The African Dilemma

The 19th century witnessed the colonization of Africa by the Europeans. Boundaries were drawn separating communities where none existed before. They stripped Africa of her dignity and independence telling Africans that they were inferior and their culture was barbaric. They were forced to work for the colonialists as they watched their land grabbed by foreigners. They in effect became enslaved in their own land creating a sense of hopelessness. The degradation of the African mind was continuous as she was repeatedly told she was inferior to her white masters and her ways were savage.

The British used the system of divide and rule to govern the indigent people of the colonies they acquired. They capitalized on tribal sentiments to cause hatred and divisions among different tribal groupings. They would promote one in a particular area and another in another area causing envy and division amongst them. The French on the other hand tried to assimilate those they colonized in to the French way.The colonialist imposed his ways on the African to change his thinking by parading the Western values as superior to the African.

The African had to change her culture and learn the intruder’s language as well adopting foreign names to be considered civilized in her own home.  The normal thing in life is that the visitor tends to learn the way of the host in order to fit in with the host. He may contribute something of benefit to the host, which the host is at liberty to accept or reject. The colonialists reversed the order, in that the host had to learn the ways of the visitor in order to fit in with the stranger in her own home. This is a psychological way of making one succumb to oppression. The oppressor is portrayed as a light to the oppressed and the oppressed starts believing it after some time and actually views himself as inferior to the oppressor.

At the dawn of the 2oth century most African countries had liberated themselves from the colonialist and acquired independence. However the 20th century also saw the neo colonization of Africa by different powers from the Western world. This has continued the raping of Africa by foreigners on the guise that they are helping Africa. For a long time Africa has been stereotyped as inferior to others and relegated to the subservient position of serving the needs of the western world.

This has been done so well that the African does not even notice the role she plays and accepts her lot as natural. The Western media enhances this view by constantly reporting negatively about Africa. Pictures of nude children with hands outstretched for a handout together with reports of diseases, civil wars and rumors of war, seems to be the accepted news from Africa. On the other hand the Western world is glorified as the epitome of civilization and as portraying the best of the human race.

The problem with Africa is that she has believed this lie and has consequently focused on the negatives. Africa has not found or discovered her strength and the good in her to push her forward.  Her wealth benefits others while her children continue to suffer. The injustice meted on the African has conditioned her to internalize the inferiority complex and act it out. People have a way of attracting what they think and believe because one’s energy is concentrated on their thought pattern.

It is said that a child that is abused tends to be an abuser as a grown up even though he hates it. Perhaps this is because the child has subconsciously internalized the abuse and unconsciously accepted such a standard as the norm. Today Africa still suffers from the animosity and divisive politics introduced by the colonialist because although independent in paper, Africa has still not liberated herself from the consequences of oppression.  She still attracts oppressive leaders with the same mindset as the colonialists.

A person can only give out what is in them. Scriptures teaches that the way a person thinks is who he becomes or is, Proverbs 23:7.  If you continuously tell a child that he is bad, he will with time believe it and will end up acting the way he is perceived, as words have a way of defining people. A child that is encouraged to bring out his strength and deal with his weaknesses ends up better than a child that is constantly emotionally and physically abused.

It is apparent that Independence for Africa does not, or cannot come without liberating the mind for her actions show that she is bound by others anbd acts out what she believes of herself.  For the African to be truly free she must transform her way of thinking from that of inferiority to that of ability in order to see herself as God truly sees her and not what others say of her, for there is no favoritism with God.