Alkebulan Fists

In all the stages of man's development, being an African today could strangely be bemusing, yet the most exciting phase ever. Though its inhabitants are collectively known as Africans, their origin, identity and purpose remains as mysterious as the name of the continent itself. Once upon a time, it was known as the cradle of mankind.

The echoes of civilization and scientific advancement filled the halls of Egypt's corridors. It is still amazing to fathom how the weight of knowledge and wisdom was shouldered by the shelves of Timbuktu. In this age of information and technology, accessing these untold stories should be as easy as typing your preferred topic into a search bar, yet none of them are reflected today, even with all the evidence around us.

One thing that cannot be overlooked is the greed and division of mans fallen heart. This caused him to rise up against his brother. For conquest and power, violence and treachery, spread across the continent. The natives allied themselves with the invaders against neighboring tribes; for guns and gunpowder, they sold their brothers as slaves and in the process aided the de-civilization process. This also widened the chasm between native tribes, forcing migrations and unending conflict. A destabilized people made colonial invasion easier; the natives sought protection from their own brothers, signing off their lives to the invader through the protectorate treaties.

Now the face of the continent is freckled with disease, poverty, illiteracy, corruption and conflict. Exploitation of the natives by settlers re-enacts the slavery once abolished and the colonialism once thought to be overcome. Infected by misconstrued capitalist mindsets, the natives have abandoned their inherent mutual aid society and exhibit the corrupt and evil traits of the oppressor they overthrew. Yet economically, industrialization is restrained by the shackles of Neo-colonialism and miseducation; leaving the natives with a dependence on externalities and very little faith in local produce. Quality is marked by overseas seals. Though still a hub for primary resource, the continent is a huge import dump site that is plagued by consumerism.

Despite all this, the future of Africa is bright. Young people are beginning to wake up from the illusion of classism and racial supremacy; more and more of them are exploring their Afro-Roots. Hairstyles and dress codes that portray African culture and tradition are rapidly becoming fashionable. The Pan-African chant can be heard in the music, dance and the rhythm of the people. The voice of The Motherland gets louder as her people embrace her. Even in the Diaspora, pronounced affiliation to the continent is a badge of honor and a symbol of triumph. Yet, even as we surf this wave, there is one very important thing left to do. That is, find a remedy to cure this amnesia.

Our past is blurred by slavery and colonialism, a recent history that has destructively redefined who we are; a history that only disrupted the Alkebulan trail. It is amazing how a people labeled as uncivilized brutes and savages, used sophisticated architectural skills to build what we now know as the Zimbabwe ruins.

The Children of Africa need to wake up. Revisit their true history, write their own books, build their own schools, financial institutions and in every way, engage in revolutionizing the way the continent is perceived. We need to be decolonized in our thinking. Remind the world that we raised the Moor that civilized Europe. Fashioned The Candice, the original Slay Queens that protected their borders and led great armies. More than that, we need to realize our potential in our spheres of influence. Make meaningful contributions to the movement. For the future, we have two grand tasks before us; first, we must rebuild and restore our great Continent. We cannot only tell posterity about what was and not have evidence of the giant strides we took to ensure we restored the glory of the paradise that we call home.

Secondly, we have the task of reminding humanity how to be humane again. The evils of slavery and colonialism. The love of war. The heavy investment into the advancement of military, weapons and nuclear power, evidence with certainty how man has lost his way. Let us not copy these ways, for they are not a representation of who we really are. It is our duty to restore the order intended by the Creator, but this will only take flight once we set our own house in order. Africa needs a politically united and integrated backbone. She needs individuals that will be committed to the healthy development of the community, and communities that are committed to seeing the holistic development and potential of the individual expressed.

Being African today, is being part of the most epic adventure known to man.