Bayo Omolola
Adjunct Faculty
Department of Developmental English
Baltimore City Community College
Baltimore, MD
The history of African-Americans as descendants of African slaves,
unlike the history of Asians and Jews in America, carries with it
agony, betrayal, negligence, lack of real and physical connection
with African homes, hatred, disappointment and other uncountable
vices.
The impaired psychology that this phenomenon has placed upon them is
so strong that it can make many of them behave and react aggressively
towards Africans in the United States. To many of them, Africans
connived with the white slave masters, and that was why the white
slave masters who went to Africa were able to capture and forced
their ancestors into slavery.
Naturally, no one would feel pleased thinking that his or her great
or great-great-great grandfather was captured and turned to a slave.
No one would want to remember how his or her ancestor was chained,
whipped and brought to America to do hard labor. No one would want to
remember how white people lynched his people who struggled against
slavery and racial discrimination. No one would want to remember
other atrocities the white men and women perpetrated against his or
her ancestor during the slavery period and after slavery. The
psychological implication of slavery alone is terrible for anyone to
bear. Africans in U S A should be sympathetic and develop a caring
attitude towards African -Americans who need encouragement to
overcome the trauma their history has heaped on them. How many times
have we heard from them "You have history; I don't have because I
don't know where I come from in Africa. I feel sad about it"?
While I agree that Africans and African-Americans should develop a
favorite attitude towards each other, I would want the government of
the United States to treat African-Americans as people with special
need, who should receive more favor than the white people who control
the economy of the United States. Reason: They have a kind of
history that disturbs their mind, and the system is still not
favorable to them economically and educationally. The United States
Government should earmark substantial amount of money to develop the
African-American communities, help them get rid of drugs, help them
develop educational institutions, help them with soft loans for
business, help them remold young people so that African-Americans can
witness improvement in every facet of their communities.
The degree of development that African-Americans may have in America
has implication for the development of Africa. Imagine what having an
African-American as a president of the United States can do for
Africa - favorable attitude towards Africa, positive reports about
Africa, technological development of Africa, excellent bilateral
relationships, undiluted understanding between Africa and United
States, sincere interest in making Africa better, and so on and so
forth. Failure of African-Americans will continue to determine what
Africa will be because the United States where they are continues to
rule the world. If many African-Americans are not part of the key
role playing in the government, economy, technology, and education of
the United States, it may not be easy for many African countries to
make meaningful development that they deserve.