Naming the land Rhodesia was an act of colonial violence that denied African presence.

Evidence

Hegelian discourse socialized Europeans to see themselves as members of a superior race and representatives of the best civilization in the world. Thus, upon crossing the Limpopo into Zimbabwe, Rhodes and the BSAC could disregard African presence and deploy colonial settler values that enabled them to trample upon the humanity and interests of African people. This is manifest, for instance, in the act of onomastic violence which saw the land between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers being named Rhodesia, in honor of Cecil John Rhodes. — Tavengwa Gwekwerere, Davie E. Mutasa, and Kudakwashe Chitofiri, Settlers, Rhodesians, and Supremacists, 41

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the reader’s interest in how dominant settler groups construct a ‘validating mythology’ via place-naming — parallels the addendum article on trees as infrastructure and territorial claim-making. — connects to: Colonial origin theories were used to deny Africans land rights — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 329; Colonial prejudices falsely denied Africans a sense of morality.; Colonial discourse acknowledges non-Europeans’ priority on land but denies their authority — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 644 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Colonial discourse acknowledges non-Europeans’ priority on land but denies their authority #expands (0.84) — Edward W. Said, Orientalism, 644
• Colonial origin theories were used to deny Africans land rights #corroborates (0.82) — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 329
• Colonial sovereignty over North America was asserted without regard to actual Indigenous presence. #exemplifies (0.80) — Wikipedia contributors, Johnson v. McIntosh, 12
• Colonial prejudices falsely denied Africans a sense of morality. #corroborates (0.74)
• Colonial prejudice assumed Africans had no moral principles #corroborates (0.74) — Frans Dokman, Beyond Bantu Philosophy_…, 698