Dysfunctional Countries, Failed States, and Chaos on the Continent. What are we to do?

When one examines the level of corruption in Africa, it mainly comprises African nations or pundits working with external factors such as foreign governments or international corporations controlling those entities. Their allegiance is to themselves and not the nation. We can use a micro and micro approach to Africans in the United States and Africans born on the continent. These opportunists have become socialized to work against the masses or their respective groups. People who work against their interests demonstrate cultural backwardness as a red herring or subterfuge because it does not promote the advancement of the group. This is often manifested by poverty and oppression, which can usually be traced to 450 years of exploitation by Western nations in the Americas. Yet, many more years in the motherland. Millions of lives were lost to the enslavement of Africans and the appropriation of their lands and natural resources by external corporations and countries for centuries. This destruction and confusion did not occur in a vacuum. It first started with the Arab enslavement of Africans, as Chancellor Williams depicted in The Destruction of Black Civilization — Great Issues of A Race from 4500 B.C. to 2000 AD. Africans were enslaved during the colonial period. Economic resources were looted from Africa. The two current factors contribute to the economic development of Western countries — the kidnapping of Africans and the looting of their natural resources. The United Nations and its multinational subsidiaries, such as the World Bank, are and are part of this racist gang of oppressors. The Western media frequently paints negative pictures of African nations. Compounded on this travesty, the elites of these respective nations promote the neocolonialism of the West upon its people. For the most part, news from African nations or their media are not given the opportunities to tell their stories of these great white saviors’ benevolent behaviors.

Political instability is a relative term for chaos often created because of social and political discontent with the system’s failure to serve the people adequately. External players in African nations are key to this discord. The white supremacy-controlled CIA, FBI, and other mercenaries or external funding sources such as USAID helped to become actors in those respective regimes. Yet, the question is, how can we reverse such conditions? We must educate the masses of Africans about Pan-Africanism. Pan-Africanism focuses on the interconnections of Black folks throughout the Diaspora. Meanwhile, nationalism is my love for my nation, particular region, or group. So, when someone uses the term nationalism, we might support only our group, our country, or Clan, spelled with a C and not a K.

First, we must give homage and study the writings or words of historical figures keen on helping increase the relationship to the African struggle against antiracism, fascism, and the neo-colonial movement. Let me drop a few names or books that can help illustrate those figures. First, we must give homage to Marcus Garvey, who started the Black to Africa Movement and was later sold out by the elite Negroes and the government agents who did not share his visit during that movement. Another key understudied person was a South African, Sol T. Plaatje, who wrote Native Life in South Africa and was one of the founding members of what we know as the ANC. He traveled to England, Canada, and the United States to work with leadership to stop the germination of apartheid and the oppression of Southern African Blacks. The other giant who helped with both his theories and manifesto was Chancellor William with his book The Destruction of Black Civilization. Many others exist, such as Patrice Lumumba, Haile Selassie, Jomo Kenyatta, and Kwame Nkrumah. We can look at Stokely Carmichael, who later changed his name to Kwame Ture, who was one of the few West Indians born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago, who was involved in the civil rights movement known for the term Black Power, which was the title of his book with Charles Hamilton who recently died this year — but devoted his life to fighting for the people. I would be remiss not to mention Dr. Walter Rodney, who wrote the book How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. Such works are essential to allow the participants to dance in history with other great Pan Africans with vision. He was murdered in 1980 when he returned to his country, Guyana, after being in exile for many years. Still, many of our leadership members have intensive cataracts and cannot read or understand the diamond of knowledge left for the living.

South African transformation did not happen during the post-apartheid stage during their independence. Despite the millions of acres of land appropriated by crooked, racist laws and policies, when the time came for the transformation to reverse that situation, it did not happen in South Africa. This is because the seed was sowed so that the elites in South Africa are controlled by the apartheid-loving personalities that keep that country’s status quo of great income disparities. Hence, what good is democracy if one can’t afford necessities? As Malcolm X said, what does the little or small get to lose when he only has a choice of two rat parties to vote for, and neither will offer a transformation to their lives?

