SJS 2 - "Africa's Struggles for Decolonization: from Achebe to Mandela"

Source: Zeleza, Paul Tiyambe. "Africa's struggles for decolonization: from Achebe to Mandela." Research in African Literatures 45.4 (2014): 121+. Student Resources in Context. Web. 1 Oct. 2015.

Author Credentials: This author is qualified to write this journal because he is a professor at Quinnipiac University. Because of this title and status, he can be relied upon for accurate information, since professors commonly dedicate their life's work to their area of expertise.

Summary: This journal focuses on the struggle of Africans in developing their states into more efficient, recovered systems after the end of European rule. Beyond this, the author included Pan-Africanism was a prime example of the diversity between the different nations in Africa, since the movement was able to exhibit the extent to which individuals disputed about the social construct of race and its reflection upon one's status. Nationalism was also addressed in the journal, and the text identified how nationalism contains cultural components. The author also analyzed Achebe and Mandela's works in society, stating that Achebe was able to encompass the large variety of cultures in Africa into a single novel, inspiring many other Africans to write literature as well. From there, the author discusses Mandela's key role in the repeal of apartheid and how, as a popular South African leader, he was able to negotiate terms in which the white minority rule would end.

Analysis: The author of this journal made a strong argument to support his thesis, and included extensive evidence to further prove his position. The difference between fact and opinion is explicitly clarified, as much of the text is factual evidence on African history and the evaluation of two important African leaders. This journal is a reliable source because the author is certified to write on the subject of the document and cites an extensive list of sources from which he collaborated his argument.