First of all, a journey has a starting point and a destination...The starting point is obvious to the naked eye. Its this hell black Africans have to experience everyday, every hour, every second of their existence.. Exploitation, oppression from other races, constant destructive perception that we are born incomplete or lacking of perfection somehow, so we modify everything about us...we feel we have to eat what other races eat, we have to dress like they dress, we have to have complexion like theirs, hair like theirs, nails like theirs, use speech tones they use....we admire what they admire, their music, their art, their cultures, their heritages. We worship our God through their rituals and styles.
Of all these sad realities at a starting point of this journey perhaps the most sickening is the hate black Africans have towards their own kind...Xenophobia among black Africans is steadily reaching planetary proportions... However this blog isn't about resistance....no! Never! Resistance feels cool but it hasn't gotten us anywhere...just look at our literature and media. They are saturated with resistance but we remain vulnerable.
DESTINATION:
Its not yet a reality so we have to IMAGINE...(maybe I should have started with this because the starting point is depressing...and there is already enough of that depression everyday for a black African...) Now let's IMAGINE;
IMAGINE our race embracing their uniqueness, comfortable in their own skin... Picture our race shaving their steel wool hair and exporting to Europe. IMAGINE living with so much food security because we finally decide what's food and what's culinary appealing... Most of the stuff we eat we have been programmed to experience as yummy and delicious....most of us don't believe worms or insects can taste great to our taste buds....I think you know why..
What do you IMAGINE for starters?
We are in an awakened generation who want to see change. Let us be the change we want to see. It starts with an individual, your actions, the way you treat your fellow brothers and sisters on the continent and the way you treat those in the diaspora. We need to stop hating and hurting those that look like us, under misguided sentiments. Our country boarders are imaginary, a product of colonialism. The only way to move forward is to decolonize our minds and realize that, black does not symbolize evil, but power. The highest level of power mined from the souls of our ancestors. United we stand...nothing more, nothing less.
ReplyDelete"We are in an awakened generation who want to see change" that sums it all
DeleteI just had to go through this comment again and again...the amount revolutionary content in it is enough to get us where we need but what are the practical actions to achieve mental decolonization?
DeleteI agree that we are an awakened generation but that awakening should be followed by action or the situation will still be the same.
DeleteFor me, the incorporation of strong unique cultural themes in music and art(for example, South African soapies) seems a good start as well. Since it is through language that all these tools and indicators of this great awakening may be set into fruitful action, I deem it vital to reinforce all efforts to achieve use of a single language (Kiswahili) across all nations so as to reach even the dark corners where Eurocentrism or "Europinion" still casts a shadow. For other black Africans to comprehend and embrace the uniqueness of individual african cultures, the issue of language remains pivotal if this DESTINATION is to be reached.
DeleteYou couldn't have said better. The time for change is always now
ReplyDeleteIndeed👊
DeleteAnd we Africans have to change our attitudes and the way we approaching things so as to realize our full potential.It's so sad that we have been made to believe that only the west can come up with innovation
ReplyDeleteI like this...this is the core idea of this blog
DeleteAfricans are the most exploited race on Earth, exploited by other races with the assistance of the ruling elites who are mostly interested in attaining power and riches at all costs. We look fro assistance from other races who are not interested in seeing us self reliant. Steve Biko once said "black man you are on your own."
ReplyDeleteThis is a good read. I don't think the major problems at the moment are oppression or African self-hatred. Those are truly big issues but are secondary to the cultural problems we have. We have to be the kind of people who work hard, save our money and live well beneath our means. We have to also have a culture based on honesty and accountability. Business contracts have to be enforceable, within a cultural context, outside the legal framework of the nation-state. It takes a long time for people to become like that but we will get there. So the way forward, is to combine the thinking of Amos Wilson with that of Thomas Sowell. It's important to acknowledge discrimination where it exists but it should not be used to excuse untoward acts in our own community. I think it's clear as day that a LOT of what is going wrong right now is being done by us. Great read.
ReplyDeleteGreat read
ReplyDeleteGreat read
ReplyDelete👊
DeleteAbout time we change our narrow mindset
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DeleteAfrica needs active heroes.. Africa needs her own tailor made livelihood system..Africa has long moved past rhetoric and dwelling on problems only delays appropriate action..
ReplyDeleteFirst we must redefine the African and assert the African's position in this day and era..it starts with IMAGINATION, like the blog suggests..
Let's do this..
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DeleteIt's evident that many realize and feel the effects of "the-so-not-purified Africa." However, traces of change are becoming apparent thought with lesser rate.
ReplyDeleteThink gradual alterations would help in winning our minds and allowing us (individuals/groups) to take part in mending Africa. Africa is beautiful, rich and Africans are capable, skillful, innovative… and can bring about change themselves. They only have to be made to realize their potential.
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DeleteIf we can take it from where our foreleaders like Zimbabwe former Pres did in early nineties when he said," we do not want anything from you, so Leah take your England and let me have my Zimbabwe", then natural resources within African continent can make us a better African Continent,infact we can see some countries going from undeveloped,least developed to G3 Countries because we have land with natural resources in abandunance therefore we can do anything for ourselves. Take it from former Lybian President, Lybians are now missing him like nobody's business.
ReplyDeleteI happened to be in one discussion with Finance Minister from South Africa, he mentioned a lot about African Economy growing through Agriculture sector, so if we take such advises and put them in place then we can have positive results. I thank you.
And unfortunately you are labelled "unknown" could you give me your government names please👊
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