Africa: Who is the Blame? How Do We Overcome Systemic Practices of Racism?

AFRICA: WHO IS THE BLAME? AND HOW DO WE OVERCOME SYSTEMIC PRACTICES OF RACISM?

by Fahim A. Knight-El

This writer does not think that to intellectually explore and debate the topic of race is an inappropriate and erroneous discussion that lacks having any merit in this so-called post racial era in 2010. The critical debating of human biological or scientific differences relative to people’s racial and ethnic classification is a topic worthy of discussion. But it is in the United States of America where this topic is over sensitive because of our country’s history of racial injustice and this alone has stifled real debate (The United States Congress recent apology for the wrongs of slavery was nothing but an act of hypocrisy that had no substance and lacked moral conviction). Thus, to critically examine the topic of race and culture isn’t necessarily racist in of itself (genetics and racial indexing is a legitimate field of study) and this writer view it as needing an objective analysis in the United States. (Reference: Tim Wise; “Colorblind: The Rise of Post-Racial Politics and the Retreat from Racial Equity (City Lights Open Media)”).

However, only if we use the findings in the science to denigrate other races, which to render them inferior and elevate one race as being ethnic and/or biological superior over another based on racial variables alone, is where the problem lies historically and presently. It has been this social phenomenon which produced the ingredients that have historical led to creating a deranged psychological paradigm that has fostered in racist agendas such as ethnic cleansing, genocide and/or extermination pursuant to how the science was being interpreted and applied. Adolf Hitler viewed the Aryan race as being ethnic superior and pure, as well as being worthy of genetic preservation and this was to be carried out to any extent and in which non-Aryan people were viewed as subhuman and this made them expendable. (Reference: Adolf Hitler; “Mein Kampf Official Nazi Translation”)

We witness genocide in Rwanda, Africa in 1994, where the Hutus and Tutsis were in engaged in a racial and ethnic conflict that involved perceived power and so-called irreconcilable tribal, racial and ethnic differences that led to a bloody war. The world stood idly and silently-by while untold blood soaked the African soil and external intervention came late, perhaps because it was a black on black conflict and no one really cared about the lost of black human life. These types of international squabbles are good for financial business for those who are the masterminds of social, political and economic exploitation of developing nations. But at the root of this conflict was the effect that European colonial rule had imposed on these African societies for centuries (racial and ethnic contradictions were heighten and implored as divide and conquer schemes, which were an essential part of colonial rule indoctrination). This was the reactionary untold ideology that was festering behind the scenes in the inhumane acts of violence that had contributed to one of the worst genocidal eras in modern history that had taken place in Rwanda (pitting the Hutus and Tutsis against each other). We witnessed over one million people killed, mainly Tutsis in this tragedy of ethnic cleansing. Also, we witness similar acts in the former Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslavia president who presided over the ruthless ethnic cleansing and killing of tens of thousands of Bosnia Muslims at the hands of Serbs. These are examples of when we allow our racial, ethnic and religious differences to lead us towards committing acts of man’s inhumanity to man. These were nothing short of war crimes against humanity.

White social scientist in the United States who worked in 1960s, 1970s and 1980s had created a racial atmosphere of intellectual hate and applied higher intelligence to a larger extent to non-black people (this type of thinking is still out there). Bakke, Jensen, Shockley, and later Charles Murray and Richard J. Herrnstein (authors of “Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life”) are examples of white intellectuals who worked to correlate biological and ethnic superiority to non-black people. The above social scientist advocated that higher intelligence was correlated to race, which they implied that higher intelligence was inherently outside of blacks and the African gene pools. They produced unscientific academic studies (this was pseudoscience at its best), which fed into the psychology of white supremacy by advocating a propensity of higher intelligence belonging to non-black people. Murray disguised his racist intellectual study by maintaining that Asians had higher I.Qs than whites, Hispanics, and blacks. (Reference: Ashley Montagu; “Man's Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race”).

