Africans Must Harness Their Rich Historical and Cultural Heritage
Gibbs Magazine - .A Weekly Magazine of Opinions and Ideas
http://www.gibbsfoundation.org/African_heritage.htm
Despite all the conflicts currently afflicting the African continent, African philosophers and academics have predicted that the continent is once again destined to lead the world in all fields of human endeavors. Although skeptics may dismiss the prediction as mere self-comforting rhetoric devoid of substance, a critical analysis of current global political and social trends points not only to an economically better Africa but a peaceful one as well.
It is the view of most African philosophers that what Africa needs to reclaim its rightful place in the global set-up are not guns or sophisticated imported technologies but that its strength lies in harnessing its rich historical and cultural heritage so as to derive inspirational reference. It is the inspirational reference that has been seriously lacking among Africans--something dearly needed to forge ahead.
Inspirational reference is needed so as to make Africans have something they will refer to as their own scientific and historical heritage, instead of being mere robots who gullibly consume anything produced by other people. Thus, in a paper titled, "Reclaiming and Reaffirming African Heritage," Paulo Wangoola, a Ugandan writer and philosopher writes: "Since Africa was the cradle of mankind, and the home of the earliest civilizations, and since Africa led the world in philosophy, science and technology, she was destined to lead the world once more, though in vastly different circumstances." Wangoola's assertions are not mere hallucinations. His assertions are rooted in the firm belief and understanding that Africans can no longer forge ahead without inspirational reference, which once led the world in all fields of human excellence.
If Europe had its Newtons, Freuds, Socrates and Darwins, then where are our African godfathers of inventions?
It is indeed a lie that has over the years been metamorphosized to become the truth asserted that Africans never invented anything. If the earliest man was found in Africa and if Africans were indeed the first inhabitants of this planet, then it is commonsense to suggest that they were the first to have the earliest civilization. Where are those African philosophers and scientists who were the architects of the Egyptian civilization including modern agriculture?
The dilemma that Africa faces today is that it has become a continent with no tangible history and in the words of the late South African Black Consciousness Movement leader, Steve Bantu Biko, "A people without a positive history is like a car without an engine," they cannot move. It is through a corrected version of African history that Africans can obtain the inspirational reference, which will instill confidence in harnessing our creative prowess and amassing the vigor needed in re-asserting, re-affirming, re-constructing and resurrecting the rich African cultural heritage that was distorted, stolen and plundered during the nightmare years of slavery and colonialism.
The solution to African woes lay in the affirmation of its diverse cultural heritage for it is through that process that "truth is affirmed while falsehoods are diminished." By diminishing falsehoods, Africans would ultimately inherit a new perspective of themselves and start relating to themselves and others differently.
What Africa needs is a resurrection, a rebirth from the horrendous existence under slavery and colonialism. But for this re-birth to take place there is a need to subvert mental genocide inflicted on the African people during colonial conquest and rule. Resurrection would mean the uprooting and complete destruction of the systematic and ruthless mental murder sustained through and by the formulation of historical lies which later brainwashed and indoctrinated Africans into thinking that the African is incapable of progressing without the generosity of the Western-American arm.
It is true to say that the uncritical absorption of Western influences would eventually strip the African of his distinct identity (if he still has any). This is precisely the reason why African philosophers are now calling for an African agenda to deal with and ultimately overcome these social, cultural, and political challenges confronting us.
In order to prevent the future from dying in the present, an empirical analysis as to how the African lost his identity through a systematic depersonalization process needs to be revisited. Depersonalization of the African began when with the massive kidnappings and looting of millions of the most able-bodied, most knowledgeable and skilled manpower which also included priests, historians, philosophers, teachers, prophets, engineers and doctors. This depersonalization of the African took place in the Middle Passage, where he was butchered, fed with gruel and, if he became frail, thrown into the oceans for sharks to feed upon.
It began a long time ago when Africans were taken as nothing but trash, capable of doing nothing except being cheap labor. It also began when the umbilical cord of origin was cut upon docking in the Americas.
A sense of loss, helplessness and dejection engulfed through the imperialist's propaganda which depicted Africans as savages or sub-humans. Colonialism took off from where slavery had left. Colonizing Europeans upheld the belief of superiority which overwhelmed the intellect and potential abilities of the African.
It is not surprising that even after the demise of colonialism, there are still some Africans among us who still believe that if it wasn't because of the Europeans we would still being hanging from one tree to another. It is unfortunate that this mentality is also rooted in some of the continent's intellectuals who should be the ones leading the continent into resurrection. Instead, most the continent's intellectuals live an arduous life of denial of the African in themselves. It is partly because of the skewed colonial education, which demonized the African way of doing things that has shaped their way of thinking.
The colonial education denigrated everything African. The black color became a cursed color. African knowledge gained over centuries of existence suddenly became obsolete. African religion became pagan. In a nutshell the African way of doing things became NO WAYS. The brutal existence under colonialism maimed the African mind. It deprived the African any sense of pride in himself. Dehumanization of the African occurred everywhere--in mines, on farms, and all other workplaces.
