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Ghana: 'Being Black - Negritude'

Dr. Kofi Dankyi Beeko, MD

5 November 2008

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MOHAMAD ALI, alias Cassius Clay, Heavy-weight Champion of the World, famed for super-performance in the boxing ring, from 1962 until the mid-seventies, fascinated his fans, not only through his nimble feet and accurate punches to his opponent's head, but also through a sharp sense of humor.

In one tournament against Joe Frazier, (also one time heavy weight Champion), Ali would absorb the otherwise devastating body punches, and at the same time taunt his opponent, "I am going to kill you, Nigger!" Half a century ago, words, or expressions, like "Negro', Nigger, Neger, "Negroid race", were frequently used, but probably not deeply understood by those they were meant to affect, or belittle. There was not much communication between "Niggers", and "non-Niggers", even though, the former stood to serve the latter. If you think of the fact that, for nearly three hundred years, Niggers had worked for the Whites on that part of the American Continent, now called the United States of America , it may surprise you the more. But, perhaps, not. "African American" euphemizes it today. No more "Nigger!"

On several visits to Egypt the last twenty years, I have come across Effigies of such an ancient Egyptian Queen, and King as Nefertiti, (14th BC), and Ramesis II, (13th-14th Century BC). You don't have to possess much fore-knowledge of Anthropology, neither do you have to be an Egyptologist, to recognize the features of these two personalities of antiquity, as "Negroid." But, that is where my problem begins. Moses, (the man who occupies equal positions in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), was chosen by God, to deliver the Lineage of Jacob, out of bondage in Egypt , around 1850 BC. This lineage was not Negroid. But, Neferetiti, who is believed to have been black, had reigned four hundred years previously. Ram sis II, also Black, had been King of Egypt, fourteen hundred years BC. The Jews, whom Moses led, wandering around the desert for forty years, were not black. Their story in and out of servitude in different places, since the Mosaic era, is known world-wide. Israelis live in a nation today, however, (since 1948, to be precise), which even if troubled, due to millennia-old conflict with the Palestinians, is one of the most advanced to date. Wherever they wander, (e.g. into America ), they take a vibrant stage in the economy. In 1847, when the boat that brought the first Kennedy to America berthed in Boston , there were sign-boards everywhere, which said on one, "Blacks", and on the other, "Whites Only." Since it confused many, as to where the Indians, both Red and Oriental-Indians, and the Chinese/Japanese stood, you found sign-posts in Massachusetts, for example, as well as in the South, (Georgia), which would read, "Negroes and Jews not admitted." Even after the American Civil War, which was to have United that Nation, North and South, -Abraham Lincoln, (1809-1865), the 16th President, had in terms of the black race, vis-a-vis whites, this to say . "the physical differences between the black and white races, (I believe), will for ever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality, and inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together, there must be the position of superior, and inferior ..I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor qualifying them to hold office, nor intermarry with white people, .I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position, assigned to the white race", (Alstair Cook, Letter From America. "Court and the Negro", 20th August, 1954 ).

It takes a man of 'some Science', rather than of "some Law," (Abrahim Lincoln was a Lawyer before he went into politics), to understand the twists and turns of what the text above, (coming from Abraham Lincoln, believed to have been very liberal), should stand for, or what it intends to say. Its meaning doesn't stand out, even if it should. Can anybody find the explanation, (any explanation), why our race, (The Black Race), has earned the negative stand, especially since 1492, when a new Continent had been spotted, (Christopher Columbus), which gave the rest of the world, (but especially Europe, or preferably, the Nordic Race), the opportunity to free themselves from poverty, and to be free from monarchical oppression, and to see real material wealth? To do that, it seems the opportunity was discovered, to use the muscle power of the "Nigger", almost for free. Relics of the Slave Trade are to be found along the coasts of Africa , but especially so, in West Africa , (El Mina Castle). Alex Healy's Best Seller, "Roots", featuring the Hero, Kinty-Kintey, (epitomized in Mohamad Ali), tells the well researched story, which will get the tears deep down and out from the tears-glands of even "tough men." What remains at the dungeon of the Elmina Castle in Ghana doesn't tell the story vividly enough. But, why we the Negroid?! We are muscular, and full of what is known as ATP, (Adenosine Triphosphate), a substance whose breakdown releases energy, that drives a myriad of chemical reactions within, and outside the cell, and these make such activities as in Boxing, in Running, in Jumping, but also in the sex-act, where the masculine Nigger is known to be master, -all possible. In America , examples exist of men and women, who excelled intellectually, a glaring example of whom is Booker Tallaferro Washington , (1856-1915).

