Whenever one puts their work out to the public, there is bound to be criticism, both constructive and otherwise. Most times you go by the cliché ignore the negative and use the constructive. Once in a while, you receive feedback that is neither positive nor negative, but rather amusing.
In my article “Africa’s Beggar Mentality Begets A Dependency Culture,” I wrote among other things:
The Black man’s life is a cheap one regardless of geographical location.
In America, a White man who carries out a mass shooting is arrested, due process is followed, and a trial afforded to him. An unarmed Black man, on the other hand, is guilty by virtue of being Black and receives bullets to his chest, regardless of whether he has committed a crime or not. And in Africa, a cure that could prevent the loss of lives from the Ebola outbreak is being afforded to American life but not African life.
Afterward, I received a complaint (pictured) that my writing is “racist” and asked what the plight of the Black man in the United States has to do with me as a Sudanese, I thought this was worthy of a response, because even though it is an opinion expressed by one person, it is one that Black people who are vocal about racial issues — without lavishing in the wings of political correctness — often receive.
Dear offended White Man:
Let me start by saying that unlike those who claim to be “color blind,” I choose not to deny my seeing of color, thus my addressing of this letter to you as I have. You see, the “color blind” claim is one only the blind, with all due respect, can make. For it is not the acknowledgement of color that is the issue, but the intention with which the acknowledgement is made.
In fact, the push for a colorblind world is almost as dangerous an issue as racism. That said, while I am sorry that you are offended, though, I am not sorry, that “I offended you.”
To be clear, it is not that I do not care about the effects my words may have on you or any other reader. Honestly, I do. In your case, though — and in that of others who may share similar views with you — I simply find your offense invalid.
Your taking of offense to my article stems from the claim, and question that:
Alexander Pope once wrote, “A little learning is a dang’rous thing/Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.”
Allow me to take his words out of context and state that selective reading is a dangerous thing, as the premise of my article had little to do with the points you raised, which means you read it from the start with the intention of tearing it apart to find what you are looking for rather than understand what I was writing on.
Nonetheless, I believe your taking offence deserves a response.
Vis-à-vis racism, I will begin with a definition of racism. The oxford dictionary defines racism as “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races”
and/or:
“Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.”
Going by these definitions, nowhere in my article do I state, or even imply that the Black man is superior to the White man.
I would like to make this letter as concise as possible. I am therefore not here today to give you a comprehensive account on how we live in a White supremacist world, as you did not challenge that fact. However, I am happy to concede if you can empirically disprove this, just as I can empirically prove it.
If your issue is that my expression, and choice of words do not fit your politically correct cup of tea, I should probably tell you that my duties are only limited to highlighting injustice, not rubbing the backs of the perpetrators to see which shoe fits them better.
Additionally, I am not sure if you actually read my article. Had you done that, you might have seen, in my discussion of Western policies toward Africa, a paragraph in bold that reads:
“At the U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington earlier this month, U.S. President Barack Obama proclaimed in a speech, ‘We don’t look to Africa simply for its natural resources. We recognise Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and its potential.’
As the famous saying goes, “Talk is cheap.” We need to look no further than Congo to see how much Africa is recognised for nothing else but its resources.”
Seeing as, the last time I checked, President Obama is a Black man, and going by whatever definition of racism you have construed, does this mean I am racist toward those who look like me too?
Regarding the question you pose on what the Black man in the United States has to do with me since I am from Sudan, I have seen White men march alongside Black men in solidarity. Going by your theory of proximity, what on earth do they have in common with the Blacks in the world?
I have marched alongside Palestinians in solidarity.
Again, going by your theory of proximity, let us ignore the fact that I AM BLACK for a minute, like you did, and that my skin is criminalized, what on earth do I have in common with the Palestinians?
I’ll tell you: humanity.