Even the attainment of political independence has not assisted much in re-awakening most Africans who are still in their drunken stupor of being inferior. ALTHOUGH most education systems on the African continent are academic oriented, a vacuum has been left on the spiritual, social and cultural front.
It is only recently that the Ministries of Education, Sports and Cultures in southern Africa are now taking a leading role in inculcation of the continent's cultural heritage through making History compulsory in the school curriculum from primary to secondary level.
Another dimension that has been taken by the regional education ministers in trying to harness African cultural heritage and revive indigenous knowledge systems is through holding the Southern Africa Dance Festival in Harare, Zimbabwe sometime ago. But in trying to reaffirm the African cultural heritage and identity, the starting point should be the reconstruction of Egyptian civilization as a Black civilization and not a European or Arabic civilization.
This assertion is not aimed at insulting anyone, but it's a historical fact rooted in the fact that it was the Greeks who called this land "Egptos", meaning the land of the blacks.
For it is mind boggling why Europeans or Arabs would want to curb a creation so awesome like the Sphinx Tower--one of the wonders of the world with distinct African features, including a pronounced broad nose. In reconstructing African cultural heritage it should be noted that Europe appropriated Greek civilization to make it the epitome of its civilization and that Greece was part of the civilizational sphere of influence of Egypt. In fact, Aristotle and Socrates, two of Greece's eminent philosophers were educated at African universities. So how does a reconstruction of Egyptian civilization assist Africans in forging ahead?
It should be understood that reclaiming African heritage and identity is not an easy endeavor as resistance is likely to be encountered, especially from those who have benefited from the historical lies and plundering of both human and material resources.
The process is not straight, it is spiral as it encompasses various facets of society's make-up including the education system, language and indigenous knowledge systems. The process calls for a concerted effort from all conscious thinking Africans to start a process of decolorizing our minds and reviving African languages. We need to tackle the issue of languages because it was and is still the biggest colonizing elements in our society, especially English and Afrikaans, which led to, revolts in South Africa.
It is a fact that most Africans have become so enslaved by foreign languages to the extent of looking down upon those who are unable to converse in the foreign tongues. Africans have become slaves to foreign languages. In fact, most Africans take it as a status symbol to be able to speak fluent English or French. So an attempt to re-affirm African cultural heritage simultaneously becomes a struggle to be unified through languages and attain that African personality that seems so elusive.
It is also a struggle of coming up with a relevant education system that is reflective of the continent's history, cultures, values and languages; in the words of Ngugi wa Thiongo, the African literary giant: "A living reality which enables people to enter its life, thought and oralture/literature."
The problem with colonial languages is that they create artificial class structures which hinder mutual understanding and unity. The problem we have in South Africa is that most of the intellectuals who are supposed to lead are into resurrection and total emancipation. These intellectuals celebrate the inability of their children to speak indigenous languages. They feel happy when their children embrace Western role-models as if Africa does not have its own role models.
The children grow up alienated not only from their environment but also from their lives, hating the very blood in their veins. It is pathetic to note that in all the history books that are being studied at both primary and secondary levels in Zimbabwe, there is not even a singled detailed reference to the country's ancient liberation heroes.
There is also not even a single mentioning of the contribution of Blacks to world civilization. How many Africans would accept without doubt that Africans were the first to devise the modern day calendar through observing the flow of the Nile River? And who among Africans would believe that Africans knew that there was no life on the moon even before Neil Armstrong landed there? Who among Africans would believe that Africans were responsible for the first irrigation projects through the use of the Shaduf on the shores of the Nile River? How can we make African education systems embark on this reconsciousness-raising mission and what is the way forward?
Prominent Ugandan philosopher Paulo Wagoola offers a suggestion when he said, "The moral history is clear, either we develop African heritage for use in our education system or resign ourselves to the position of being the world's intellectual houseboys."
The way forward according to various African philosophers is in putting the Africa legacy in its proper perspective with special emphasis on reinforcing the following facts: Africa is the cradle of mankind and the home of civilization; Africa is the home of the earliest and first literate people; Africa developed the concept of body and soul; Africa developed languages of sophisticated discourse and access to complex ideas in philosophy, science, technology, literature and diplomacy; Africa was the first to master astronomy, medicine and engineering; Africa does not just tolerate, but celebrates diversity; Africa developed a social welfare system, health for all, food for all, support for widows and orphans through the egalitarian set-up.
So in the final analysis, Africa should never think of
progressing materially without properly developed conscious minds; all our
endeavors would be doomed, as petty and peripheral and would most likely impinge
the struggle to achieve total resurrection. The challenge is upon every African
to move towards a genuine common humanity, based on dignity and self-respect of
others and ourselves. Such an achievement could finally result in an expression
of self-confidence and self-consciousness. []