If post-apartheid fundamental transformation were to happen, the South African economy would collapse because of trade sanctions and embargos, and we only need to look at Cuba or Zimbabwe to measure that bone of contention. It’s all bells and whistles, my friends. South Africa cannot take any radical stand because South Africa’s current freedom and independence are dependent on not upsetting the Western apple cart. Apartheid was a creation for Europe and was supported by Western Capital and interest. South Africa is one of the most industrialized countries in Africa, with the highest income disparities among its citizens. Making radical decisions such as mass land distribution will or could cause the economy’s collapse because it is funded and sustained by Western interests. History illustrates that Zimbabwe as an example. Thamsanqa D. Malinga, cited in the book Blame It on Apartheid, quotes Motsuenyane (1989) that:

In the case of South Africa, entrepreneurship during the apartheid was considered a legitimate and acceptable occupation, and black South Africans were deliberately inhibited from participating in it. Major laws such as the Master and Servant Act (1911), Native Land Act (1913), Native Urban Areas Act (1923), Group Ares Act (1950), Native Resettlement Act (1945), and the Regulation Governing Black Business in Urban Areas (1962) were passed to impede black South African(s) who wanted to be entrepreneurs. It has been noted that there were more than 500 laws and regulations that, in one way or another, impeded the involvement of the black community (sic) in the economy as owners and managers (p.67).

When those prophets came forth with pearls of wisdom or to throw down some heavy light, they were eliminated (murdered by the CIA or its stooges as in the case of Patrice Lumumba) and attacked because they figured out the white supremacy Rubik’s cube. Hence, with a collective knowledge of oneself, culture, and the world, there are no more trinkets and shiny objects to confuse the masses.

We must have Black and African Studies that produce advocates, instigators, and revolutionary-thinking personalities who are constantly attacking white supremacy and the status quo. This is done by using data and outcomes, as well as outputs of empirical measurement, to measure the progress from the valley of the struggle. Why should poor and oppressed people serve the interests of others when their family bellies are not full? Why are we wasting our time on activities that do not offer a transformation to our lives or our family’s lives? Hence, nothing from nothing produces nothing. We must use the concept of reverse engineering. If you look at the problems or situation, there must be an answer; often, it can’t be devised by those who created it. As the African proverb goes, the eye cannot see itself. As said frequently in the struggle, those close to the problem are probably closest to the solution.

Suppose we are to reverse draconian policies and so-called neo-colonialism or oppressive laws related to the struggle. In that case, we must teach history students to participate in the battle. We must retool intra-campus and inter-campus international connections among students at universities, colleges, or post-secondary institutions. One could use the Omaha Table Talk model that was developed at Catholic Charities over 15 years ago, where we bring individuals to safe settings and often over dinners in a private space, in the communities, nonprofit agencies, and homes to talk about their fears, apprehension, or concerns about others and particularly with race relations. Most people were willing to engage in honest or, as ‘butt-necked’ conversations about the day’s racial and social justice issues given the proper facilitation. However, to our chagrin, many divide-and-rule folks don’t want to bring the worlds together because they benefit from the existing apartheid or segregated conditions. As Booker T. Washington said, sometimes we don’t want to be patient to get well when it's our golden goose.

It would be best to have guidelines and excellent facilitators who avoid lecturing or hijacking the events with other side issues. I participated at Creighton years ago in a series of Table Talk lunches and dinners, and I learned a lot about some toxic situations on campus. If we were serious, we would have credible messengers and those who know. If we want to see how the food tastes, we must ask the diner, not the cook. Because those who often tell don’t know, and those who have the skills to bring our worlds together are overlooked. Suppose we are open to such an example. In that case, we must use the ombudsperson approach and not dismiss the messengers when they inform us of bleak or toxic racist or xenophobia conditions. There are too many in governments who worship at the altar of selfish behaviors, peak gaslighting languages and practice a sophisticated form of cronyism that keeps us on this hamster wheel of going nowhere.

Multiply this by African governments about something other than serving the people, and you have the current conditions facing the motherland. We must create programs or institutions as conduits of conciliatory messages and engagement. We must employ the help of credible messengers and Grasstop leadership groups if we desire the transformation of the wreathed of the earth.