Telling the Truth about Africa

[Jahness]

Telling the Truth about Africa

Letting Her Become What She Can and Will Be

By Rudolph Lewis

Africa and America, for centuries, have interacted like mother and son. On a personal level this complex relationship has been at once creative and destructive. Africa gave up enslaved men, women, and children by the hundreds of thousands who brought America many gifts (not only labor but music, dance, and words) that have enriched the cultural and social life of the modern United States. Africa also supplied the uranium (of Congo mines) used to produce the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Seldom in all its history has Africa acted consciously for self.

Though much in common, neither has had a stomach for the other. One praises the potato and fries, the other raves over cassava and fou-fou. One has been relegated to service and the other to rule. One is given to song, dance, and celebration; the other to work, reason (denial), and sacrifice. One is primitive; the other modern, and contemporary.

Africa as “mammy� to America is a longstanding image. Though lovable and serviceable she is a pitiable and forlorn character, for her children, unlike the “old-time Negro,� lack “reliability, regularity, and faithfulness.� They do not know their “place.� Stereotypical, these are not the sentiments of contemporary ethnologists and sociologists and other such specialists. But this popular perspective lingers.

Anxious to become their betters, these sons of Africa are seized by the twin demons of fear and ambition and become a Colonel Mobutu or a Bigger Thomas or a Charles Taylor or a Biggie Smalls or an Idi Amin and so soon after they have won their freedom or their independence, lauding the glory of their people. In their specialized isolation our elite of the thoughtful and the well connected, seemingly, turn but to money and power, with the loss of dignity or scruples or an absolute turn to criminality.

And then there are the vicious wars that engage the masses of Africans—we see bloated bellies of famine, machete-swinging genocide on today’s world news, and the peoples of Africa still languishing miserably in their huts or shanties without electricity, clean water, literacy. Can the masses of African people be more than just a human potential—can a middle-class life become as ubiquitous in Africa as America? We all wonder when.

In two centuries we American Negroes have come to understand that it is an exceedingly difficult prospect not to assess the modern world except through the eyes of a racialist: chances or opportunities are few of making a true white friend. Since Nasser died African heads of state wonder whether an African can have a true Arab friend.

We American Negroes may indeed be the harshest critics of Africa when we have few opportunities to make her better than she was or is or what she might become. We living comfortably (comparatively) here in America, at the bottom of things, Africa is of little daily interest to us. For instance, at a recent conference in the mountains of Virginia—of the leading African-Americans writers and poets—not one writer or scholar mentioned the tragedy of Darfur, the genocidal society of Rwanda, the land question in Zimbawe, the great white wealth and greater black poverty of South Africa. What can be promised those Africans—who are the lowest of the low—who have not gotten the cars, the villas, the lavish government posts? Be patient, cool as a cucumber. Nkrumah to Lumumba.

Though color and race tie the best minds of America to darkest Africa, they nevertheless enjoy the comforts of America’s middle-class life with its access directly or vicariously to the wealthiest of the world. I speak of that unique item called the “credit card.� What share we have in the diamonds or the gold of the Congo and South Africa or the oil of Nigeria and Sudan? What share the masses of Africa have in their nations’ wealth?

What urge for Pan-African unity is there for the Hausa woman who walks twelve miles carrying water on her head? It’s a nice postcard. But is it reasonable for her now to think of Africa as Du Bois or Nkrumah thought of Africa, a half century later? What pay is in the notion of a “United States of Africa� for a Congo soldier holding a death-killing machine in his hand who can’t afford a pack of cigarettes to ease his nerves? For those left out of the fruits of independence or civil rights bills, uneven development and opportunity can be countered only by the psychic web of tribal or gang affiliations or immersion in religious enthusiasm, or, worst, ethnic vengeance and violence.

Africa appears altogether as a different glorious reality for those endowed Afrocentrists chairing programs at Harvard or Temple. The motherland becomes an object of study and celebration, and grants. But these American elites speak of the “mysteries of the African soul� more in terms of tribal religions and ancestor worship and their accoutrements of ceremony (the imaginative aspects of African consciousness) rather than the day-to-day distortions of greed brought on by Western economic exploitation and social injustices that exist now on a global scale, with American corporations often the beneficiaries.

