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Freeing ourselves from colonial mentality – brownman or blackman
On several occasions I have stood in front of the mirror to observe my looks, I have wondered why I should call myself a Blackman? Unless I am colour blind, the colour of my skin is more brown than black. When I am putting on my trousers, I clearly see a very marked difference between my black trouser and the skin colour of my legs and I begin to wonder why I should accept the erroneous idea that the colour of my skin is black, and therefore I should call myself a Blackman.
It is true that the skin colour of some of our family members and friends can be termed as black. There are people in some communities in the western part of Ghana whom one can say are black. In fact one is assumed to be from a particular part of Ghana if his or her skin colour is black.
However, the majority of the people are more brownish than blackish and so on the average it would be wrong to call Ghanaians black people. There are people in southern Nigeria, in the Calabar area that look like Caucasians but are very African. How can you refer to these people as Black?
There is a very funny situation that makes for interesting analysis. There was a film about apartheid and the murder of Steve Biko. In that movie, the man playing the role of Steve Biko was asked by the judge that “Why do you call yourself Black because you are more Brown than Black” and in response Steve Biko said “Why do you also call yourself White, you are more Pink than White”. That statement brought home to me a profound truth and set me wondering why Caucasians call themselves white when it is evidently and abundantly clear that there is a marked difference between the colour of their skin and the colour white.
It brings to mind a people with either a confused state of mind or a people willing to pursue a deliberate agenda, at all cost. There is a definite racist white supremacist agenda that wants to implant an idea of inferiority complex in the mind of the African and people of African Descent. The objective is to make the African lose his or her sense of dignity, self-confidence and identity so that as a group, they can be easily controlled.
At the religious level, deliberate effort has been made by colonial powers to depict the African both on the continent and in the Diaspora as evil. Have you ever seen a picture of the Devil as a Caucasian? The answer is a definite no; he is always depicted as a Black person. It carries a certain subtle message which suggests to people that Africans and people of African Descent are of the devil and therefore evil. When this narrative is perpetuated according to the theory of propaganda, it has the potential to reinforce the perception that Africans and people of African Descent are evil.
People should, therefore, not be surprised at the rate of police brutality towards people of African Descent because there is a stereotype which brings to mind a person of potential criminal intent whenever a policeman sees a so-called black person.
Take a look at some words and phrases in the English language: Blackmail, Black sheep of the family, Blacklist, Black eye, Black market, Black out etc. are all geared towards ensuring an agenda to project so-called “Black people” in a bad light. All along there is a campaign to destabilise the wealthiest African nations and their systems by Western countries to project Africa as a poor continent that cannot survive without the benevolence of western countries according to Mallence Bart-Williams, a world-class Social Entrepreneur.
She further stated that this is achieved through Multi-million dollar PR advertisement campaigns waged by organisations like Oxfam, Unicef, Life Aid, Red Cross etc. The rationale behind this, is to prevent the threat of exposure to the world of how weak the Western World is without depending on the resources from Africa.
Therefore, let us continually create conditions that would project Africa and the people of African Descent as people who cannot survive on their own without so-called Western help. How best to achieve that is by creating an environment that would result in self-destruction by undermining the Unification of Africa agenda which was first initiated by Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana. His overthrow through a coup d’état has now been established as having been orchestrated by the Western World, through the CIA to be specific.
There is the need, therefore, by Africans and people of Africa Descent to start rejecting the idea that they are Black People and start calling themselves Brown People if they want to use colour to define their identity as a people. This initiative must start from my own country Ghana where we pride ourselves as the Black Star of Africa.
It should rather be the Brown Star of Africa. There must be a deliberate effort to start an indoctrination process for people of Africa and Africa Descent to start believing that they are not black, that they are not evil like the devil and must start drawing the devil as a Caucasian since the actions of Caucasians like slave trade, colonisation of Africa etc. is a clear demonstration of the attributes of the devil. Talks must be organised in junior and senior high schools and tertiary institutions to reinforce this deliberate indoctrination with the objective of renewing the mind of the African that he or she is not inferior to any person of a different colour to his or her own.
The responsibility of freeing ourselves from colonial mentality, also to a large extent, depends on our leaders who must show the way. The citizens of the various countries also have a responsibility of holding our leaders accountable. A combination of these two things is the surest way of freeing ourselves from colonial mentality and raising the dignity of the African. The greed and the selfish interest of a lot of our leaders like the Mobutus, the Sanni Abachas etc. must be curtailed.
Jacques Chirac, the former French President, is on record as saying that “We have to be honest and acknowledge that a big part of the money in our banks comes precisely from the exploitation of the African continent”. A strong collaboration of people on the continent and those in the diaspora is the way to go in establishing our claim to recognition on the international stage.
An intensive renewal of the mind approach has to be adopted and practicalised by starting to love our neighbour as ourselves as the Bible declares in Mathew 22:39. The attitude of pull him down must be replaced with lift him up and push him up as Africans. This is what the Jews have established among themselves and no wonder they have the financial power and therefore wield such great influence in the world.
