Africa, particularly

and

, writing for early newspapers in both colonies. He also served as editor at ''The Negro'' and ''The African World''. He maintained ties with the

and published in their '' African Repository, African Repository and Colonial Journal''. In 1861 Blyden became professor of Greek and Latin at

Liberia College The University of Liberia (UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia Coll ...

. He was selected as president of the college, serving 1880–1884 during a period of expansion. As a diplomat Blyden served as an ambassador for Liberia to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. He also traveled to the United States where he spoke to major black churches about his work in Africa. Blyden believed that Black Americans could end their suffering of

racial discrimination Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain g ...

by returning to Africa and helping to develop it. He was criticized by African Americans who wanted to gain full civil rights in their birth nation of the United States and did not identify with Africa. In suggesting a redemptive role for African Americans in Africa through what he called

, Blyden likened their suffering in the diaspora to that of the

Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

; he supported the 19th-century

Zionist Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

project of Jews returning to Palestine.''Black Zion : African American Religious Encounters with Judaism'', edited by Yvonne Chireau, Nathaniel Deutsch; Oxford University Press, 1999, Google eBook, p. 15
/ref> In their book Israel in the Black American Perspective Robert G. Weisbord and Richard Kazarian write that in his booklet ''The Jewish Question'' (published in 1898, the year after the First Zionist Congress) Blyden describes that while traveling in the Middle East in 1866 he wanted to travel to "the original home of the Jews--to see Jerusalem and Mt. Zion, the joy of the whole earth." While in Jerusalem he visited the Western Wall. Blyden advocated for the Jewish settlement of Palestine and chided Jews for not taking advantage of the opportunity to live in their ancient homeland. Blyden was familiar with

Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...

and his book '' The Jewish State'', praising it for expressing ideas which "have given such an impetus to the real work of the Jews as will tell with enormous effect upon their future history". Later in life Blyden became involved in Islam and concluded that it was a more "African" religion than

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

for African Americans and Americo-Liberians. Participating in the development of the country Blyden was appointed the Liberian Secretary of State (1862–64). He was later appointed as Secretary of the Interior (1880–82). Blyden contested the 1885 presidential election for the Republican Party, but lost to incumbent Hilary R. W. Johnson. From 1901 to 1906 Blyden directed the education of

Sierra Leonean Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...

Muslims at an institution in Sierra Leone where he lived in

. This is when he had his relationship with Anna Erskine; they had five children together. He became passionate about Islam during this period, recommending it to African Americans as the major religion most in keeping with their historic roots in Africa.

Writings

As a writer, Blyden has been regarded by some as the "father of

Pan-Africanism Pan-Africanism is a worldwide movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all Indigenous and diaspora peoples of African ancestry. Based on a common goal dating back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement exte ...

" and is noted as one of the first people to articulate a notion of "African Personality" and the uniqueness of the "African race." His ideas have influenced many twentieth-century figures including

Marcus Garvey Marcus Mosiah Garvey Sr. (17 August 188710 June 1940) was a Jamaican political activist, publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator. He was the founder and first President-General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African ...

and Kwame Nkrumah. His major work, ''Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race'' (1887), promoted the idea that practicing Islam was more unifying and fulfilling for Africans than

. Blyden believed that practicing Christianity had a demoralizing effect on Africans, although he continued to be a Christian. He thought Islam was more authentically African, as it had been brought to Sub-Saharan areas by people from North Africa. His book quickly became controversial. At first many people did not believe that an African had written it; his promotion of Islam was disputed. In later printings, Blyden included his photograph as the frontispiece. His book included the following:

Let us do away with the sentiment of Race. Let us do away with out African personality and be lost, if possible, in another Race.' This is as wise or as philosophical as to say, let us do away with gravitation, with heat and cold and sunshine and rain. Of course, the Race in which these persons would be absorbed is the dominant race, before which, in cringing self-surrender and ignoble self-suppression they lie in prostrate admiration.

Due to his belief in Ethiopianism, in the late 19th century Blyden publicly supported the creation of a Jewish state in

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

, praising

as the creator of "that marvelous movement called

."George Bornstein, "The Colors of Zion: Black, Jewish, and Irish Nationalisms at the turn of the Century"
''Modernism/modernity'' 12.3 (2005), Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 369–84.

Works

Books

Call of Providence to the Descendants of Africa in America", A Discourse Delivered to Coloured Congregations in the Cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, during the Summer of 1862, in ''Liberia's Offering: Being Addresses, Sermons, etc.''
New York: John A. Gray, 1862.
''Christianity, Islam and the Negro Race''
London, W. B. Whittingham & Co., 1887; 2nd Edition 1888; University of Edinburgh Press, 3rd Edition, 1967; reprint of 1888 edition, Baltimore, Maryland: Black Classic Press, 1994 (edition on Googlebooks).
''African Life and Customs''
London: C. M. Phillips, 1908; reprint Baltimore, Maryland: Black Classic Press, 1994.
''West Africa Before Europe: and Other Addresses, Delivered in England in 1901 and 1903''
London: C. M. Phillips, 1905.

Essays and speeches

* "Africa for the Africans," '' African Repository and Colonial Journal'', Washington, DC: January 1872. * "The Call of Providence to the Descendants of Africa in America", A Discourse Delivered to Coloured Congregations in the Cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Harrisburg, during the Summer of 1862, in ''Liberia's Offering: Being Addresses, Sermons, etc.'', New York: John A. Gray, 1862.
"The Elements of Permanent Influence"
Discourse Delivered at the 15th St. Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC, Sunday, 16 February 1890, Washington, DC: R. L. Pendleton (published by request), 1890 (hosted on Virtual Museum of Edward W. Blyden). * "Liberia as a Means, Not an End", Liberian Independence Oration: 26 July 1867; '' African Repository and Colonial Journal'', Washington, DC: November 1867. * "The Negro in Ancient History, Liberia: Past, Present, and Future," ''Methodist Quarterly Review'', Washington, DC: M'Gill & Witherow Printer. * "The Origin and Purpose of African Colonization", A Discourse Delivered at the 66th Anniversary of the

, Washington, DC, 14 January 1883, Washington, 1883. * E. W. Blyden M.A., ''Report on the Falaba Expedition 1872'', Addressed to His Excellency Governor J. Pope Hennessy, C.M.G., Published by authority Freetown, Sierra Leone. Printed at Government Office, 1872. * "Liberia at the American Centennial", ''Methodist Quarterly Review'', July 1877. * "America in Africa," ''Christian Advocate'' I, 28 July 1898, II, 4 August 1898. * "The Negro in the United States," ''

A.M.E. Church Review The ''A.M.E. Church Review'' is the journal of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Established in 1841 and revived in 1884, it is arguably the earliest published African-American journal. It publishes articles on religion, politics, history, a ...

'', January 1900.

References

External links

*
''African Repository and Colonial Journal''
Internet Archive, issues online {{DEFAULTSORT:Blyden, E. W. 1832 births 1912 deaths Sierra Leone Creole people Sierra Leonean academics Sierra Leonean Christians University of Liberia faculty Americo-Liberian people Liberian writers Liberian pan-Africanists Liberian Christians Americo-Liberians of Igbo descent Presidents of the University of Liberia Foreign Ministers of Liberia Interior ministers of Liberia People from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Sierra Leonean pan-Africanists People of colonial Nigeria Secretaries of the Interior (Liberia) 19th-century Liberian writers 20th-century Liberian writers English-language writers