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What is the colonized mindset?

• The colonised mindset: The enemy within the African communities. SendMeYourNews Jul 23, 2006 07:12 PDT =+= Get on TheBlackList: http://www.topica.com/lists/TheBlackList "Men who are in earnest are not afraid of consequences", Marcus Garvey. =+= ----- Original Message ----- From: Cheryl Sanchez mailto:[email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 8:48 AM The colonised mindset: The enemy within the African communities. The writer is going to put forward an argument that unless the slave/colonial mindset is recognised as the active enemy, within the African communities world-wide, attempts to understand the social and economic problems will be useless. This mindset has been affecting the individual/family /organisations/community and nations alike. From an early age, adults have been referring to people as having "being colonial or slave minded" in a most benign way. It as if having this mindset is like having a flue. You treat the symptoms and eventually, it should go away, if the immune system is acute and alert. In reality, it is the most virulent psychological condition prevalent amongst African communities. The damage is too enormous to consider in this essay. It has and is still destroying from individuals to revolutions to states eg Patrice Lumumba-Congo, Thomas Sankara-Bukina Faso, Walter Rodney-Guyana, Cabral, Malcolm X and Bantu S Biko to name a few. When foreign money, the lust for power and the colonial mindset met-destruction is sure to follow. Mineral rich DRC remains the most tragic example today. Also Angola before the timely death of Savimbi, " Washington's kept man". Failure to confront and systematically deal with this enemy is equivalent to failure to live and or thrive. HISTORY The disastrous effects of slavery and colonialism on the physical aspect of the Africans in the Americas, the Caribbean and on mainland Africa have been well documented by a host of European and African-American historians including Basil D Davidson, Walter Rodney and Professor Jeffries. Few writers have focused on the debilitating effects of the mindset on the emotions and the psychology as Carter G Woodson( 1875-1950)was probably a pioneer when he addressed this condition in his book - The Mis-Education of the *****. Later, Dr Na'im Akbar painstakingly outlined the psychological effects in his book- Chains and Images of psychological slavery. Professor Joy Leary recently attempted to put the psychological trauma concept in the public domain during a recent lecture tour in London but, few Africans wanted to even contemplate this concept as an explanation for some of their behaviour towards each other. It is of paramount importance to understand the disastrous reality of the sate accurately described by Woodson and take action to treat it. "When you control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand there or go yonder. He or she will find his "proper place" and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary". Woodson showed a lot of foresight in his early detection of the destructive side of the slave/colonial mindset. It is a pity that, most Pastors and self-appointed "community" leaders do not recommend this book to the many families who come through their doors. They do not even bothered with a plan of action to treat this mindset. Examples This mindset certainly has a blindfolding effect eg African girls aspiring to be like their "blonde Barbie dolls". African men dream of marrying "a Barbie doll" type of woman as soon as they arrive in Europe and or UK/USA/Canada, so as not to have "too black" children. Michael Jackson's obsession with his costly body- altering project. It also causes US Africans/Afrikans to focus on the body, material gadgets, short cuts. The physical environment of the homes is often out of balance with the people who inhabit the space. Their homes always have a blonde type Jesus on the walls but no other famous Africans like Bantu Biko, Thomas Sankara etc. The African educationalist and parents both on the mainland, Caribbean and the Americas have avoided including or making the early and middle years curricula more relevant to our developmental needs. This opportunity to change our course of history is missed again and again. At organisational level, colonise minded but the super qualified committee members are often afraid to put decolonisation strategy and or Pan-Africanism into the constitution of their organisation. This also affects the type of name or identity they take on. Eg the NAACP-The National Association for the Advancement of "Coloured" people. One would have thought that aparthedist South-Africa racial policies would have caused this organisation to re-think it's chosen but, they not change from NAACP to NAAAP. One could only guess when you start your organisation with white liberals/ or jews in leadership roles, the de-colonisation agenda never became a priority for this organisation. The OAS/AU is no different. It has been in existence for over 50 years and still cannot bring itself to be known as a Pan-Africanist organisation thus, it remains a toothless nationalistic organisation. Even when organisations put Pan-Africanism at the forefront eg PAC in South-African, the de-colonisation process and project, which is necessary for health and longevity of the organisation is not a priority either. Well meaning or naïve activists continue to take a gamble by hoping against hope that, a few committed and reliable people could suddenly change 400 years of psychological damage facing the African worldwide. Things could have been different if, the PAC was able to capture the interest and support of the majority of the 24 million native South-Africans and their rands, to keep the movement financially buoyant and turn it into a political