Visions of African Unity: New Perspectives on the History of Pan-Africanism and African Unification Projects (African Histories and Modernities)

This collection of essays analyzes different iterations of African unity, exploring the political and cultural visions that informed projects aimed at African unification. It explores the cultural, economic and non-state aspects of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) as the principal institution dedicated to the cooperation of African states, from its establishment in 1963 to its transformation into the African Union (AU) in 2000, as well as how ideas of African unity shaped the Cold War and African liberation struggles. Bringing together contributors from a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds across Africa, Europe and the US, this book investigates the ideological origins and historiography of Pan-African and unification projects, and considers how African intellectuals, leaders and populations engaged with these ideas. 

Frank Gerits is Assistant Professor in the History of International Relations at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He previously held postdoctoral positions at New York University, USA, and the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.