In a research paper, African philosophy scholar Jonathan Okeke Chimakonam argues that the name “Africa” is a racial slur and should be replaced. According to him, the name came from European colonists and slavers who first visited the continent as traders and explorers in the 1400s. These Europeans named the continent Africa, believed to derive from the Greek word aphrike, which means to be without cold, so they could easily identify it. Aphrike translates in Latin to aprica, which means sunny. Chimakonam argues that this naming, focused on the continent’s climate rather than its people and cultures, perpetuates a colonial mindset that dehumanizes the inhabitants. He proposes renaming the continent to something like “Anaesia,” which derives from Igbo words meaning “land of origin,” reflecting Africa’s role as the cradle of humanity.
SOURCE: THE CONVERSATION