There are many more white sociologist and psychologist even in 2010 who are still practicing racist science relative to defining and evaluating intelligence or Intelligence Quotient (I.Q.). These same reactionary forces attacked the Afrocentric thinkers in the 1990s for advocating the social values in melanin and “non-Melaninated” people. (Reference: Tom Burrell; “Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority”) and (Reference: Ashley Montagu: “Race and IQ”).

The Afrocentric thinkers and black intellectuals in many ways were only reacting to an unjust political, economic and social paradigm that was created by a system built on white supremacy ideas and concepts where Europe was viewed as the center of cultural enlightenment. There are many that have yet to admit that white supremacy has wrecked havoc on humanity. Some people have attacked me for daring to point this out and it isn't me they should be attacking, but it is white supremacy that’s deserving of attack; it has been at the root of America’s racial problem, in particular people of color or “melaninated” people in general, that have being at the brunt of racial injustice and discrimination. Therefore, it becomes difficult for me to remain silent and not raise a voice of opposition on behalf of the defenseless and am not yet convinced that we are presently living in post racial era with the election of President Barack Obama, America's first so-called African American president. Yet, I must admit, we have come a very long way in the history of race relations within the United States of America, but the victory hasn't yet been won and to those who believe it has, are naively fooling themselves. I am going on record of saying that I agree with the Afrocentric intellectuals such as the late Amos Wilson, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, John Henrik Clarke, Cheikh Anta Diop, John G. Jackson, Chancellor Williams, Molefi Asante, Asa Hilliard, Marimba Ani, Naim Akbar, Ivan Van Sertima, etc.

I also, agree with most of their scholarly contentions because they took intellectual white supremacy head on. So no one has to guest about where I am—I standing with these revolutionary intellectual warriors. I put little to no credence into white scholars and their research relative to the African experience because many of them are liars and propagandist and this includes those would be white liberals (there are some exceptions to this rule). There is also a black scholar class that has been trained and sanctioned, and co-opted by the status quo and in many instances; they are more reactionary than their white bosses. These Negroes contributes to the pacification of the so-called African American race and keep us dependent on the federal government to do for us what we should be doing for ourselves. (Reference: Manning Marable; “How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America: Problems in Race, Political Economy”).

White supremacy as an intellectual ideology has always historically deemed darker skinned people (yellow, red, brown and black) as being inferior and this was the driving premise and rationale to justifying European imperialism, colonialism and slavery—they did these tragic acts because they have always historically viewed non-white people as being sub-human and coupled with taking a Eurocentric version of Christianity that was imposed on indigenous people (they had the gun in one hand and the Bible in the other hand) and went around the world using religion to enslaved the minds of nonwhite people whom they came in contact with around the globe (the white Arabs did the same thing with Islam and its relationship with Africa and I view both of them as invaders). This type of slavery (co-opted the mind with alien religious practices) was much more permanent and devastating than actual physical slavery, which led to all manner of crimes committed throughout the planet. (Reference: Chinweizu; “The West and the Rest of Us: White Predators, Black Slavers and the African Elite”).

They called the Native Americans "savages” and called Africa the “Dark Continent” because they were non-white and non-European, it was easy to dehumanize them and commit unimaginable atrocities against people who differed from them in culture, religion, and skin color. This type of racist thoughts led to a history of aggression and used their power over the media and propaganda machines to besmirch, mischaracterize and demonized the Afrocentric thinkers of committing a criminal act because they dared to reinterpreted our history and was able look at melanin or lack of as a possible scientific explanation to assess his aggressive behavior. (Reference: Michael Bradley; “The Columbus Conspiracy: An Investigation into the Secret History of Christopher Columbus”).

It isn't about color (my argument is about challenging a warp mindset), but white people of good will need to convince their people of this reality and began to work amongst themselves to resolve this disease (racism is a disease) and correct the condition that it has caused. Some of my Free Thinking comrades would argue that race is used as a systematic distraction ploy by the Hidden Hand. Perhaps in the larger context and scheme they are absolutely right—this writer truly understands who is behind this type of controlled confusion and may be this type of writings is an indication that I to am a victim of their deception, but there is no doubt that the masses are liken to ignorant sheep. They have mastered the art of divide and conquer—create racial disharmony, political discord, religious animosity, agitate class wars, etc., in which these social variables will forever keep humanity preoccupied in useless squabbles and conflicts while they maneuver to keep all focus off themselves. But we are about attaining the truth and debunking a system of white supremacy and we will not allow them to be in denial of their vicious past. (Reference: The Nation of Islam Historical Research Department; “The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews”)

