Why Afropolitanism Matters

In this article, I trace the variously convergent, sometimes celebratory, often critical literature on Afropolitanism as an analytic concept and mode of identification in the (African) world today. Moving beyond narrowly defined, and often antagonistic, statements concerning the nature and meaning of Afropolitanism, I consider what the idea of the Afropolitan may contribute as a polysemous signifier in current African studies. My endorsement of the idea is, however, qualified, encouraging scholars to be cognizant of the lines of intellectual flight that academics and public intellectuals have employed to promote, refine, develop, and (justifiably, though perhaps too eagerly) disparage Afropolitanism as a theoretical resource in the Africanist's toolkit.