I always see the self-hating attitudes towards Africa as coping mechanisms against the 500 year-old racist anti-African propaganda. People whose ancestors suffered slavery and social degradation developed certain survival traits to cope with their surroundings. The invention of races was one of the darkest moments in human history , W. E. B. Du Bois makes the following observation: “There came a new doctrine of universal labor: mankind were of two sorts—the superior and the inferior; the inferior toiled for the superior; and the superior were the real men, the inferior half men or less.”
Escapist avenues may offer psychological comfort for many who feel burdened with African phenotype. Many of our people claim all these fancy identities that seem to be non-African e.g. Egyptian, Ethiopian, Moorish, 'Black' Indians, Hebrew Israelites etc., except for African to compensate for inferiority complex. Some Negro pseudo-intellectuals have tried to promote some false information and hate speech especially the Hebrew Israelite movement. These bigoted individuals and hate institutions have yet to produce carefully gathered, cross-checked and tested scientific evidence for those dubious claims. It is true that Europeans (Whites) have lied about our history, talents and capabilities as a people. Even W. E. B. Du Bois said “A system at first conscious and then unconscious of lying about history and distorting it to the disadvantage of the Negroids became so widespread that the history of Africa ceased to be taught, the color of Memnon was forgotten, and every effort was made in archaeology, history, and biography, in biology, psychology, and sociology, to prove the all but universal assumption that the color line had a scientific basis... .” But far stretched theories with no scientific research and hard evidence are just human imagination intended to allay fears and lull to a sense of security, perhaps, through making non-falsifiable statements such as the “White man enslaved, and detached us from our original self” or “Caucasians hid everything about us.” One American Hebrew Israelite said “because initially even the Europeans slave traders distinguished us from the Africans as a completely different nation of people!” It is also a catch-22 situation, where Africans are held responsible and hated for “selling their own people” or for the transatlantic slave trade that actually never happened according to “Black” Indians—but also for failing to reach out to our people in America (didn’t they just say they are not African, then why should we Africans concern ourselves with non-African affairs?). It seems that we just can't win.
The white-owned media houses such as CNN and National Geographic always show negative stereotypes of Africa, no wonder the Diaspora Africans hate Africa. The Motherland is a psychological badge of shame for many people of the African descent. Thus, they hate themselves. You can't love yourself without loving Africa. Africa is negatively portrayed as a dying continent, with AIDS-infected hungry little kids, wars, child soldiers, cannibals and Stone Age tribal societies consisting of naked men and women chasing zebras and lions. From these racist and paternalistic lens, it can be overwhelming for those whose racial identity is a simply a qualifier for incarceration, police brutality, economic exploitation and political victimisation.
Malcolm X talked about three ways to independent thinking and nation building:
1) Wake up. Africans have been asleep for more than 500 years, and are sleeping tight even after centuries of bondage—slavery, colonialism and apartheid.
2) Clean up. It is the duty of every African to rid him/herself of the garbage and lies spread by the white man and oneself; Agyei Tyehimba asserts “Ironically, the most vulnerable people often are the easiest to con, swindle, and deceive, because they are so desperate for answers, solutions and ultimately liberation. This leaves considerable room for attention-seekers and sensationalist types to emerge... .” We may have con-artists and impostors among ourselves who claim to represent the truth. Personally, I doubt any religious proselytisers and these “conscious” types. It is great that we don’t have “conscious” freaks in Africa lurking to rob people for their hard earned money, save for religious folks and institutions.
3) Stand up. Africans must fight for their HUMAN RIGHTS by what ever means necessary! In self-defense, the primary goal is to destroy the enemy, but at the same time, it is self-preservation, because if the enemy is not destroyed, you will be destroyed. In face value, the white power structure looks terrifying, but in reality, they are not so powerful. The white AmeriKLAN cops that gun down innocent unarmed Africans in the streets of America, that Europeans in Africa that are keeping stolen lands and white racists that directly or indirectly perpetuate the system through thoughts and actions are nothing but cowards.
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