How can these other “mysteries� be adequately explained and be of significance to the semiliterate, the homeless, America’s middle-class, to make a difference? That we have adopted an alien culture that does not serve our countrymen?

The mysteries of Pan-African struggle, interred in their black coffin decades ago, do not command the hearts, minds, and souls of what Richard Wright called the “black Western elites.� That was the era of Du Bois and Garvey, Nkrumah and Padmore. Togetherness “to establish social justice and make sure everyone has just remuneration for his labor� is as dead as Lumumba. How many indeed are ready for the “sublime struggle� that will lead Africa “to peace, prosperity, and greatness?�

Like Moise Tshombe our path leads away from “the center of the sun’s radiance.� Every deal now is a private one. That’s what makes the economy run: the individual chance to be wealthy. Individual energies summoned for self-interest as a way of life. In that thin air, that Sahara sand, the seeds of idealism and sacrifice, which live in the acts and words of a W.E.B. Du Bois or a Lumumba or a Richard Wright cannot take root. In these awful times, martyrdom is the stuff of legends and action films. We have cheated ourselves out of that vision—that wisdom that comes from suffering.

http://www.nathanielturner.com/telli...boutafrica.htm

[Chinyre]

Though color and race tie the best minds of America to darkest Africa, they nevertheless enjoy the comforts of America’s middle-class life with its access directly or vicariously to the wealthiest of the world. I speak of that unique item called the “credit card.� What share we have in the diamonds or the gold of the Congo and South Africa or the oil of Nigeria and Sudan? What share the masses of Africa have in their nations’ wealth?

This is true, a lot of times we dont even know how we become accomplices in the raping of afrika just by living in amerika. especially now that the u.s. is really eyeing nigeria for it oil wealth. excellent article.

[Jahness]

Originally Posted by Chinyre

This is true, a lot of times we dont even know how we become accomplices in the raping of afrika just by living in amerika. especially now that the u.s. is really eyeing nigeria for it oil wealth. excellent article.

Greetings Chinyre! :Waving:

Welcome to the discussion. Great seeing you. What you say have a lot of merit. We really don't know or sometimes we as Afrikans don't care to know or don't want to know just how much we contribute to the destroying of the Afrikan continent, by the choices we make here in Amerikkka and the diaspora
in general.

Excellent point again that you make the united snakkkes do have their greedy eyes on the oil wealthof Nigeria. They probably are already implementing all those bogus contracts they get the governments of some of these countries to sign. As we speak the leaders of the countries are signing the rights away of the resources of those countries.

I appreciate your valuable input.

Peace & Blessings!

[Kentake]

Hotep family!,
I feel you 100% as a matter of fact, i sometimes wonder when i am doing grocery shopping or buying new clothes whether or not the companies and brands that i purchase are directly related to the continued destruction of Afreekan people all over the world how would i know anyway? when i buy new clothing i could very well be contributing to forced child labor in south america where many afreekans reside!


It is scary and sickening to know that just being a consumer/customer in north amerikkka we are actually being an active part of the demise of Afreekan people!....this is a reality! cause many of us don't really know who stands behind these companies, brands and franchises! it could be the very descendant of who owned our own ancestors!! that is why we should research as much as possible the companies that we support with our hard-earned dollars. and that is also why REPATRIATION IS SOOO IMPORTANT AND CRUCIAL TO ME, AFTER ALL, I REALLY DO WANT WISH TO BE A CONSTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO "WESTERN CIVILIZATION" IN ANYWAY!! LIVING HERE PERMANENTLY ULTIMATELY MEANS THAT EVERYTHING I EARN GOES RIGHT BACK IN2 THEIR HANDS ANYWAY!....IS THAT THE MEANING OF LIBERATION???? I HOPE NOT!!!!


SANKOFA!,

Sistah Kentake.

Originally Posted by Chinyre

This is true, a lot of times we dont even know how we become accomplices in the raping of afrika just by living in amerika. especially now that the u.s. is really eyeing nigeria for it oil wealth. excellent article.

