Self-Definition in Black Experience as Existential Consciousness and Gaslighting: The Case of The Lemba People’s Claim to Jewish Origin and Identity

Abstract

In Black experience, self-definition refers to one's perception or understanding of oneself, as 
opposed to being defined by those who do not have the same experience. Its expression is seen as 
existential consciousness of one’s origin, identity, customs and heritage. The Lemba’s claim as 
Black people and descendants of traders from Ancient Israel provoked a lot of critical reaction that 
led to the problem of gaslighting from those who held, and still hold, that the Lemba claim to 
Israelite/Jewish consciousness was inappropriate and naïve. Gaslighting of the Lemba is an attempt 
to cause self-doubt among the Lemba concerning their thoughts, feelings and experiences of their 
origin and identity. The problem is that Western Jewry has refuted the Lemba’s claim to Jewish 
origin and identity. Therefore, the main focus of the debate is on the critical interpretation and 
assessment of the earlier Western Jewish refutations and subsequent recognition due to new 
literature that supports the Lemba position. The issue demonstrates the practices of epistemic 
aggression, colour bar, ontological othering, colonial invasion, and dread of expanded Jewish 
cosmopolitanism by certain Western Jews and organisations. Due to the blurring of scientific 
activity and language expression, the beautiful and sublime, regions such as Europe, America, and 
Oceania in the 17th and 20th centuries were unsuitable for human reason. This paper contends that 
when outsiders attempt to define the Lemba’s experience and existence as Black people in Africa 
with an origin linked to the Ancient Israelites, there is a certain gap in the knowledge of the 
existential consciousness and identity of the Lemba people.  The paper aims to illuminate some of 
the pressures, and fissures shaping Lemba’s self-definition.  The study employs the historical
interpretive technique..