At high school, a lesson on colonialism, and the Slave Trade even which happened earlier was set to change my outlook as a young person. In later life, I realized that we still have the ramifications of the two events, particularly slave trade lingering.
The education we have from the four walls of our schools and from our parents to a greater extent, qualifies for what I description “ a re-enforcement of the old idea of colonialism in our spirit.”
Like me, I believe there are millions of people fighting the reality of the dehumanising acts in their hearts and souls.
In Africa, our education system trains us not to trust ourselves. Our belief systems are shattered. Our minds are not conditioned to believe our capabilities.
Even though the era of slave trade ended more than 300 years ago, the footprint it created in generations – their hearts and minds – are still very evident.
Flipping the pages back to the SLAVE TRADE lesson, I ask myself some questions :
- What was the oppressor’s goal? We learnt m they wanted to take our natural resources but now I realise something deeper- they broke our spirit.
When I meditate on why they wanted to break our spirit, I surmise they wanted to control our thinking until we can’t stand and think for ourselves.
Consciously, we are still with this mentality. We are still being controlled with this oppressive idea. Many times I tried to reject the state of affairs, I feel it has been registered in my brain since from long.
I remain optimistic to learn from some great leaders in my country to do away with this satanic mindset. But it tends out to be worst. They are rather suffering more than any other person in the world. They don’t know their true selves. And, instead of helping its people with the power entrusted in them, they abuse more than our colonial masters.
I turn to the church for relief but it becomes religious.
Amidst of the concerns, I have now started erasing the ideology that leadership is reserved for people with certain characteristics. It is time to get to your real self. The battle with self-humiliation, self-rejection, self-cancellation and self-pity must cease today.
When you feel timid, know that you were trained like that. Our culture has trained us not to express ourselves freely. The tragedy is that today’s youth are becoming passive. That oppressive spirit has produced some people today who are so passive, and never make things happen but watch things happen.
Don’t wait for another chance to stop this mentality. Leaders don’t wait. If you are leader today, I dare you to jump first. Let your faith and confidence be your guide.
