Paulo Freire and Emancipatory Praxis in Africa

There has been a growing resurgence of interest in Paulo Freire in recent times. In much of this work, there has been a tendency to focus on him as a pedagogue rather than as an emancipatory political thinker; his involvement in and influence on liberation struggles in Africa, in particular, have received little attention. This is concerning, given that his involvement spanned a period of about two decades and came at a pivotal moment in both the continent’s history and his own life. Here, we critically reflect on Freire’s praxis in relation to the African continent, arguing that this warrants greater acknowledgement.