powerful force in South-African society. The mindset nutures self-hating , self- destruction and confidence lowering . This is evident in the practice of self- harming through bleaching the skin, straigthening the hair and looking to Europe and European institutions as saviours. It also makes killing each other almost acceptable. The eminent African-American Bobby E Wright (1984) explained in his book "we have never been trained to kill Europeans" but, we seem to be able kill each other (black on black) violence instinctively. It also makes us have a warped and unrealistic view of our reality. It may cause some, like Dr Kenneth B Clarke to say," race is irrelevant". Even African-America Dr Alvin Poussant, who used his qualification avoid addressing the current colonisation condition. He used his stint in Ebony Magazine to deal with the a few middles class anxieties. What a shame! The Slave/Colonial mindset-the Trojan Horse The Europeans understand how important the psychological warfare project is to their continued hold on Africa, which is why they got their missionaries to influences chiefs and other leaders in Africa, to send their young children to their missionary schools. At these missionary/faith-based schools, young children were indoctrinated on a grand scale. These young children come from cultures where, almost all adults are feared and or certainly not questioned, made the work of the European teachers easier. This is why it should not alarm us or surprise us that, Mobutu, Savimbi and their cronies behaved in the way they did to their own people and their own resources. The mindset, the lust for power and foreign money-from the USA mainly kept them destroying their respective countries, in the name of capitalism and the other G6 powers. The USA officials who paid Savimbi through Mobutu millions and millions of American tax-payers money to literally destroy a revolution and 2 countries, have never been brought to justice. If both of these colonial minded individuals did not die, they would be still destroying the country and squandering their resources for self-aggrandisement, with Washington's approval. The foreign powers/handlers knew millions of people were being tortured, kill, maimed, punished and starved of food and other life necessities, in their interest. Whilst all this was happening in full view of other Africans, many of them in the Caribbean and continued going to the states" to make it". Meanwhile Africans affected by these individuals and American money and foreign policy, eventually started heading for the UK and the USA seeking "refuge". It should not surprise us at the way the Europeans view certain individuals. The American state had to get rid of Malcolm X by any means necessary. The Belgian/USA/UK governments saw Patrice Lumumba as an uncompromising character when it came to his understanding of independence. France could not stomach an independent minded Thomas Sankara who wanted to transform Bukina Faso in the interest of it's people. The apartheid South-Africa did not dare allow Bantu Stephen Biko to live-he was too clear about his position and his understanding of the social/economic/political situation. He wanted all or nothing. Walter Rodney exposed the hypocrisy of Europe's role in Africa-it became a real annoyance in European academic circles. The under-development was the strategy and the means to achieving this outcome was to nurture their own "loyal Africans". Off course the "loyal Africans" are another name for the colonial minded. Rich men and women often have their "kept women" Well, so to rich Europe has their "kept men". France has Francoise Compoare of Bukina Faso. The USA has theirs in the form of Paul Kagame. Spain/USA has Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea- Africa third largest producer of oil. Shell and the UK and other oil companies operating in Nigeria have been keeping the Hausa dominated army and government since 1970. The CIA/USA/France had army man Hissen Habre- a man who was less than friendly to USA's imagined enemy Gadaffi. Chadian named him, "Africa's Pinochet". USA supported the Duvalier family for 30 years and off course Savimbi in Angola. See William Blum(2001) Rogue State. Chapter 17. The Consequences If African thinkers and educationalists alike continue to neglect the content of early and middle years curricula, they would be fighting a losing battle against the slave/colonial mindset, capitalism, fashion and mass-media. The same way, one cannot expect to put new wine in an old wineskin so to, one cannot expect the slave/colonial minded to suddenly change his or her learnt behaviour. This behaviour has been around for the last 350 years. It might have started as, a means of coping in strange and often hostile societies in the Caribbean and America in the late 17th century. Joy Leary would argue African communities must admit the existence of post traumatic syndrome before, the treatment could be sought. No admission means that, this major debilitating psychological condition would linger and fester away. Off course when a few like, Thiongo'o(1938-) changed his behaviour in his adulthood, by going back to his Gikuyu name and writing in his own language rather than English only, is inspirational to rest who remain in this regressive state of mind. He used his book-Decolonising the mind: the politics of language in African literature(1986) as a platform to encourage African challenged about their attitude towards Africa and or NJAC. Ngugi wa writers to write in their own language to make their books more meaningful to Africans on the continent. It is not only about writing in one's own language although, that is a positive start. It is about having a core teaching curricula that could be used world-wide. Even if people write in their own indigenous language but continue to see Europe as the solution