Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University History Dissertations Department of History 12-15-2016 Covering Africa in the Age of Independence: Divergent Voices in U.S. Print Media, 1957-1975 Carrie L. Whitney Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss Recommended Citation Whitney, Carrie L., "Covering Africa in the Age of Independence: Divergent Voices in U.S. Print Media, 1957-1975." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2016. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_diss/55 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Dissertations by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. COVERING AFRICA IN THE AGE OF INDEPENDENCE: DIVERGENT VOICES IN U.S. PRINT MEDIA, 1957-1975 by CARRIE L. WHITNEY Under the Direction of Ian C. Fletcher, PhD ABSTRACT This dissertation critically examines how U.S. print media sought to represent the realities of decolonizing and newly independent countries in West Africa by focusing on pivotal events and charismatic leaders from the “non” vote in Guinea in 1958 to the radical appeal of Amilcar Cabral in Guinea-Bissau in 1973. The framing and agenda setting of mainstream media coverage turned leaders and events into metonyms not only for peoples and nations but also for Africa and Africans as a whole. However, the complexities of West Africa, such as political rivalry in the Congo or civil war in Nigeria, troubled such representations. Thus this dissertation tracks the widening of coverage and opening up of representations in African American and New Left print media in a time of global unrest as well as Cold War. INDEX WORDS: West Africa, U.S. media, Cold War, Agenda setting, Framing, Decolonization COVERING AFRICA IN THE AGE OF INDEPENDENCE: DIVERGENT VOICES IN U.S. PRINT MEDIA, 1957-1975 by CARRIE L. WHITNEY A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2016 Copyright by Carrie L. Whitney 2016 COVERING AFRICA IN THE AGE OF INDEPENDENCE: DIVERGENT VOICES IN U.S. PRINT MEDIA, 1957-1975 by CARRIE L. WHITNEY Committee Chair: Ian. C. Fletcher Committee: Mohammed Hassen Ali Harcourt Fuller Leonard Ray Teel Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University December 2016 iv DEDICATION As I worked to complete this dissertation, I labored always with the support of family, friends, and colleagues who have encouraged me for many years and in some ways suffered the pains of scholarship with me. From early days in the Cube Farm to the solitary process of writing, camaraderie among the graduate students made the challenge of earning a doctorate conceivable. Beginning alphabetically, it was with Abou Bamba before I had even become a historian with whom I first went “in search of Africa.” I appreciate Abou’s understanding of my immediate obsession with Sékou Touré and for his insistence that I have something useful to contribute to scholarship. I am thankful to have made this journey with Beth Bullock Spencer who holds high standards that I find myself trying to meet. After several years of not progressing successfully from exams to prospectus, the little research group with Andrew Reisinger and Lauren Moran enabled me to move forward. From early days, Derrick Lanois proved a stalwart friend as we navigated the roles of graduate student and instructor together. And in later years, I was fortunate for the reassurance of Allyson Tadjer as we worked on opposite projects. With Abou having successfully moved on to a faculty position elsewhere, it was helpful to have another person willing to hear my thoughts on S.T. Non-historian friends have kindly endured numerous conversations about my research as well as mitigated my ongoing sense of uncertainty. Seated on top of a mountain in New Hampshire, Dori Wolfson, a great giver of advice, first instructed me that my future lay in academia. She was, of course, correct, and since that time has not wavered in her support of my goal. My childhood friend who I would still choose as an adult, Marni Lennon has provided encouragement and counsel as I have worked to make this transition into academia. Knowing that I could always count on Marni and our PV friends Melissa Schildkraut, Tammy Lenkeit, and ii Carolee Grodi has gotten me through some tough moments. Tammy, I apologize for starting every yoga class with a complaint about the state of my research. Two amazing business women who provided me with work to financially support my love of learning, Suzanne Shaw and Andi Frey deserve my warmest gratitude for their understanding of the demands that my teaching, research, and writing schedule has made on my time. To my family, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to follow this dream. I am grateful to know that the Whitneys have been behind me cheering me on and look forward to hearing a full response to this dissertation from my father, Allan Whitney. None of this would have been possible without the assistance and devotion of my mother Wendy Whitney, who always knew that I could do it, even when I did not. Thanks, mom for the years of helping me get the space I needed to read, study, write, and try not to go crazy. Most of all, I would not have persevered in this process without the constant thought of my daughters Isabella and Colette and my desire to show them that anything was possible as long as you refuse to give up. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A work of this scope that spans more than a decade and crosses many borders would not have been possible without the support of several individuals to whom I owe a debt of considerable gratitude. Most importantly, I am grateful to Ian C. Fletcher who served as my dissertation advisor for more years than he probably expected to. Thank you, Dr. Fletcher for seeing me through the lengthy process of coursework, exams, and the various avenues of research that piqued my interest. I truly appreciate that you did not relinquish this capricious graduate student and instead had the patience to allow me explore my myriad interests. Throughout many years, you have been an advisor and a friend, and your steadfastness has made this dissertation possible. The support and expertise of my dissertation committee members has been crucial to my research. Mohammed Hassen Ali first led me through a thrilling look at Nigerian literature, and I feel fortunate to have counted him among my committee from the beginning. His vast knowledge and encouraging manner have often driven me to look deeper and go further. During the final years of my Ph.D. program, I was privileged to become reacquainted with Leonard Ray Teel, a scholar whose work combines journalism and history. Obviously an ideal fit for my dissertation committee, Dr. Teel reinvigorated my zest for scholarship and helped get me through the writing process. A decisive member of the committee, Harcourt Fuller brought his knowledge of African history and theory to the process, injecting my research with important avenues of scholarship. His keen lines of inquiry already point me to the future possibilities for my work on Africa and U.S. media. Throughout my graduate program, many other professors have made contributions to my research as well as my growth as a scholar, and a few must be included here. Michele Reid- vi Vazquez salvaged my dissertation at a critical moment and sparked the idea for what this research would become. With his penchant for theory, Duane Corpis first induced me to begin this program in history. Christine Skwiot taught me about transnational scholarship and coached me through my first teaching experience. Finally, I am grateful to the faculty and staff of the Georgia State University Department of History for probably too many years of support. The program has prepared me well as a scholar and a teacher, and it has proven an enjoyable experience. Additionally, I appreciate the GSU Department of Communication for offering me a home away from home during the final years of my doctoral program. I close with a last expression of gratitude to the GSU library, in particular the helpful staff of Interlibrary Loan, who managed to locate almost any source for which I had a need, allowing my research to continuously grow in richness. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................. v 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 2 “VOTEZ ‘NON’” – HOW THE MEDIA PORTRAYED A FACE OFF BETWEEN THE GENERAL AND THE ELEPHANT OVER GUINEA’S VOTE IN THE FRENCH COMMUNITY, 1958 ................................................................................................ 23 2.1 Dueling Myths ..................................................................................................... 24 2.2 The Politics of French West Africa ................................................................... 32 2.3 Coverage in TIME .............................................................................................. 42 2.4 Coverage in the Chicago Defender .................................................................... 60 2.5 Conclusion ..........................................................................................................