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You sir, are a Swine


I was scrolling through my timeline on twitter recently when I stumbled upon this:
“All these white ignorant people that think Africa is Natgeo wild and animal planet”

It is downright sickening to know that in this day and age many Africans still haven’t let go of this prejudice against white people. When will we stop playing this blame game, face some of OUR problems and start solving them without first pushing the blame west? I understand the sentiment being that the Western media continues to portray Africa in certain crude light but we as Africans, need to realize that it is solely our responsibility to correct whatever offensive impression that the so called “white ignorant people” have of our continent. The way you treat your home is the way others will treat it. We can’t continue to be as critical and unappreciative of our continent and expect outsiders to see it for any better. Africa is a beautiful place but it is the responsibility of the African media houses to show our beauty in the way we want to be seen. Asians understand this concept and that is why many Asian countries including India, China, Japan and Malaysia have launched successful publicity campaigns to share parts of their heritage and culture as they want the world to see them and it is working! This is despite the numerous challenges they face, from poverty to natural hazards.
For some reason, Africa has chosen to remain in the shadow of the world, sulking and always going back to the same century old excuses – slavery, oppression and exploitation. When will we grow up and get over these things? I hear lots of skeptics say “It’s not something to be gotten over” If we truly accept that what was done to us in the past has no healing and that we are a defeated people, then what in nature’s name are we still doing on the face of the earth?!
All people have challenges. The difference between Africans and “these white ignorant people” is that while they choose to make us ignorant of their most dire challenges, we continue to make them ignorant of our magnificence and splendor. So who is truly ignorant?

Comments

  1. Unknown1 September 2013 at 07:22

    This makes so much sense... I used to say that too but this blog has made me realize that's not the way to go. I really applaud you! Thanks for this

    ReplyDelete

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