to their problems-the colonised mind remains untouched. The writer applauds the work of Haki Madibuti and Dr Karenga and Molefi Asante. The African need more people like the above, if we are to be taken seriously. Why are members of NJAC( National Joint Action committee) and their 36 year old organisation in Trinidad, still viewed as not worthy of support from the majority of African-Trinidadians? The slave/colonial mindset, which makes people ridicule members for re-claiming their African heritage via taking on African names. One can often hear African-Trinidadians and other Africans born abroad saying in a most offensive voice, "I am not African" when asked about their identity. Thai is the colonial mindset expressing their ignorance. What do we begin? The logical place for decolonisation to begin is in the home, with parents taking the lead. The early years 0-11 is the crucial time to inculcate the Afrocentric values. It means that, we have to be prepared to build our own nurseries and create our own culturally inclusive and sensitive curricula. The parents must be re-educated. It is almost pointless waiting until a child becomes an adult, when he may or may not be exposed to Pan-Africanism. All the research available would agree that, the pre-natal and early years are the most important educating years. Ideally, the decolonisation ideals should be embedded in the early years curricula, The Community leaders and families should make attempts to discuss post trauma syndrome and it's effects openly and proactively put into place some short term and long term remedies. 3 African American writers who wrote the The Black Parenting Book did not pursue the de-colonisation project in their book either. There are 17 chapters in this book yet, Pan-Africanism and or the issue of the slave/colonial mindset were not addressed in a very active way. There chapters on Family Traditions and Spirituality without making mention of the importance of Kwanzaa. There was a chapter on " Black and Proud" not African and proud. There should have a chapter on how and why Africans came to self hate and hate all things African. Where did it all begin? The book tackled particular parenting approach, which was used by African American parents but, they did not attempt to give the psychological or economic reasons why most African parents worldwide use the authoritarian model rather than the authoritative model. Authoritarian- powerful, assertive/aggressive (verbally or physically adult leads or makes all the decisions, which are imposed on child. May be highly critical. Parents may be likely to use shouting and hitting. Parents may even talk about "I want you to fear me". Authoritative- Parents use reciprocity and a democratic style, which allows child to lead but establishes safe limits and boundaries. Parents are likely to use encouragement, provide choices and highlight consequences and positive feedback and use time-out and put penalities in place, as part of their disciplining package. It might have been helpful to explain why some African parents use the former than the latter? It would have been more useful to write the book in some African languages and use a work -book with exercises to involve all members of the family. This book could be described as the product of a well meaning qualified but, obviously apolitical professionals. The writers tackled all the symptoms but never ventured near the core causes. They missed an opportunity to focus on the link between the type of the society, which produces such parents focusing on a post-colonial/slave/capitalist, racist society such as the USA. Conclusion. The Decolonisation project and treating post trauma syndrome are as necessary to Africans, as oxygen and water are to humankind existence. Neither can be avoided any longer due to it being "too sensitive" an issue. The message to all the Pan-Africanists/Humanist individuals, families and organisations , which are always short of committed, reliable and discipline foot soldiers is this, put some of your efforts and money into the 0-11 years olds and an African Parenting project, based on an Afrocentric model and treatment for psychological trauma and other self-harming behaviour. If any individual/family or organisation is interested ion the guture well being of Africans- the aforementioned approaches are vital. Otherwise, a plethora of colonial minded and dishonest Pastors from diverse Christian sects, the mass-media, fashion, cars and short term attractions and whatever other European cultural left-overs would grab the minds of the majority of Africans. The slave/colonial mind is dangerous to Pan-Africanist and African humanist alike. Those African "kept men" or Europe's trojan horses will continue the pauperization policies of a very rich continent. They will repeat policies and slogans without even analysing them. They will like the major obstacle to progress, changes, self-empowerment and unification of African peoples. Instead of enabling and building capacities and re-skilling people, they will disable, de-skill and pauperize people. The colonial minded knows nothing else. The Europeans using their white skins as authority continue to pamper and encourage their "kept men" to the detriment of the majority of Africans, who continue to suffer and to be killed with the weapons made in the USA/UK/Israel and other European countries. References: Akbar Na'im(1992) Chain and Images of psychological slavery- Winston-Derek, Nashville, TN Blumm W (2003) Rogue State: Chapter 17. Zed Books London UK Brittain V (1998) Death and Dignity: Angola's Civil War. Chapter 2. Pluto Books. London UK Woodson C.G (1937) The Mis-education of the *****. Africa World Press NJ USA Wright B.E (1984) The psychopathic racial personality and other essays. Third World Press Chicago, Ilinois USA

• Answer:

  I think I lost interest.