August 2, 2026
Once again we observe Africans being chased away like wild dogs from the coasts of Europe. Historical primary sources confirm that initial European explorers documented extraordinary generosity and warmth from indigenous populations, descriptions of stark contrast with the intent to enslave and exploit, guised under civilizing and religious missions.
Christopher Columbus (The Americas)
Upon landing in the Caribbean in 1492, Christopher Columbus kept detailed logs and letters detailing his interaction with the Taíno (Arawak) people. He openly marvelled at their kindness, using it immediately to calculate how easily they could be subjugated.
David Livingstone (Africa)
David Livingstone, the 19th-century Scottish missionary and explorer, traveled extensively through Central and East Africa. Unlike the later purely commercial colonizers, Livingstone relied entirely on the hospitality, guidance, and protection of local African chiefs and communities to survive his journeys.
From his own book Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (1857):
“The people are remarkably kind… We were connected to be dependent on their bounty, and we never had reason to regret it. They are under a system of government which is remarkably well adapted to their circumstances, and they are by no means the savages they are often represented to be.”
He frequently noted the stark contrast between African generosity and European conduct:
“We found the tribes exceedingly hospitable… I have no fear of the people; they are naturally peaceful. My only fear is of the white men who follow in my footsteps.”
Early global expansion succeeded largely because indigenous populations offered hospitality, resources, and free passage to foreign travelers.
Historians and sociologists frequently point out this historical irony: Western nations, whose civilization, enormous wealth, global advancement in industrialization and technological advancement stands tall, were at the beginning completely built upon entering African, American and other foreign lands, uninvited—and being met initially with indigenous hospitality — now have built high legal and physical walls to enforce their anti-immigrant policies. Sometimes these enforcements are brutal and inhumane.
The brutality is a cruel irony. Western wealth was built on the enslaved, the colonized, and looted resources. Africa taught them humanity, but they never learned.
Editor’s Note: Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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