It is a well-known fact that a Jew would rather buy from another Jew even if the price of the Jewish shop is higher than that of a non-Jewish shop of a product, of the same quality. In fact it is claimed that money circulates 20 times among Jews before it goes out of their circles. This is a great lesson Africa and Africans in the diaspora must learn and practise and as we renew our mind, in other words become restless, we shall break free of the bondage of the tag of Third World just as Isaac declared upon Esau in Genesis 27:40.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah, Social Commentator
A haircut I had about a week ago didn’t go down well with many. Someone quite close to my heart saw it, examined it critically and felt dizzy.
“What’s this?” she proceeded to ask me.
“An international hairdo,” I replied.
She was disgusted, in fact disappointed. The problem with the haircut is that the style is neither Punk, Tokyo Joe nor Show Your Back. If anything, it is a combination of all—and I liked it, for a change.
It was when I bounded downtown that someone called me and enquired whether I was no longer a journalist. He said I looked like a well-fed Warrant Officer.
“Class One or Class Two?” I asked.
Another studied my head as if he was studying physical geography and pronounced that I looked like a boxer who can throw dangerous punches. Still, someone was of the opinion that the haircut didn’t quite fit me, but admitted that I looked like a prosperous merchant.
Commendation
I remember some three months ago, I had a haircut that made two girls fall in love with me. In spite of the fact that the barber was not a graduate, the cut was such that they couldn’t help admiring it. One of them actually ‘checked out’ the style and commended the barber.
The other was more bent on the ‘love matter’ but I was too busy to give her any attention. LOVE!
I was reminded of this when I viewed a premier showing of the latest Sikaman film titled THE POWER OF LOVE. The film kept me thinking. Some of us have long forgotten about what it is like to be head-over-heels in love. When we were students, we had such experiences because there was nothing doing anyway.
We were either learning how stylishly to smoke ‘jot’ or how romantically to fall in love. Anyhow, I was intrigued by this latest movie because of the way love unlimited was portrayed on screen. It took my memory back many years to relive those youthful days when we felt we’d really die if jilted by our lovers.
The storyline of THE POWER OF LOVE is really an exciting one. The combination of love, treachery and intrigue made me feast my eyes intently on the screen, unbelieving the extent the force of love can reach.
Ama and Afua are good friends. But when it comes to matters of the heart, they have different tastes; Ama is content with only her boyfriend (a student) and Afua samples the bigwigs around town. Afua, not satisfied with the shots in town, wants Ama’s boyfriend Joe in addition. She lies to Joe that Ama has often been picked by a man on four-wheels, whereupon Joe dismisses Ama and takes on Afua.
Ama doesn’t realise that it is her best friend Afua who is destroying her relationship with Joe until she catches her having sex with him. She collapses and goes out of her mind from the broken heart. But before then, she had been made pregnant by Joe.
Having escaped from a psychiatric hospital, she roams town murmuring Joe’s name. Heavily pregnant now, she espies Joe boarding a mini bus and runs towards him. Joe, seeing her approaching, quickly disembarks and takes off.
Ama pursues him furiously, and he runs to his home where he finds his bosom friend Frank making love to Afua. He immediately realises the treachery of Afua who instigated him to leave Ama.
He intends leaving the home in disgust and meets mad Ama at the door and embraces her despite her madness. Instantly, she regains her sanity.
Love indeed heals the wounds of the mind and it is the greatest positive force in the world. Incidentally, the greatest negative force is hatred.
Greatest force
Now coming to talk about love, I reiterate it is the greatest force imaginable. That is why a man will butcher his rival to death if he catches him climbing his wife without asking permission; and a woman will go mad if jilted.
It is also for this reason that a young boy who is scared stiff of cemeteries and under normal circumstances would not dare go near one, will this time walk boldly through a cemetery at midnight if that is the only way to his lover’s abode.
The Bible describes love for our neighbours as the surest way to heaven: Love thy neighbour as thyself.
Unfortunately, what Ghanaians are more interested and skilful in is loving the opposite sex. Romance under the cover of darkness is what we understand love to be all about. When it comes to loving our fellow human beings, we are found wanting.
People hate others just because they are of another tribe and do not speak the same native language. Too much grudge-bearing that does not augur well for national development.
War in Liberia, carnage in Rwanda are the results of the absence of love for one’s fellow being. If everybody could express a little bit of love for his fellow being irrespective of tribe, race, politics or religion, Sikaman—and indeed, the world—will be a more habitable place.
This article was first published on Saturday, October 29, 1994
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“Sir,” Ms. Odame said when David Asante answered the call, “my name is Victoria Odame. I’m a teacher at Research School in Koforidua. I would like to come and see you concerning a student called Sarah.”
“Okay, madam. I would be very glad to meet you. How can I make your trip easier?”
