Bringing Down the House Apartheid (Racism) Built

Since the fall of apartheid in South Africa in the 1990s, the question in many South African Universities has been one of how to transform the educational system that apartheid built. One significant way of doing this has been around the personnel of each university. However, the clamor for change has not been limited to personnel. Monuments that bear apartheid insignia are now being brought down. Recently the case of Rhodes at the University of Cape Town drew public attention. Now a plaque honoring former South African President, H. F. Verwoerd, is going down at the University of Stellenbosch. The point here seems to be that monuments that epitomize racism should not stand. However, considering that South Africa as it is today was built on the back of racism, the trick may be determining what needs to stand and what needs to go.

One of my students once informed me that the building in which I taught African studies at the University of Alabama bears the name of a slave owner and that the man perhaps gave a lot of money for the building to be built. I responded, rather sheepishly, I think, that if we focused on the history of our places of luxury today, we may be filled with revulsion. Think of how the wealth that build St. Peter's Square in the Vatican came about? Perhaps what catches our attention now is the most egregious displays of exploitation. The egregious exploitation seems to be still fresh in the new South Africa. That is why those monuments are coming down. In America, we have learned to make our peace with such monuments, especially here in the South.

Adam Sandler Seems Bent on Caricaturing Africans and Native Americans

Adam Sandler seems intent on caricaturing Africans and Native Americans using all the stereotypes in the book. His recent film, "Blended", seems to use all the stereotypes imaginable against Africa. Now, he has turned his attention to Native Americans. However, some Native American actors are refusing to help him caricature their tradition - they have quite participating in the production of "The Ridiculous Six". The trailer for "Blended" below is a textbook example of how not to think about Africa.

 

In Memory of Disposable Bodies

Interfaith memorial service held for migrants dead at sea.

Ethiopians Rally Against Murderous ISIL

After the killing of Ethiopian Christians, Ethiopians are demonstrating against the murderous group.

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On Myth, History and Xenophobia (In South Africa)

The recent xenophobia attacks in South Africa have not only led to soul searching in that country but also to the question of human genesis. This is especially raised by the ad for tasty chicken and chips below:

 

In the ad, after everyone leaves South Africa, the only person left is the Khoisan, believed to be the traditional inhabitant of the area. However, if it is true that human beings began somewhere in East Africa and not in South Africa, and if historians are correct that most people believed to be indigenous to southern Africa today actually came from the area around Cameroon, then not even the Khoisan is indigenous to South Africa. In other words, the Khoisan did not originate there; they migrated to the area.

However, most human societies have myths of origins, myths that claim that God/Spirit/spirits created them at a particular place and gave them particular skills and/or piece of land. Among the Vengo of Cameroon, where yours truly originate, it is believed that God created them right there in Vengoland. God sprang them as full-bodied people from a waterfall that can still be seen in the village. But the history of the Vengo tells a different story. It tells the story of people coming from different surrounding villages and converging in Vengoland. However, the Vengo are sticking to their story, just as Israel is sticking to its story about Palestine. Many South Africans, like most people around the world, do not even know, let alone remember the history of their migration. That is why xenophobia everywhere is in part a product of ignorance. Perhaps the history of migrations ought to be taught at primary schools so that professional historians should not be the only ones familiar with it.

Ebola Causes Teenage Pregnancy

Ebola does not only kill its victims but it also increases teenage pregnancy rate. That is according to a senior official in Sierra Leone, one of the three West African countries that have suffered most from the Ebola outbreak. You may be curious to find out the link between Ebola and teenage pregnancy. Well, this is it: one way Ebola has been tackled in West Africa is to close schools to limit contact and hence the spread of the deadly virus. Now, when schools are closed, teenage girls stay at home. When teenage girls stay at home, not very good things happen. Remember, it is about the girls staying at home not what the men do to them. So you see the connection - Ebola closes school, teenage girls wander at home and pregnancy comes to them like an airborne disease. So the government, full of morally righteous people who steal Ebola aid money, bans the girls from attending school for being bad examples. Classic Sierra Leonean government's way of addressing a crisis! Just like it handles Ebola!

Why Is America Setting Up Centers for Disease Control In Africa?

The short response to the question above is that African governments can't do it on their own. If they could, they would have done so. The report on the matter gives a brief history of how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came about in China and the United States. In the case of China, the US government was not involved in setting it up. In the case of the US, the Chinese government was not involved in setting it up. African governments were not involved in setting up either that of China or the US. Now, in the case of Africa, the American government is involved. The situation is described as a "partnership", the euphemism for neo-colonialism. The irony of this seems to be lost even on Ms. Zuma, the Chair of the African Union and a South African who preaches African independence and agency. It seems that these African leaders simply pick and choose when they want to be independent of the West or China. They mouth sanctimonious statements about African independence and agency while at the same time manifesting considerable dependence in all that they do. It is a shame that it is seen as normal for America to "partner" with the African Union to set up a Centers for Disease Control in Ethiopia. Why does an organization of 54 countries have to rely on one country to set up an agency that serves its own best interest? The continuous failure of the African Union to do little things for the continent makes one wonder whether it should be in existence at all.

Did the Western Media Overlook Africa's Role in Fighting Ebola?

The Director of social affairs at the African Union Commission thinks so. He complains:

“Unfortunately, Africans do not have the international voice of CNN, BBC and France 24, therefore much of our work is overlooked in the western media,” he said. “Most of the assistance provided by the international community is in the areas of finance and infrastructure. In the most critical human resources for health, Africans – including the affected countries – have had to take the lead.”

Kenyan Authorities Responded to Garissa Attack After 11 Hours - Report

A Kenyan newspaper is reporting that the Kenyan authorities responded to the Garissa attack after 11 hours, long after many of the victims had already been slaughtered. Swift action cannot be taken against the perpetrators of this heinous crime, as the President of Kenya is now vowing, if such action could not be taken to save the lives of Kenyans during the mayhem.