National Liberation and Culture-Amilcar Cabral

"Culture...is thus an essential element in the history of a people." (Cabral, page 13)

I thought this quote was very interesting, especially in the context of our studies of the African colonies of Portugal. Without culture, we would know very little about places such as Cabo Verde and Guinea Bissau. These places, if the Portuguese would have had their way, would not have had any history to them. They would not have had any culture of their own. But would be, as the Portuguese dictator Salazar saw them, simply extensions of Portugal and of Europe. However, thanks to their culture (their music, dancing, writing etc.) we know of their history and that they were and are indeed countries of their own with their own personality, culture, and in turn, history.