By Susu Ibie
Most unfortunate! I don't live in the US, yet I am always angry with the stories that come out of there. But you have to re-channel the anger into positives, by not succumbing to the anger, but doing what the late Oliver Tambo said; being morally superior to your adversaries. Don't forget, most of their accusations stems from projection. They accuse African Americans of what they themselves are. African Americans should realise this and rise above their schemes morally, economically (by creating their own opportunities rather than waiting for theirs), socially, through strong networks that support and uplift each other, and desist from tearing each other down. While some argue that we do not owe them a duty to teach them about their own humanity, we have a moral obligation however, to maintain our unique simplicity through peaceful means and practices which they can never emulate by virtue of their innate pride and arrogance. Dare to be unique, dare to be morally superior! That's an African heritage deriving from our cultures and contentment, because we are not trouble makers. God bless you all. I just felt compelled to share my views after reading that post.
if you think for one moment that I am making any other case other than peaceful solutions. Oba Eweka in this instance did not have a choice. He had only just rebuilt his Father's palace and probably did not wish to attract further confrontation with the British. The British had a armory which Africans lacked that gave the British an upper arm. By the way my Mother was a royal, this is my history too. If you can go back and properly assimilate the gist of my argument, and perhaps appreciate them from a woman's perspective, then you might understand me better. Like I said, the Nigerian or African question is a long story, told from different perspectives. That was mine, which I gathered from my late Father who held a high office in both the Gowon, Obasanjo and early Shagari eras. You can't accuse me of ignorance or being out of touch.
I learnt from someone who had been in the system from independence. I am not sure if it worth repeating myself, because it looks like you have chosen aspects of my arguments and summed them up to be a critique of Africans in general. You are entitled to however you wish to perceive my argument. But I had hoped for a lively debate. To go back to your post. Perhaps due largely to his education and exposure, when Queen Elizabeth visited Nigeria in the 2000s, Oba Erediauwa was the only existing Monarch in Nigeria who did not vacate his palace to go see her in Abuja. I was in Nigeria at the time, and appreciated his dignity and self respect, while others on the other hand went to Abuja, accepting the "superior" presence. It made me proud to be Edo. Criticising a people does not necessarily mean that one hates them. One is only highlighting identified faults. Criticisms are good for the human soul, and the mature response is to go back home and build on them, to prepare one self for the next level. I would rather be criticised by someone from my race than anybody else who may be doing so from skewed and unrealistic perspectives
I have successfully cured myself from anger and bitterness. Infact I am on a higher a plain. A place where I am more advanced and wiser than I was. Now I am developing solutions, and hoping to promote my simple message, that Africans everywhere rise above their circumstances with dignity and moral superiority, avoiding situations that places them on the same level as their adversaries, because we are not alike, and must not condescend to their level by either confirming heir stereotypes or submitting to the roles they have confined us to. I wrote to Congress woman Sheila Jackson Lee about my simple message. Either she didn't like it, or she did not read my letter. Or may have thought I was being unrealistic. While I appreciate the difficulties of assuming a dignified indifference to racism and all the negative attitudes attached to it, its working for me.
I can focus on more important things, and actually view the world objectively. I am not quite there yet, sometimes I fall off the wagon, but I am quick to realise this and start afresh. Life is afterall a learning process. Perhaps what has helped me is the understanding of the immaturity of the other race and the fact that some of them will never change, particularly those in the county you are in. These maps are all part of history, and somewhat backward looking. I can't go back and undo what they did, but I can reshape my future to make sure that they do not determine my present and future.
Even the map of the world was distorted, to make Africa look smaller than it is. One of these old days, the other race will grow tired of lying to themselves. In the meantime, I will not wait for them to come to that stage, I am forging ahead, armed with the knowledge that I am not the problem. In the meantime, I have to be in the right frame of mind to positively impact the young adult I am raising in a society that is different from my own. I have to build a strong young lady with a balanced and healthy self definition and attitude to excel despite the odds.
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