This work locates Black identity in relation to Africa and the African diaspora. It uncovers how histories connected with the domination, imagination and interpretation of Africa are constructive of a range of political and theoretical parameters around race. The book explores the meanings generated by "Africa" and "Blackness" throughout the 20th century. Using literary texts, autobiography, ethnography and historical documents, it suggests that Africa "As Origin" is crucial for any analysis of modernity, nationhood, and racial difference.