How do you assess his history of aggression that has negatively affected the original people of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand , Australia, Central and South America, Africa, and Asia?—the cultural, social, political, and economic devastating effects that racial aggression and plundering have had on the above mentioned nations and people. No, amount of reparations could ever restore the cultural dignity and undue the ultimate effect and intent of evil and systemic practices, which was ultimately aimed at the total dehumanization of the original man. The Native Americans, the ancestors of those original Asiatic who crossed the Bering Strait over 16,000 years ago have almost been made extinct (their culture and the richness of their experience was deemed non-beneficial to a mind that was steeped in culture arrogances) has been devastated and have been relegated to so-called sovereign reservations (this is not justice for one of the worst criminal acts ever to be recorded in human history). This is not to mention the history of the so-called African Americans and Chattel Slavery (1555-1865), I am sorry, it is extremely difficult for me overlook this history for the sake of being politically correct. Thus, this writer sides with freedom, justice and equality. (Reference: John Henrik Clarke; “Christopher Columbus and the Afrikan Holocaust; Slavery and the Rise of European Capitalism”).

Perhaps we should not ignore the melanin theories, may be this will render us some insight into this type behavior and aggressive nature that has existed on the planet for over 6,000 years; after all the history, is what is. Someone at some point must be held accountable and responsible because after all, these were crimes of guilt against humanity, and since no real grievances have been afforded to the historical victims these historical matters are still very much unresolved. It is a clear indication that within the United States, we remain in denial and this gives a conscious and/or subconscious subtle impression that these historical actions were justifiable, perhaps under the ideology of white supremacy. There is no historical record that the Afrocentric theoreticians have done anything to impede the social progress of the white race and has no history of systematically carrying out violent acts against the Caucasian race. (Reference: Michael Bradley: “Iceman Inheritance: Prehistoric Sources of Western Man's Racism, Sexism and Aggression”).

The Afrocentric movement was an intellectual movement who dared to challenge white supremacy in the arena of ideals, but in their minds African people had no right to develop theories and schools of thought that had not been pre-approved by the white status quo. I applaud any African theoretician who has learned to think outside the box—this is what made the African Nubian Hebrew Israelite Yeshua Bin Yosef and/or Isa Ben Yusuf better known by the western world as Jesus Christ a special personality. Yeshua Bin Yosef (Jesus Christ) opposed Pilate and the Roman Government and was not fearful of the consequences. The Afrocentric movement challenged white America and these demandable white intellectuals who have taught for centuries a curriculum of lies, half-truths and distortions in order to further a covert agenda of white supremacy. I stand shoulder to shoulder with the African-Centered movement. (Reference: Hugh J. Schonfield; “The Passover Plot”).

Africa was totally carved up and divided by the European powers at the Berlin Conference in 1884 and 1885; thus, this partitioning was done at the pleasure of European governments (France, England, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, United States, etc.). They drew artificial lines and/or borders with no respect and/or regards for the indigenous people’s culture, social, political, and economic structures. But their interest was having the ability to exploit the people via slavery and natural resources. The illegal partitioning created false borders and superficial ethnic groupings, which under natural circumstances these same colonized people would not have assimilated or lived under a unified queen/king or kingdom together. The Europeans forcibly created nation states in Africa, which eventually became sovereign independent nations. Ghana in 1958 under President Kwame Nkrumah became the first independent nation in Africa; their independences were circumscribed by the artificial border lines that were drawn up by their colonial masters. Some of these people, who were from different ethnic groups and tribes, different religious backgrounds and spoke different African languages and dialects moreover, were now being forced to live in social and political harmony under this neo-structure that was instigated at the Berlin Conference by the Europeans. (Reference: John Henrik Clarke; “Africans at the Crossroads: African World Revolution”).

