Barely, all races of the world understand and celebrate their uniqueness and heritage except Africans. Africans believe that they are poor. They believe that they are black and since their colour is different from others, they look inferior. They remain second classed people. This mindset came to fore prominently during Trans-Atlantic slave trade and most importantly, during the period of colonialism and imperialism. Nothing about black and black race was dignified at that time. It was from this mindset that Nigerians coined the slang “UP NEPA” when there is electricity supply since they rarely have it ,selling near potholes, garbage hills and host of the attitudes depicting slavery and slave mentality. Though Africa is blessed with natural resources, the backward mentality and mindset of the leaders to be hiding, looting,stealing and pilfering public treasury; converting it to their personal foreign and local accounts keeps this continent to where it is today while some of these nouveau riche leaders decide to stay in government for life. Thank God for death, peaceful and unpeaceful coups that wiped some of them away from office.
The picture below justifies the current scenario and status quo of the people in this part of the world. Looking at the picture vividly, one will discover a gigantic creature popularly known as ELEPHANT who is generally acknowledged as the biggest animal in this planet. It is equally powerful capable of falling fresh trees with its trunks. It has power to trumpet and send away smaller animals in the jungle. Some of the animals fear it. I know that lion also will fear it because of its size.
Nevertheless, despite of the above descriptive encapsulation of this wonderful creature, elephant, it can be tied down with just a small rope. This situation reflect and refract Africans. Painfully enough, after this elephant has been in this situation for weeks, removing the rope from its leg, you will see that the elephant will only move to the length and breath of where it was able to cover when it was in bondage. This occurs simply because the chain has gone to its brain/mind; leaving it hopeless and unwilling to change. Here, it has now deliberately decided to be living with the pains forever. This is what is called mental conditioning.
The side effects of colonialism and neo- colonialism are what Africans are battling with till today. Some of them can spend ten years praying for something without taking any physical step to make it happen. Some believe that there under the oppression, obsession and possession of wicked witches of their father’s and mother’s houses,despite their laziness,planlessness and purposelessness.
Sooner or later the man who wins is the man who conditions his mind that he can. Success begins with a freewill. It is all about the state of the mind. If you believe you can’t definitely you won’t. Africans can still regain their freedom. Your freedom is possible, Africa. We, because I am a Nigerian,can still change Nigeria. A country where upcoming generation will not mature to see boko haram, corruption,self-centredness of the leaders,election rigging,kidnapping,unemployment,nepotism,favouritism,tribalism,hooliganism,capitalism,dehumanisation,depersonalisation and segregation but only read about them as part of historical occurrences.
In conclusion, this principle is contained in this anecdote: a small black boy who followed his father to the shop of a man selling balloons. When they got there, the balloon man pumped up different colours of balloons without black colour and the curious black boy asked the man selling the balloons that if the colour of the balloon is black will it go up like others? The man replied yes buttressing that it is not the colour of the balloon that makes it fly but what is inside the balloon. It is not all about the container but the content in it. Our black colour does not make us poor but the state of our mind.
Positive mindset has it all.
Emmanuel Adeogo