[Kweku_Omowale]

sometimes,we are silent acomplices in the pillage of the earth,let alone,momma africa, we must think twice,when shopping, ken sara wiwa,one of the giants of afrika,died fighting the oil giants, fighting for the ongoni people, we must challenge our values and our customs, our habits, we are too westernized and sometimes,caught in this madness,we forget that our actions,big or small contributes to the raping of the earth,some people lives a lavish life style,people can live with less than that,yall,other peoples contribute to the infanticide and genocide in afrika,( uncle toms and house negrows) by buying,diamond rings for their woman( which is not even love! ) it is plain consumerism and materialism,at its best, we forget how many people died in the diamond mines,in soweto,botswana,zinbabwe,
it took the CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONISTS, whole lotta fighting to puta dent in the machinery,when miners during the apartheid regime,walked out, it was strength in numbers,every time, somebody is buying diamond and gold rings for their" women" they are purchasing the death of their fellow afrikans,where mercenaries are hired to protect those mines from nationalizing they are british,french and amerikkkan ex militaries hired by the multi national companies to defend the mines on which they train and hire afrikan thugs sometimes to do their dirty work,black devils as well who has blood on their hands there is blood in the land
and amerikkka is likea octopus spreading its tentacles across the globe,they are strategically monitoring thru GPS and an advanced global sattelite system
where all the landmines in the world are,so they can prevent them from nationalizing,not only in africa but south amerika and asia as well

[Jahness]

Greetings Sister Kentake & Brother Kweku!

Welcome to both of you to the discussion. It is great seeing you.

Sister Kentake, I can relate to what you are saying in so many ways. I do try my best to simply shop and get what is necessary for my survival. I wish always that we would have more Afrikan manufacturerers that would make and sell so much of what we as a community need.

Brother Kweku, you are right on point. we have to make a conscious effort and stick with it to not contribute in the further demise of Mama Afrika. Even the little things add up so we have to always stay on point. It is one reason we need more of our professionals or any of our Afrikan sisters and brothers who can create, build, invent, make whatever it is to help keep our community more self sufficient, and not have to rely on the white man for what we need.

Even if we had Afrikans who provides these services for us, how many of them end up going out of business, becasue the community would not support them. In another sense how many of those same people that can produces the products we need, how many of them are just out to make a buck, and not really caring about putting back and reinvesting into the community.

It is a fine line we all walk as consumers. We have to be definitive and very conscious as to how we really deal with our own habits as consumers, and totally eliminate the our contributions to the distruction of Afrikans and Afrika.

Peace & Blessings to you both. I appreciate you taking the time to share and be a part of this dialogue.

May your path be continually blessed and guided.

[Chinyre]

peace

it took the CONGRESS OF SOUTH AFRICAN TRADE UNIONISTS, whole lotta fighting to puta dent in the machinery,when miners during the apartheid regime,walked out, it was strength in numbers,every time, somebody is buying diamond and gold rings for their" women" they are purchasing the death of their fellow afrikans,where mercenaries are hired to protect those mines from nationalizing

maybe nationalization of every major industry in afrika is the key. so then we wont have to worry how our money is being used. afrika is hemorrhaging and we have to get the leeches out first to get her back in an ok condition. after nationalization then the people themselves could decide how they want to use the money from that industry.

[Kweku_Omowale]

Originally Posted by Chinyre

peace






maybe nationalization of every major industry in afrika is the key. so then we wont have to worry how our money is being used. afrika is hemorrhaging and we have to get the leeches out first to get her back in an ok condition. after nationalization then the people themselves could decide how they want to use the money from that industry.

sister,let me say this, openi fun olorun,for you gracing us with ur beautiful afrikan presence!

i always say that amerikkka is like an octpus jahness spreading its tentacles all over the globe,people here in toronto dont support afrikan market,only happens when we have our poet gatherings, a friend of mine,told me that he hada store,one time and only one black person,shopped with him,meanwhile,they all go to big chain stores and support the system,and how can people sing and talk about the system,when they are supporting the same system!? rastas here are all about show and tell,mucha do about nuthin,
the only one that i met whose action spoke for itself,was my dearest friend,
warrior queen nzingah,may our honourable ancestors guide her in her journey in life.
nationalization is the key indeed,we are bleeding because they are draining our resources,our economies and all the best brain from africa comes here and build dem up,stead of helping and using the knowledge of the adcancent of their own people, africa like brazil and many other places,dont have the technological advancement that amerikkka has because they want to keep us under,thats why