But, in the South, where cotton brought untold wealth to whites, who used cheap black labor, an attempt at, or sex between a black man and a white woman, condemned the Blackman to instant-justice, and he was lynched, whilst the whites looked on, and at times, even clapped blissfully. The reverse, (a white man enjoying sex with a Negress), was glorified. So that the story doesn't run too long, just be reminded that, Rev.. Martin Luther King Jr. Was assassinated in America in 1968, for "preaching equality among all people", -not for black supremacy!!!

But, whichever way one would like to look at it, we tend to cling to what I call "warped logical thinking." An example is what follows: For twenty years, a country designated as "P" was ruled by a dictatorial regime, (as was the case in three-quarters of the World, following World War II). The economy had admittedly been run-down. Luckily, (one would think), the dictatorship gives in, to Democracy at some stage.

The expected, (wished for) prosperity fails to emerge. Those running the show argue this way: "What has been mismanaged for twenty years cannot be reversed in only five years."

It becomes an argument that will simply not go away!!! In other words, it is being argued," if a system has been run-down in 20 years, you would need multiples of twenty years, to be able to reverse it". Is that so? How about Adolf Hitler? He took over an economy, which had been in shambles, for fifty years, and a country that had lost a World War I, fifteen years previously. He promised his country men and women "36 months", and exactly thirty-six months later, not only was the Germans amazed living in the "land with honey and milk flowing", but a British Prime Minister, (Neville Chamberlain), was overwhelmed, and agreed to "APPEASEMENT. Indeed, your detractors would tell you, "Hitler was a Dictator!" So was Sese Sekou Mobutu, so was Emperor Bokasa, and so was Soni Abacha, and let me stop here, because, the list could be long. There is no example of an African Dictator, who has brought prosperity to his people, but took their freedom away.

Meanwhile, there have been African Nobel Prize Laureates, (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chief Albert Lithuli, Wole Soyinka, Nelson Mandela, and Busumuru Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General). The Prizes were won for Peace, for Literature, and for high performance in World Diplomacy. We aren't doing badly, so one could argue. What is my problem? Are we, ( Africa ) not the sole part of the world, where Economic growth has been poorest, since development aid was initiated following World War II? Yes, we are! Our argument, and it has been heard from higher African, (and European circles), AFRICA HAS RECEIVED TOO LITTLE AID. The boring comparison of our part of the world with Asia keeps popping up. It is simply true they are ahead, starting with much less. Why do we get bored, with the comparison?! The truth hurts, so the anonymous saying goes. We hosted a football tournament, not quite two months ago. The whole of Africa , plus one percent of the world was here as our guests. The author came across a scenario where children, young girls and women were carrying buckets, pails, and call them what you may, combing the "streams", which you might call gutters, of our second largest city, where Egypt was based, looking for drops of water to carry home. The bus shuttling the Egyptians to the pitch was held up in traffic a little bit. From not far away I was sure they did not enjoy what they saw. This was still the situation when not long thereafter, we were "blessed" with a visit of the politically mightiest man on earth, the American President.

The water situation wasn't any better. So, what is wrong in saying it? What the problem is, in my opinion, is the drum, beaten by one group, which says, "WE ARE DOING SO WELL, WE MUST CELEBRATE? If we were to bring our nation back three thousand years in time to the Romans, they would have brought water to all corners of the country, and crisscross West Africa with it. That would not be enough, they would have continued to Djibouti , as indeed, they brought water to Khandahar, in Afghanistan from Europe . Without being able to provide water to all households in the nation, how and where does that leave the "health of the nation?" But men and women in the "healing profession are not the loudest mouthed about the issue," and that would have been the first step.

Perhaps, there are too few Doctors around, to have extra time to address this crucial issue. Where there should have been at least 22 000, there are just about 2000. This will keep for ever popping up.

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