Now, let us address the fact that I am BLACK. That millions of BLACK lives were lost during slavery and colonialism; that there are disproportionate amounts of BLACK men in prison, not only in the United States, but also in England, where I am currently based; that the world’s fiscal structure is set up in such a way that AFRICAN AMERICANS, BLACKS in the world, and AFRICANS, alike, remain impoverished; that what they all have in common is a White supremacy system that dictates that BLACK life is dispensable (as I said) REGARDLESS OF GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.
As aforementioned, my duties are only limited to highlighting injustice, not rubbing the backs of the perpetrators to see which shoe fits them better. As you appear to have taken an oath to report my “racist” article, I think you should brace yourself, winter is coming and you will be reporting a lot more articles if it is political correctness you seek from me because YOU ARE NOT THE VICTIM AND NEVER HAVE BEEN.
But of course, your privilege will not allow you to see this, to understand that every Black man’s face is the face of slain 18-year-old Mike Brown.
RELATED: New #MikeBrown Tribute Song Inspires Me & Unites Black Youth
Therefore, I suggest you try some role-play reversal some day: try to fit the Black man’s shoe – it is a luxury afforded to you, but not to the Black man. Perhaps then, the oppression depicted in my writing will offend you, as it does me, more than the non-existent notions you choose to take from it.
Peace, love, and light,
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Your discourse was very true. We are aware or must be aware of the plot to transfer the creation of racism to the Africans rather staying with the perpetrators of racism. Racism belongs to the white culture. It was their concoction and therefore need to own it for eternity.
I cannot agree with you Mr Hickman, racism is not exclusive to or against any race. If we do not acknowledge this fact soon, we will see the table's turn and the black race will start committing the same disgusting acts against the white race as has started in South Africa.
Kelvin Nana Amoako That may be so--however, I will categorized it as a 'learned" process"employed by the Europeans who came to Africa. My point is still valid--racism was concocted by the white race, and they need to take responsibility for it. Of course, I am not a racist--I think--but I do despise the practice of racists and have no problem addressing their vile behavior --which I have done numerous time. South African whites are merely paying the price for what their ancestors did to the Africans. Had they treated them with greater humanity--maybe the same acts that were imposed on the Africans would not be as it is today there. As an American, we have in our country still striving to loosen the "noose" of this vile behavior--we will see.
YES!
Paul Hickman I think that is where we differ in opinion Mr Hickman. I do not see it right nor logical to punish restrospectively. One should only be responsible for their own actions not those of their fathers, talkless of great grandfathers. Therefore I cannot condone the actions of the current South African government against a faction of their own society just because their ancestors were cruel and brutal. This will only create an infinite cycle of hatred and bigotry. I believe you being a minority in the USA should know how it feels to be in that position. Retaliation is not the answer
Kelvin Nana Amoako Not suggestion retaliation --just acknowledgement that the White culture is responsible for introducing racism into a given society--take a look around other countries and tell me what do you see? I am not a minority in America--but of the Avant Garde Culture--thus the word minority is a part of the propaganda of racist cultures. Sorry, that we differ on this topic--one has to be responsible for that own actions for sure--but should not use the tools given to them by their ancestors to promulgate their well being. I read some place the other day that 40,000 Euro-South Africans controls 80% of its land. That is puzzling to me from your perspective--does that mean anything to you? Why is it divided in this manner? I will let you ponder on that for a few days and would like for you to explain to me how the Europeans acquired so much of our Motherland land and are trying to keep it. Maybe, we should claim the European countries as ours and take over their properties--but they have written laws where that cannot happen. The UK only gives non UK residents a 99 year lease to real estate. Zimbabwe is on the right track in following the UK's property ownership--except in Zimbabwe Europeans and Diasporas cannot own the land only buildings, but not the land. Why has the poor in South African not been helped to develop their neighbors as contrition for what their forefathers did to the Africans. Before the Europeans came to South Africa, what was it like? Sure you had your tribal fights, and you had your Chieftains to keep order in a particular village that worked for some centuries. The same goes for America before the Europeans came to that country. Let the government do what the people voted for them to do. Africa belongs to we Africans--God gave it to us and we need to protect it. Ask your friends, if they would feel comfortable living in a village with Africans and letting Africans walk freely into their neighborhoods into their homes and playing with their families.
