THE BEAUTY OF AFROCENTRISM

The Afrocentric, or African-centered, worldview is very different from the Eurocentric, or Europe-centered, worldview. Afrocentrism is centered around the beliefs that:

The highest value of life lies in the interpersonal relationships between humans;
One gains knowledge through symbolic imagery and rhythm;
One should live in harmony with nature;
There is a oneness between humans and nature;
The survival of the group holds the utmost importance;
Humans should appropriately utilize the materials around them;
One's self is complementary to others;
Change occurs in a natural, evolutionary cycle;
Spirituality and inner divinities hold the most significance;
There are a plethora of deities to worship;
Cooperation, collective responsibility, and interdependence are the key values to which all should strive to achieve;
All humans are considered to: be equal, share a common bond, and be a part of the group;
The Afrocentric worldview is a circular one, in which all events are tied together with one another.

The Eurocentric worldview is centered around the beliefs that:

The highest value of life lies in the object, or in the acquisition of the object;
One gains knowledge through counting and measuring;
One should control and dominate nature;
There is a dichotomy, or separateness, between nature and man;
The survival of the fittest holds the utmost importance;
Men should have an unlimited exploitation of the materials around them;
One's self is distinct from others;
Change occurs to meet the immediate objectives, and is quite arbitrary;
A distant, impersonal god holds the most significance;
There is only one supreme deity to worship;
Competition, independence, separateness, and individual rights are the key values to which all should strive to achieve;
All men are considered to be individualistic, unique, and different;
The Eurocentric worldview is a linear one, in which all events are separate and there is no togetherness.