“I was going to join a bus to Accra.”
“Here’s what we will do. Take a taxi and ask them to bring you to Accra. I will speak to the driver, give him the directions, and pay him when you get here.”
The taxi stopped in front of the house. The gate opened, and the driver moved to the long driveway and stopped.
“What a beautiful house,” he said.
David and Adoma came out to meet them. Adoma paid the driver as David and Sarah stared at each other.
“Please come in and sit down,” Adoma invited. She served them water.
“You are welcome,” Adoma continued. “We have been waiting anxiously since you called this morning. So please, let’s hear you.”
Before she could open her mouth, Sarah rose, moved to David, hugged him, and sat on his lap. They both broke into tears. Adoma and Ms. Odame also broke into tears.
“Sorry, madam,” David said. “This whole episode has been a very difficult one. But let’s do the proper thing. Let’s hear you first, and I will also speak. I’m sure we need to answer some questions immediately.”
“Okay, sir. I have been taking an interest in Sarah because, although she’s brilliant academically, she seemed to be troubled. Following my discussions with her and some whispers I had been hearing, I went to Aboso Senior High School and spoke to your former colleague, Mr. Hanson. He told me that you were an exemplary teacher who was loved by all, and he also told me about the unfortunate events that caused you to leave for Germany. So I returned to Koforidua with the view to finding the appropriate means of helping to solve this problem.”
“Great. Ms. Odame, I have to thank you for finally helping us to solve this problem. Now, let me state the facts. This is what happened.
“Gladys and I met and got married whilst we were both teachers in the school. Some months into our marriage, she told me that she needed to spend some days with her parents, and I agreed.
“It turned out that she was actually spending time in a hotel with her ex-boyfriend, Simon. This happened again after Sarah was born. I got wind of this and told her that I was no longer interested in the marriage.
“I started preparing to travel to Germany. She pleaded for forgiveness, but I stood my ground. Then she told me that she would punish me for rejecting her.
“She came out later to say that Sarah was not my child, but Simon’s. She went and hid her somewhere, obviously expecting that I would fight to take my child. I was actually going to do that, but my parents advised me that it was almost impossible to win such a fight.
“They advised that, difficult as it sounded, I should leave the child with her because she would come back to me eventually. I have absolutely no problem taking care of you, Sarah. I am taking care of quite a number of kids who are not mine. So that is what happened. My hands were tied. I have been trying to find out how you are doing.
“I kept hearing that you were doing well at school. I also heard that Gladys and her husband were having problems, but I kept hoping that my daughter would at least be okay till it was possible for me to go for her.”
“Sarah, now you have met your dad. You will be free to—”
“I’m not going anywhere!” she declared as she held on to him.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Sarah,” Adoma said. “We have been looking forward to the day you come home. This is your home. Now, you have to meet your siblings.” She called Abrefi and Adaawa.
“Girls, we told you that you have a sister who would join us anytime. Now here she is.”
“Sarah?” Abrefi asked.
“Yes,” Adoma replied. The girls hugged her and took her away.
“Now,” David said, “I think it is time to call Madam Gladys.” He dialed the number.
“My name is David Asante. I’m here in my house with my daughter Sarah. I hear you have told her all sorts of crazy stories about me. I could make life very difficult for you, but I won’t.
“You are your own worst enemy. I don’t think you should be expecting her anytime soon. What do you say?”
Gladys stayed silent for over a minute, then cut the line.
“Food is ready,” Adoma announced. “Everybody, please come to the table.”
Sarah chatted excitedly with her siblings as Adoma and David spoke with Ms. Odame. She kept staring at her father.
“Now, Ms. Odame, after you have brought such joy into our home, should we allow you to go back to Koforidua today, or should we wait till we are ready to release you? I could call your husband and ask permission.
“And please don’t tell me you didn’t bring anything for an overnight stay. There are several supermarkets around here. We can fix that problem quickly.”
“I will beg you to release me. Now that I have been so warmly welcomed here, I already feel part of this home. Koforidua is not that far away, so I will visit often.”
“Well, let’s see what the kids have to say. Ladies, shall I release Ms. Odame to go back to Koforidua?”
“No!” they shouted, and all broke into laughter.
“Ms. Odame, I will have mercy on you. But we are going to do something to make it easy for you to visit us. My wife wants to show you something. Please follow her.”
Adoma led her to the driveway as the others followed. They stopped in front of the car.
“This is a Toyota Corolla 1600. It is very reliable and good on petrol consumption. We are giving this to you in appreciation of your help in getting our daughter back to us.
“And here in this envelope is a little contribution to help you with maintenance. And here in this other envelope is a gift to help with your children’s school fees.”
As she stood, stunned, and stared from the car to the envelopes, David put his hand around his family.
“Let’s leave her to take a look at her car. Ms. Odame, one of my drivers will drive you to Koforidua and leave your car with you. We are waiting inside.”
By Ekow de Heer
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