Page 59 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 11

COMMUNITY

See, Khumbi, those facts trouble me music, entertainment, and culture alize our women, by the entertain-
today, for certain reasons. The most are bad, I am just saying, we might ment industry, making Afrikans as
recent fact I know of is of a young be too focused on having a good a whole seem less than they actually
Nigerian man, Silas Adekunle, who time and not focused enough on are, and unfortunately, this act was
created a robot game that caught nation building. seamlessly embraced. That is an un-
Apple’s eye. And there are Nigeri- acceptable refuge for trauma, would
ans in the pharmaceutical industries That is a great point, John. But it you agree?
excelling, but we want to keep this has to go deeper than that. We all
conversation on innovativeness and know Afrikan people are, by far, I totally agree with you. But we can
inventiveness. Aside from that, I the most displaced people on earth. not avoid the fact that deep rooted
am troubled by what seems to be Unjust laws, racism, and oppression generational traumas have caused
today’s lack of the inventiveness and have all created so much generation- major post traumatic slave disorders
creativity that seemed to exist in the al trauma that it has forced many of and many times certain behaviors
past. Afrikans have always had the our people to take mental refuge in that are directly associated with the
power to dominate the area of prog- things they can lay an organic claim weight of those traumas will express
ress in innovation and invention. to, not so much a corporate claim themselves in a foul manner.
After all, the strongest and wealthi- which would give them control over
est empire is still the Malian Empire how the world views it. Yes indeed, as displayed with the
under Emperor Mansa Musa. Now, men caught up in the gang life,
I say this because it requires this Should we as a people allow that selling drugs as a means to have eco-
type of empire for a single person correlation though? I say this nomic freedom. Let me show you a
to accumulate over $400 billion U.S. because certain aspects of what we different perspective, one that takes
dollars...in 2021 and with inflation, can say we have taken refuge in have on an organizational form that can
probably closer to $500 billion U.S. turned out to be, let me say ‘acts’, lead to progress.
dollars. Lately, we hardly see such for a lack of a better word, that have
feats and it is troubling. eventually led to shameful displays, Okay , let’s hear it.
and presentations of ourselves
Why do you think people of Afrikan to the world, and truth be told to Khumbi, it takes a business-oriented
descent are not exemplifying black ourselves. mindset to operate a drug dealing
excellence like our living elders and business. So much so they call it
ancestors from the past, did? Before Can you explain that further? organized crime, made infamous by
you answer that, I will say that we Hollywood, which is entertainment.
cannot nullify our current works, Yes, I can. Let us take the act called Consider the Black Mafia Fami-
because there are still some pretty twerking that is prevalent in the ly. Not a role model I would want
amazing accomplishments of our music industry and Afrikan-Ameri- for our boys, but what the Flenory
people like the 13 year old Malawian can culture today; for our women, it brothers did was more than run a
boy, named William Kamwamba, is having a good time. Recently an drug syndicate, they demonstrat-
who became infamous in 2001 for Afrikan-American lawyer opened up ed their ability to operate a global
building a wind turbine in his village an upscale restaurant in the Atlanta corporation wherein their employees
to provide electrical power used to area where a group of black women (mostly young black men) operated
power a water pump for the irri- were cautioned against twerking in in an organized manner to the suc-
gation of the village farms. But I his restaurant. After the third cau- cess of the corporation. Great set
guess the question is, where is the tion he had to raise his voice to the of skills, wrong arena.
innovativeness and inventiveness whole restaurant. I wonder what the
of the scale at which it was in days restaurant owner must have been Okay, I agree with that point of
past? thinking, after pouring his money, view. This does show a need to suc-
sweat, and time into this venture, ceed by any means necessary, even
I think we of Afrikan descent might then to have it be disrespected by if it compromises morality. But,
be a bit too focused on music, enter- a musically sexualized aspect of John, what about our women?
tainment, and culture that the focus Afrikan culture. He must have been
on progress and domineering has troubled. Point here, twerking was Our women have it in them as well.
been hampered...with help from the taken from a traditional Afrikan Khumbi, look at my alternative
media obviously. I am not saying dance (culture), and used to sexu- perspective, granted they choose the

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