Paul Hickman You make some really good and informed points which almost every person of reason will agree with. My issue is not with the limitation of land or assets that foreigners may attain. As you rightly said, in the UK where I happen to reside, non-citizens can only have a 99 year lease to real estate. The Key word here is non-citizens/residents. The White South Africans are citizens of that nation and under their constitution are meant to be treated equally. You keep insisting on the word Euro-South Africans in order to link them back to their european roots which is frankly unfair because most of them do not identify with europeans in any way shape or form. Some of them have their ancestry going as far back as the 15th century, how are they any different from the indigenous Black South Africans?.... Even if i agreed the concept of racism was introduced by the europeans, does that fact justify the Black South African's government decision to uphold it? Mr Hickman, we as Africans must know better having been at the disgusting end of racism. Maybe it is time to teach the world better. Will you not agree?
Kelvin Nana Amoako Ok, I will agree with your last point--but the rest of my argument I will keep. I am currently in Greece and travel through Europe once or twice a year. In Greece, when I walk down the streets where the Ancient Greeks trode--I am approached at times with the question where are you from--Ethiopia, the Middle East, etc. There is no vile intentions in those questions as the persons move along their way after my answer. Surely, you have read in current events of the issues in the United States. We were suppose to have been emancipated over 151 years ago that is 2.4 generations of mine. Yet, and still today some of us are being subjected to vile behavior. Now back to the Euro-Europeans--of course the are still connected to their Motherland. The African was in the Americas long before the Europeans were there as well as in China, and other Far Eastern Countries. I was surprised to see Africans from Cambodia and Mexico. These are the unfolding events of this decade. I n America there is a propagandized machinery in play to label our every inquiry into vile behavior from some white towards other non whites including Asians as our being racist. That is my primary purpose in making the proposition that racism is concocted by the white culture and they need to acknowledge that it is! Still we cannot walk into a all white neighborhood without being stopped by the police that were called by some white person living there. Otherwise, they can come and go into our communities unchallenged. I can travel into any neighborhood in Greece upscale or down scaled without any problem--although it was much better 20 years ago--but racism has been imported into Greece by some Europeans and Americans. #AsTheCurtainIsPulledBack....
Paul Hickman Thank you for the education, I know very little of the struggles of African-Americans and I know almost nothing about the modern Greek societies so I cannot say much but accept your views for now while i research it in the future. I am glad we both agree on my fundamental point and thank you for taking the time out to share your knowledge and experience.
Kelvin Nana Amoako Well, our discussion is not closed yet. There was on the net a story about one of your Vice Chancellors in South African making a statement that their University was getting better ratings because there were less Africans attending the institution. Plus, in America at the University of Colegate some students argued something like the European whites were able to enslave the Africans because of their superiority. And, one stated
another vile statement--that I forget the exact words. So, these are young Americans, and Euro-South Africans espousing vile racist horrendous hoopla--using their ancestors vile deeds as a "spring board" to justify their station in life. Many years ago doing one of my deep thoughts, I came to the conclusion that I needed to adjust to two cultures --one being the African and the other one the white culture. Each had its demands on me to conform to their culture--thus I had to split my energy and intellect in order to make progress towards my goals. Can you imagine the unnecessary time consumed by me to deal with both? Do you think that a white can juggle the African Culture with theirs? Rather than imposing their culture upon the African? We have a difficult time in America just trying to function properly from neighborhood to neighborhood. I lived three years in Oxfordshire back in the late 1970s, and I understood the British Culture in relations to their immigrants. Since, the UK is a very mature culture who gained a lot of exposure to other cultures from their Empire days, the acceptance of other cultures is a bit more gentle--but there are still the naysayers--the parliament is still composed of 99% white Britons. There is so much more to delineate in the arena of "Whites" taking ownership of spreading racism in this Cosmos. I am not bitter--just aware!