Question: What is Equiano’s argument against the charge of African inferiority?(Hint: think about Hume’s criteria for inferiority) Many non-African’s believed that Africans were inferior to other races and A famous person to have a belief of the inferiority of Africans was DavidHume. In fact, Hume wrote a famous essay which included his reasons forAfrican inferiority. Although many people agreed with him, people of Africandescent obviously did not. One African, Olaudah Equiano, wrote about hisexperiences with slavery and also spoke against other races, especially whites’,negative views toward the African race.David Hume wrote about many ways in which Africans were inferior toother races, and one of his reasons for inferiority was for the Africans’ “lack ofarts”. Equiano begged to differ. In his writing, Equiano gave examples of howAfricans did, actually, have involvemnet with the arts. During a celebration, forexample, Equiano wrote of how song and dance played an important role in thecelebration. Both song and dance are forms of art. Other races looked down as Africans as unintelligent and unskillful, whenin fact many Africans(in their home land) were skillful and intelligent. Equianospoke of priests and magicians who also acted as doctors and helped people getbetter if they were ill, as well as advise them if they had a problem. If thoseAfrican priests and magicians did not have any intelligence, then they would nothave the ability to help people as they did. Therefore, Africans did, in fact haveintelligence, although they were accused of not having intelligence.In his writing, Equiano proved to the public that Africans were not inferiorto other races and he gave valid examples to back up what he had to say. ...
