Second letter of consciousness to a black African child
By Shivute Kaapanda [Think Tank Africa]
Dear African Black Child,
The world might get you attracted to study and live in the most so-called developed world but that is not the way to go; rather it might be one way to go down or the best way to get lost.
One of the best ways is to study what the other worlds are doing and where feasible apply it in your world but not with the same exactitude because a bird cannot build a nest under water knowing it cannot breath under water just as a fish cannot build its nest on land for it can only swim and not fly.
Things are not to be judged or put on the same scale always; the world is diverse, and some say the world is round. The definition of what the whole world is can be from the most powerful people on earth but remember time changes and you can be the change the world would like to take.
Africans who are Aawambo would always narrate a proverbial expression which says: “Ouyuni owo ehongo lyekugu, wa matuka weu fiyapo, wa ende weku fiipo” or “Ouyuni Uukwanamhinyuka” meaning “the world is subject to change and it’s either the change benefits or betray us, we should all accept such change”.
An African child should at all times be Afro-optimist and do the best for Africa. An African child should be politically and historically conscious; an African child is a patriot child.
Dear African child, this world is created in founding father’s image of white supremacy; that however should not deter you from fighting for justice, for social justice should be one of your conscious-raising messages.
To be born black has quite for a longer time been perceived as to be born poor, hungry, sick and sometimes with low-low intelligence, however that is not a meaningful perception. One should not live in an unexamined world; an unexamined world is very shallow, full of stupidity and has shallow beliefs.
An African child is a skeptic child full of energy and confidence to teach the world about him or her and the knowledge he or she has. One should not suffer from low self-esteem and black inferiority complex because of the imposed social patterns; an African child got to confront the world anyhow and for whatever reasons.
African child, do not be scared of the world, rather let the world be scared of you. If you are a religious child, do not operate by the whims of religious boarders, do not try to impress the world by coming to it but let the world come to you on your own terms in everything.
As a black African child you should own yourself, be proud of your blackness and celebrate your heritage.
As an African black child you should understand with consciousness that to be black is not a sin and it’s equally not a sin or silver to belong to other races. That blackness has always been associated with lower standards is a nerve-wracking norm that needs rejection.
Best of revolutionary wishes,
Shivute
