RUNNING AWAY FROM OUR OWN SHADOWS
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah once said, “I am not an African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me”. Today, inferiority complex is almost synonymous to Africans.
The black race has been so stigmatised of being inferior that it has affected the mentalities and perceptions about ourselves to the extent that anything foreign, in respect to skin, dresses movies, food, names and even ideas of other people become superior.
Using or buying African produce comes with a lot of suspicion and doubt because Africans have lost their pride by placing others first and this is a fact that cannot be denies.
According to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, “Africa is a paradox which illustrates and highlights neo-colonialism. Her earth is rich, yet the products that come from above and below the soil continues to enrich not Africans predominantly, but groups and individuals who operate to Africa’s impoverishment”.
Our demeaning nature of always thinking and feeling that things done by Africans are of low quality and sub-standard lead Africans to forget that most of these refined and processed goods imported into our countries are gotten from our very own resources we export to these foreign countries.
A typical example of what I am talking about is when my hairdresser once came back from USA, It was as though she had golden hands People who never patronised her before, flocked to her shop to do their hair as if anything from the US is superior.
In Ghana, we can boast of people like Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantaka who manufactures engines, vehicles, aircrafts, heavy duty machines among many other things.
Growing up, we have been made to believe in foreigners and to put our own down through negative orientations and mental enslavement particularly through the media.
Suit and tie has become A dress which gives people an inflated sense of self importance and our local attire and delicacies sidelined for continental dishes in our homes and restaurants.
The few Africans who strive to put their ideas into action by inventing things from our own resources are either, discouraged or not patronised. Inferiority complex makes us run away from ourselves, from our God-given endowments and embrace other people’s attributes.
We mimic foreigners especially the European and American because we feel we are not human enough.
In inspite of all the above, what has become of the African? Have we accomplished all we seek?
There is no great feeling like being yourself, there is no place like home, AFRICA would remain our home. Lets come together to make it a better place for all .
We must strive to become a producing continent rather than a consuming one. Our governments should improve our educational systems and not be the ones which would be supporting the foreign ones. We must also hold our leaders accountable and encourage them to provide quality leadership for our great nations.
No one can better appreciate us than ourselves. This is who we are AFRICANS
STUDENT JOURNALIST
ARTHUR ABIGAIL NANA EFUA
GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM