Kapuściński Quotes on Africa
Ryszard Kapuściński's quotes on Africa — on the continent, colonialism, racism and the difference between cultures. A selection from The Shadow of the Sun and Another Day of Life.
Translation note: Unless a published English translator is named, the wording on this page is an editorial translation from Polish and may differ from the authorised English-language edition.
A selection of Ryszard Kapuściński’s quotes on Africa — on the difference of the continent, colonialism, racism and the dignity of life. Thoughts from The Shadow of the Sun and Another Day of Life.
📖 See also: all quotes by Kapuściński · The Shadow of the Sun — analysis
On Africa and its difference
“Only with the greatest of simplifications can we say: Africa. In reality, Africa does not exist.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Nothing builds a bond between people in Africa faster than laughing together.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“Morning and dusk are the pleasantest hours in Africa. The sun is not yet burning, or no longer stings — it lets you be, it lets you live.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“The bush will teach you to value water more than all the riches of the world.” — The Shadow of the Sun
On colonialism and the difference between cultures
“Racism, hatred of others, comes out of colonialism, out of a sense of superiority.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“The European mind acknowledges that it has limits, accepts its own imperfection, is sceptical, doubts, puts question marks. Other cultures do not have this.” — The Shadow of the Sun
“The price of a slave was set according to the quality of his teeth. People pulled their own teeth out or filed them down with stones so as to have a low market value. So much torment, just to be free.” — Another Day of Life
“What is striking is that the same person has different customs in a different place.” — The Shadow of the Sun
See also
source: kapuscinski.info