This criminal act would eventually lead to political unrest throughout Africa because as this writer has stated above ordinarily certain tribes would not have lived together under a so-called unified nation—this has contributed to the present day of extreme acts of tribalism and conflict on the African continent. For example, in Nigeria there is a huge Muslim population in the North in and around Kano, but in the south around Lagos and southward there is a huge Christian population. The Europeans at the Berlin conference did not take into account these variables and demographics—to draw a geographical line grouping these ethnic people (Hausa, Fulani, Mandinka, Ewe, Ibo, Yoruba, etc.) together could have devastating potential on the future of Africa because some of these people had long standing disagreements even prior to European intervention. But they were not bound under a Nigerian flag of sovereignty and did not have to live in nationhood harmony with tribes that shared no sense of cultural commonality. This criminal act at the Berlin conference carved and partitioned some would be fifty-three African nations into existence—some larger and some smaller with less natural resources. The Europeans interest was strictly based on being in the best position to exploit Africa’s vast natural resources and nothing else mattered. (Reference: Chinua Achebe; “Things Fall Apart: A Novel”).

Thus, once these African nations sought independence they had to manage the political and cultural mess that Europeans had created. They had stolen and plundered Africa's natural resources and mineral rights by raping and usurping the natural wealth of Africa, which become partially of why Africa is in the condition that it is in today. They can not escape culpability and must bear some responsibility in creating the present day conditions in Africa. (Reference: Walter Rodney; "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa").

Moreover, later on the Europeans and Jews sneaked back into Africa under the guise of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (under the false pretense of humanitarianism)—so-called lending poor African nation’s loans to build infrastructures, but at unbearable interest rates and at the same time tying Africa's natural resources as collateral assets and as a stipulation of condition to the long term international lending agreements and with default clauses that allowed them to further exploit the natural resources; if the debt was not repaid according to the terms or was defaulted on. Africa should have been granted an international debt forgiveness initiative that was mandated by the United Nations. The World Bank and the IMF are criminal cartels that have instigated conflicts and have hid their dirty hands behind being stewards of good international lending practices, but are the financial beneficiaries of the misery, suffering and death of African societies; Africa has paid a huge debt for being the recipients of European philanthropy. (Reference: A. Craig Copetas; “Metal Men: How Marc Rich Defrauded the Country, Evaded the Law, and Became the World's Most Sought-After Corporate Criminal”).

Some of my adversaries love to point out the likes of a President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and the late Idi Amin Dada of Uganda as examples of black African corruption, but fail to admit that both Mugabe and Amin are only by-products of the conditions that Europeans created in those countries (this statement by no way is meant to alleviate personal responsibility) and the nations they inherited and should never be blamed for what Europeans created based on colonial rule and the disruption it caused on the entire continent of Africa. Yes, their crimes would be considered petty and insignificant when it comes to the millions of Africans who lost their lives in the diamond and gold mines while Cecil Rhodes, Oppenheimers and the DeBeers have robbed and stolen trillions upon trillion of dollars at the expense of the poor and suffering of the masses of these nations. These robber barons and their offspring have lived privileged lifestyles and are present day recipients of Africa’s mineral rights. It is easy to make Mugabe and Amin as pariahs, but overlooked the real criminals in Uganda and Zimbabwe. They always overlook the historical conditions that created a Mugabe or Amin and you would think their actions (Mugabe and Amin) were created in a vacuum and the Europeans bear no responsibility.

Cecil Rhodes and King Leopold were mass killers and murders. The petty crimes that Mugabe and Amin may have committed do not amount to very much in comparison to Rhodes and Leopold who slaughtered millions of Africans in the Belgium Congo and in so-called Rhodesia. But the Eurocentric worldview has tried to overlook these real criminals. These rogues raped and robbed the entire African continent and its people of zillions of dollars of natural resources and exploited untold black labor. (Reference: Bruce Bridges; “Recapturing the African Mind”).

