Speaking on ethnical or racial issues often raises a lot of eyebrows (which I find ironic). We are all human beings, and we shouldn’t see things from an ethnical or racial line, right? We should all embrace our humanity and all work together in creating an equitable world where everyone has equal opportunities based on what we can contribute to society. This is the ideal world we all want.
Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world. People are defined and marginalised based on colour, language, and even location. It would be stupid of me to ignore the fact that I will be treated in a certain way in a different space for being black (or even a Nigerian). It would also be stupid not to want better representation for my people and country when I know by every indicator we are not at par with the rest of the world (especially, when it comes to technological advancement).
So of course I want to see more Nigerians in Tech; I want to see more Nigerians/Africans in positions of power, so we can create an enabling environment for other Nigerians/Africans to thrive. Even America in its foreign policies put America first. So why is it taboo to speak about black excellence or afro-centrism?
I was listening to Seun Kuti the other day speaking about how difficult it is for Africans/Nigerians to organise because there is a negative notation to the idea of organising. Individualism does not profit the black person in any way because we are so down the pecking order and limited in so many ways we cannot begin to imagine.
Think about consumption. Black people are often the first line of consumers for black own products. Whether it be our music, food, fashion, etc has to appeal to our people on a larger scale before it can be accepted and commercialised (or appropriated) by the world. So if we do not organise or develop our channels of distribution how do we even become custodians of our culture or even benefit from black creativity and ingenuity?
DO NOT FORGET WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU COME FROM
In your quest to be accepted or recognised in the larger global community do not forget who you are and where you come from. The world hasn’t in any way stopped from being tribal or racial. Even in crypto tribalism exist. People are caught fighting between projects. It is stupid but it is a thing that exists, and ignoring it isn’t wise either.
In my opinion, being Afrocentric entails creating opportunities for the black people, and not demanding from elsewhere because it gives us agency-- more control over our destiny. Black people have always been in a position to demand things from other people than themselves. So I am not calling on the global community to help Africans but on Africans to help themselves. Whatever leverage we have, we should use it to better our communities so that we can have better representation and opportunities. The world might owe us a lot considering the damages done to our continent but we owe ourselves more to build and develop, so we can have a better stake in the global community. This is what I consider to be pro Afrocentrism.
In the 21 century, Africa's major problem has been leadership. Our leaders are greedy and puppets in the hands of the west and that has stalled development and brought poverty to a very young population of Africans. There is little I can do about this, however, in places where I do have influence, I try to do my best for my community. It doesn't have to be anything grand. little droplets make an ocean. We all have a part to play in the development of our continent and people. We the grassroots should not make the same mistake as our leadership, by selling out our people for peanuts.
In conclusion, Afrocentrism isn't an agenda against the white or any race; it is not an idea that should be frowned upon but embraced. We can only make better decisions for our future when we understand our past.
I think this is an interesting perspective. I feel like you have conflated several distinct concepts, though. First, when you refer to "ethical" in the beginning of your article, did you mean ethical or ethnic? I ask because if you meant ethical, I am not sure how it is ethical to view the world from racial lines.
However, I said I thought you were conflating some things, and I will explain: it sounds like you are speaking of patriotism. I think there is value to patriotism, especially for people who are in developing nations. National pride is important I think to advancement -- at least until we achieve John Lennon's Imagined dream of no countries.
Where I was confused by your message (and I don't know that I disagree -- I truly was confused) was that you discuss Africa as though it is one nation, which we all know it is not. You mention that America is America-centric, which is certainly true. However, over 10% of Americans identify as Black. Of course, there are also a few stray white people in Africa, and when you speak of being Africa-centric, are you including them?
I hope this comes across as what I mean, which is to suggest that you fine tune your ideas. This is not disagreement. Rather, I think that talented people from developing nations, especially those who have ethnicities or racial identities that typically cause their work to be devalued, need to somehow work together to ensure it doesn't happen.
It is unfair that a talented developer or writer from Nigeria or India is not usually as well regarded or well paid as one from my own country, Canada. That is patently ridiculous, and I hope it changes. It is because I want it to change that I responded because I think your logic is mostly very sound, but possibly a little off.
I hope you take my thoughts in the spirit I intend them. I know your words were not necessarily meant for me, but I have to say that Hive has done more for my understanding of worldwide cultures than all my previous reading and travel.
I have started to think that this sort of thing might be how the world finally sorts itself out. When people from one side of the planet regularly read about and feel like they are part of the struggles of people from clear across the world, I think we make huge strides. However, I am aware that my perspective must be different from yours. Well, that is true of all people everywhere, really.
!PIZZA
Right? We will solve this shit when we relate to each other on a human level, and when the conversations we engage in aren't all started from one group of people in one part of the planet.
I see all the twitter drama as a new tool that we haven't really figured out how to use optimally yet. We are figuring it out!
That was a typo. I meant 'ethnical'
I am talking about Afrocentrism and nationalism. Patriotism is a different subject, although it aligns more with nationalism than the concept of Afrocentrism which encompasses the collective consciousness of the black race and our interactions with each other across borders.
fine tuned to what? If I may ask.
This is not a message of inclusion. I am specifically speaking to the African community and our relationship with ourselves (not the world); I am speaking to those who look like me and face similar struggles based on our race.
I am not against collaboration or support from other communities. I am more against the dependency on it. We can help each other but that should not be only basis for our relationship.
I am not expecting those changes from the outside. As I said Africans are always looking for solutions from the outside, which has only furthered the exploitation of our people and continent. If we better structure our communities, issues of this nature will be a thing of the past. This is why I am addressing my community specifically and not pointing fingers at other communities/race.
This is a tricky topic to talk about in mixed company but I don't like shying away from it either. If we want to fix the problems of the past we need to face them.
It's really undeniable that Africa has gotten the short end of the stick in many ways, partly due to it's own leadership issues but more so from the influence of Western (and now Asian) influences. I think it's good if Africa can solve it's own problems as much as possible because powerful countries have a habit of wanting to keep less powerful countries down, or try to influence them with selfish intent. I think this says less about certain nations and more about power dynamics and the current social evolution of our species.
I still want to help, but only in ways that aren't belittling and also that come natural to me (supporting African projects and creators and sharing information for example)
I never preach about "education" or talk about "development" as if it is always good because these concepts have all been heavily influenced by a Western point of view, one that many times I disagree with.
Labels make this kind of issue stickier too. Labels can oversimplify things and can invite enemies. People always disagree about their meaning as time goes by. I am not sure who came up with the word "Afrocentric" but I am curious...Was it an westerner? Or maybe someone who was educated in the western school systems and influenced by these kind of ideas? I'm not saying the word is bad, it's just something to think about.
Also imagine some African nations becoming more powerful than the current superpowers. How would "Afrocentrism" feel as a word then? Who might hijack this word and idea? I think it would feel like a display of dominance to the other nations, same shit the superpowers of today do, and maybe even an invitation to war for someone who sees this kind of thing creeping up.
But then should people not even use words like "Afrocentrism"? Well it's not for me to decide, and I don't even know the answer to that. I just think actions speak louder than words, and the best we can do is build up our communities (our communities can be anyone we bond with or resonate with or have common interests with) and those who have been left behind and also build bridges with as many other communities as possible.
I personally would love to see Africa lead the world if it can foster more compassionate, fair and free societies. I know it looks like it's far far way away but things can change a lot in a short period of time sometimes. Aside from my own personal well-being (which was looking kind of hopeless for a while), this kind of possibility is the most exciting thing about crypto for me.
Hope you don't mind the long-ass comment from a white dude. See, western society instilled all this overanalyzing in me. In the end I just wanna say "let's just make life better in Africa, no need to give it a name" but instead my western education taught me to make this very "left-brained" kind of response 😅. That's why I live in Asia now, trying to learn to keep the heart balanced and speak with the heart instead.
I don't mean to be difficult or to disagree, just finding things to examine... I am truly rooting for Africa and so I write this with passion!
This sums up my post.
Doing something positive for the African community is appreciated.
When I speak about education I refer to acquiring knowledge and skill relevant to creation material wealth for one's self and their community. Economic strength always plays a crucial role in determining the power dynamics that exist in the world today.
The movement was spurred by black nationalist and Pan-Africanists. I understand your concern about labels, but if it is efficient to drive the point and bring about the required change, I certainly do not have a problem with it. It can be discarded once it loses its meaning. For now, there are not better words to encapsulate the ideas I want to convey in this post. As I clearly stated here, this has nothing to do with retribution from the sins of the past. It's more of a wake up call to Africans/Nigerians to build our communities that are moving in the right direction.
I will like to point out that I am not an idealist, and I don't necessarily believe in a world where everyone is on the same terms. It is hard to conceptualise this in any feasible way. So I opt for ideas or concept that can work. And if for some reason they become inadequate, there is room for reforms.
I am not one to shy away from difficult conversations. I do not know it all. This is an open forum and I welcome different view points.
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