As seen throughout Sembene’s novel, one of the key elements of the railway strike is the importance of leadership and trust among the railway workers and the African community. With the direction of wise and educated leaders, the railway men are brought together and are given a sense of empowerment in their affairs with the French government. Two of these leaders that Sembene mention in his novel are Bakayoko and Fa Keita. Bakayoko is a

One of the main points of Cooper’s article is that although the strike is a good thing for the railway union, it is not necessarily good for all unions. Likewise, what is good for the unions is not necessarily good for all of Africa. This notion is brought about because despite considerable gains from the strike, there is controversy about how higher incomes would effect African communities. Would such a disparity among the people bring them closer together or cause them to lose their close knit ties? The conclusion of Sembene’s novel does not really touch on this point. From his standpoint, it appears as though the life of the African communities continue to be close, keeping the strength of the people as strong as it was before the strike. Consequently, the spirit of independence and the fight for equality still lingers with the people.

The strike of 1947-48 represents a major event in which African railway men take a stand against inequality of wages and benefits, but it also represents the French government’s battle to maintain control in French West Africa and the union member’s struggle for recognition and independence. It is true that through community ties and cooperation, the strike was able to continue for as long as it did, but it was indeed required a great effort for all of those involved. Sembene dramatizes the strike, including bloody batt

Some topics in this essay:
Fa Keita, West Africa, West Africa”, Fa Keita’s, Ultimately Sembene’s, Keita Bakayoko, Bits Wood”, fa keita, african community, sembene’s novel, Sembene Ousmane’s, railway strike, Frederick Cooper’s, Equality Anticolonial, french west, french west africa, colonial power, west africa, colonial officials, french government, african communities, struggle african community, bakayoko fa keita,