This writer understands the political and historical predicament that President Robert Mugabe and his people of Zimbabwe were faced with, which he had the intestinal fortitude to try correct some of the historical wrongs that the British had imposed on the innocent people of Zimbabwe (Europeans and Jews are angry with him because he has cut them out the money chain). Cecil Rhodes reign over one hundred years ago and his brutal colonialist polices, of murdering (killed millions of Africans), and plundered the original people's land and natural resources is more responsible for the present day African instability and his reign still haunts the region of southern Africa a century later. But the western media would like to portray President Mugabe as a Marxist criminal and overlook the historical crimes that were committed by Cecil Rhodes, which destroyed the original people's political, social, and economic cohesiveness. (Reference: Frantz Fanon: “The Wretched of the Earth”).

Thus, Mugabe has tried to correct these past atrocities by resettling Africans back on their indigenous lands that were stolen under the white minority leader Ian Smith and other European Robber Barons. The western media has a practice of making the victim the criminal and the criminal the victim. I personally do not believe anything the western media reports about Africa and African leaders. Cecil Rhodes, Harry Oppenheimer, Rothschild’s, etc. Now, these are the real criminals—they have robbed Africa of its gold, diamonds, silver and mineral rights; with no respect of human life. If Mugabe is a criminal and a ruthless dictator, guess what, he was trained by the best in the business and still would only be considered a petty criminal, but I do not see him as a criminal.

His manner of rule is far from perfect and his system of rule is not above reproach. The former President of Uganda, Idi Amin was a victim of Zionist propaganda because the Zionist initially looked at resettling disperse Jews in Uganda before their settlement on the land of Palestine and Amin would not let them sneak in the back door to control his people’s land and mineral rights. He began in the early 1970s to exile them out of Uganda and the Zionist media went on a political campaign to besmirch his character and demonized him as a mad man and as a ruthless dictator; they were behind a coup that led to him being exiled. Amin who was a Muslim received diplomatic immunity from Saudi Arabia where he lived until his death in Medina, Saudi Arabia (the second holiest city in Islam) as a faithful Muslim and believer in Islam. The image of both of these men was created by Zionist forces. (Reference: Albert Memmi “The Colonizer and the Colonized’).

Lastly, I believe that as human beings, we are mere products of our environment and the experiences that we have gathered along the way helped shaped and mold us into who we have become. My experience, in America and my ancestors’ experiences were inextricable tied to race. I am a social critic and I see nothing wrong with discussing the topic of race and/or racism; thus, for to long this discussion has being socially off limits and even taboo to discuss; yes the topic of race is one of those painful chapters in the history of the United States and I do not think we should continue to be in denial and rob ourselves of entering into and engaging in a civil debate and discussion relative to race.

We need an open and honest national discussion on the topic of race because there still exist so many cultural bias and serotypes that creates societal misunderstandings about people (and it is still unresolved), who may differ from ourselves in ethnicity, skin color, religion, gender, nationality, etc. It creates a healthier environment when people who differ from each other open themselves up for communication and dialog. I enjoy critiquing and analyzing American style racism, why not have that type of conversation on the Blog and Internet? It might bring some understanding to other people who may share those similar experiences or may introduce to others a view of America that they did not have.

I have written many different type of articles on my Blog and even if a particular article that I may written does not appeal to you; you must understand that the World Wide Web (Internet) is a without boundaries medium that can be accessed by billions of people throughout the globe and I do not take this reality for granted. There is an audience for us all and my primary focus has been the African American community, but there are other people of different races, nationalities,, ethnicities, religions, etc., who bear witness to the truth and I will always see them as comrades in the human struggle and will continue to stand with them on common interests. This writer is a drum major for freedom justice and equality.

Fahim A. Knight-El Chief Researcher for KEEPING IT REAL THINK TANK located in Durham, NC; our mission is to inform African Americans and all people of goodwill, of the pending dangers that lie ahead; as well as decode the symbolism and reinterpreted the hidden meanings behind those who operate as invisible forces, but covertly rules the world. We are of the belief that an enlightened world will be better prepared to throw off the shackles of ignorance and not be willing participants for the slaughter. Our MOTTO is speaking truth to power. Fahim A. Knight-EL can be reached at fahimknight@ yahoo.com.

Stay Awake Until We Meet Again,
Fahim A. Knight-El