George Floyd has become a representation of the oppression that has been meted out to black people over the years. Many black people have suffered several degrees of abuse or wrong profiling because of the colour of their skin. In 2019 in America, the American police killed 1,099 people, in which 24% of the total were black people. Considering that Black people make up to just 13% of the whole American population, the 24% killed is staggering. Earlier this year, a 21 year old Sean Reed was shot and killed by the police in Indianapolis after he was tased by the police. The whole encounter was streamed live on Facebook.
Many Africans have argued that, the continent has so many problems to focus on rather than focus on someone's problems. Many Ghanaians have quoted the popular statement of H.E Professor J.E.A. Mills (may his soul rest in peace); 'dzi wo fie asɛm'. These calls are not out of place because an innocent 22 year old Uwa was raped and killed in Nigeria, several African countries have deep-rooted corruption and very corrupt leaders we must root out among other things. So these calls for African countries to focus on their own issues are justified but there is an Akan proverb that says that 'okwasia na osi yɛ di me yɔnko na yen di me' to wit, it is the foolish that says that it is my colleague that is being referred to and not me. The following are the reasons why the racial injustice in America and Across Europe should matter to all Africans.
1. We all have relatives abroad
The problems of black people in America and Europe especially racial injustice and racism are the problems of Africans because almost every African has a relative in an European country or America whether it be long distance or not, a relative nonetheless. All Africans must understand that your relative in America is black and will be treated with the same injustice if not rooted out. Imagine hearing the news that the one person who is repatriating money to you has been killed because a police officer thought he was someone whom he wasn't.
2. Racism is a form of neo-slavery. Africans of all people should understand the impacts of slavery. The feeling of being inadequate and being inferior to people of other races. We cannot shake this feeling of we don't get the closure we deserve. The closure will be that racism is finally eliminated and every man is seen as a man and not a black man or white man
3. You'll will experience it one way or the other. Every African has a desire to travel and see the world. Imagine that you have travelled on a vacation and you don't come back home to your family alive because a white person thought you were bad or someone you're not.
An Akan proverb says that 'sɛ wafuo dɔɔ so aa, wo yɛ nyinaa' to wit, if you have many farms you must till all of them. So while it is true that we have our own problems as a people, racial injustice is also our problem and we must collectively join to fight it.
Content created and supplied by: Felix_007 (via Opera News )
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