RACE played a large role in the colonization of the congo through how they justified the need of colonization,

interupted the evidence from the colony, and dealt with problems in the colony. Arab Slave Trade Civilizing Mission of the Savages Explorers Morel vs Williams vs Shepard Death: white vs black Forgetting Colonialism- no African voices Europe and Africa

Colonization is not a selfish practice; at least that is what the colonizers say about invading a country and dominating the local government and lifestyle. King Leopold and the Congo colony sympathizers used race to give reason to their mission to control the Congo and then ignore and forget about the objections. King Leopolds unquenchable need for power led him to colonize the Congo, but with the outward goal of stopping the Arab slave trade and civilizing the savages. (Hochschild, 1). Leopold was constantly referred to as a great humanitarian during the first stage of colonization. In this period Leopold was still acting under the guise of his many philanthropic organizations and claimed the desire to pierce the darkness which hangs over entire peoples (Hochschild, 44). The darkness he refers to is not only the color of their skin, but also their lack of civilization based on western principles. He claimed that the idea of one uncivilized race enslaving another was atrocious and that Europeans must prevent the enslaving of the innocent. The problem with this idea was that the underlying point was that the Europeans did not want anyone else enslaving the Africans other than themselves. They commenced a campaign against the Arab slave traders to give them a safe non white target to focus the hate on (Hochschild, 28).