Final answer:
US Black political and civic leaders engaged in the African decolonization struggles due to a sense of solidarity and as part of a shared struggle for rights and freedom. Through supporting African independence movements and fostering a unified global black voice against oppression, they enhanced their own civil rights movement and expressed their Black pride and consciousness.
Step-by-step explanation:
US Black political and civic leaders, as well as the masses, engaged with decolonization struggles in Africa for several reasons. The African American community experienced a strong sense of solidarity with African nations as they related their own struggle for civil rights and freedom to the decolonization movements occurring across the Atlantic. Black American leaders felt that the success of African nations in securing independence from colonial rule resonated with their objectives of achieving equality and abolishing racial discrimination in the United States.
During the mid-20th century, the decolonization movement in Africa gained immense momentum as numerous colonies sought independence after World War II. This period witnessed an alignment of ideologies as both African nations and African Americans fought against the vestiges of oppression and inequality that were legacies of European imperialism and American slavery, respectively. African Americans supported independence movements, such as the Mau Mau Revolution in Kenya, both morally and financially. These acts of solidarity were often in stark contrast to the attitudes of white Americans and US officials at the time, who typically dismissed or disparaged the efforts of Africans.
The African American support for African decolonization was also a profound expression of Black pride and consciousness, which flourished during these years. The rejection of colonization and repatriation as alternatives to emancipation by leaders like David Walker indicated a strengthening global black voice against the forces of subjugation. The identification with Africa and its cultural roots became a pinnacle aspect of the civil rights movement, showcasing the interconnectedness of the quest for autonomous governance for nations in Africa and equal rights within the United States.