"It is only when man becomes master of his fate, able to determine his destiny, that he can
be free from fears and inferiority. Such an individual or a nation stands respected by all."
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar, for lack of a better word, on Africa from a Pan-African perspective. Given my determination to see 'all things African', as my eldest says, I was very enthused to attend. And I certainly was not disappointed. I met several peoples there in attendance who, like myself, though born in the west, had Africa and 'all things African' emblazoned deeply on their hearts and souls.
So it is with that testament that I found myself more than a little disappointed by yet another story from African shores, from in the land, my land once long lost but never forgotten. One more story of how some of the family back home just doesn't take to some of us who were either stolen or forced out, and who presently find ourselves ascending from that lineage.
I'm speaking specifically about the way I have heard, chiefly, and witnessed myself on occasion the Rastafari community is treated, rather mistreated, by our brothers and sisters back home. I don't want to suggest that this by any means speaks for all of the family, for I have certainly met countless numbers who have taken to me and treated me personally like the family we are. But there is a subset, and painfully so a good portion of that subset is aligned and stratified throughout the body politic.
Maybe what troubles me so much, what really hurts, is that so much evidence points to Rastafari as a nation, as a culture and as a body politic, keeping alive and always pointing towards Africa as the only bastion of identity for Africans out in the diaspora. Africans worldwide have no greater champions for African pride and culture than the children of Rastafari, who, wherever they rise, are sometimes seen as being even 'more African' than some in the land.
That term 'more African' is not my phraseology. It was shared with me on several occasions as many from home have stated that they first see themselves as their tribal alliances before even the national ones. And certainly before the somewhat cosmopolitan term of African. Whilst those of us born outside her borders, tend to clump everything into one homogeneous glob of national identity.
Still, be that as it may, if the Rastafari community has this crisis of acceptance within Africa; if university educators and administrators can outright call the Rastafari community 'abnormal'; if children are refused admittance to school for wearing their covenant (locks); if families turn out from their doors sons and daughters who turn to Rastafari culture, why then should we spend time promoting any African interests? Why should Rastafari continue to promote the directing of vast sums of remittances to Africa?
Maybe some Africans would feel more secure and comfortable with American, European, Chinese and Indian vipers and vampires, who are poising themselves to innovate new methods of carving up Africa sans borders. Maybe it is better for technology companies to further rape and plunder the African soil, exploiting people who will hardly afford the very technologies they slave in treacherous conditions for for western purveyors of vibrating plastic crap.
It is true that Rastafari may not come with the vast quantities of cash of some so-called foreign investors. Then again, neither do we come with strings attached, looking to change cultures, exploit humanity, scorch the earth, selfishly sieve off a dearth of resources or behave as imperial and colonial overseers. But maybe those are the qualities Africa is looking for.
I am more than a little apprehensive today about continuing supporting Africa and the African Diaspora than I was at that seminar days ago. I don't know if I'll focus anymore of my monies or energies to African interests. Maybe I'm being way too sensitive. Maybe I'll just slide into some misir wat, kik alicha and injera; or a nice bowl of ital groundnut stew and fufu and call it a night.
Follow me on Twitter @JahKwasiAbahu
be free from fears and inferiority. Such an individual or a nation stands respected by all."
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a seminar, for lack of a better word, on Africa from a Pan-African perspective. Given my determination to see 'all things African', as my eldest says, I was very enthused to attend. And I certainly was not disappointed. I met several peoples there in attendance who, like myself, though born in the west, had Africa and 'all things African' emblazoned deeply on their hearts and souls.
So it is with that testament that I found myself more than a little disappointed by yet another story from African shores, from in the land, my land once long lost but never forgotten. One more story of how some of the family back home just doesn't take to some of us who were either stolen or forced out, and who presently find ourselves ascending from that lineage.
I'm speaking specifically about the way I have heard, chiefly, and witnessed myself on occasion the Rastafari community is treated, rather mistreated, by our brothers and sisters back home. I don't want to suggest that this by any means speaks for all of the family, for I have certainly met countless numbers who have taken to me and treated me personally like the family we are. But there is a subset, and painfully so a good portion of that subset is aligned and stratified throughout the body politic.
Maybe what troubles me so much, what really hurts, is that so much evidence points to Rastafari as a nation, as a culture and as a body politic, keeping alive and always pointing towards Africa as the only bastion of identity for Africans out in the diaspora. Africans worldwide have no greater champions for African pride and culture than the children of Rastafari, who, wherever they rise, are sometimes seen as being even 'more African' than some in the land.
That term 'more African' is not my phraseology. It was shared with me on several occasions as many from home have stated that they first see themselves as their tribal alliances before even the national ones. And certainly before the somewhat cosmopolitan term of African. Whilst those of us born outside her borders, tend to clump everything into one homogeneous glob of national identity.
Still, be that as it may, if the Rastafari community has this crisis of acceptance within Africa; if university educators and administrators can outright call the Rastafari community 'abnormal'; if children are refused admittance to school for wearing their covenant (locks); if families turn out from their doors sons and daughters who turn to Rastafari culture, why then should we spend time promoting any African interests? Why should Rastafari continue to promote the directing of vast sums of remittances to Africa?
Maybe some Africans would feel more secure and comfortable with American, European, Chinese and Indian vipers and vampires, who are poising themselves to innovate new methods of carving up Africa sans borders. Maybe it is better for technology companies to further rape and plunder the African soil, exploiting people who will hardly afford the very technologies they slave in treacherous conditions for for western purveyors of vibrating plastic crap.
It is true that Rastafari may not come with the vast quantities of cash of some so-called foreign investors. Then again, neither do we come with strings attached, looking to change cultures, exploit humanity, scorch the earth, selfishly sieve off a dearth of resources or behave as imperial and colonial overseers. But maybe those are the qualities Africa is looking for.
I am more than a little apprehensive today about continuing supporting Africa and the African Diaspora than I was at that seminar days ago. I don't know if I'll focus anymore of my monies or energies to African interests. Maybe I'm being way too sensitive. Maybe I'll just slide into some misir wat, kik alicha and injera; or a nice bowl of ital groundnut stew and fufu and call it a night.
Follow me on Twitter @JahKwasiAbahu
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