Page 81 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14
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Leadership




                                                                     essays,    the west believe that they are superi-
                                                                     degree     or in every way possible to Afrikans
                                                                     pro-       and those of Afrikan descent. This
                                                                     grams      is the reason why Afrikans who
                                                                      (under-   work these essay writing jobs are
                                                                      grad,     often urged to conceal their identity
                                                                      Mas-      and location, not to say that they are
                                                                      ter’s     from Afrika. If they do, the busi-
                                                                      and       ness could lose clients who want
                                                                       PhD)     to cheat – but not have an inferior
                                                                       done     Afrikan cheat for them. But why do
                                                                       for      these young people from the west
                                    other                    them. We also      believe in their superiority? Their
               countries in the world is not   see it in those who seduce their pro-  imperialist heritages led them to
          what it appears to be. Having seen   fessors or give in to sexual pressure   believe so. How? From the time of
          its tender underbelly and beaten the   from their professors in order to get   and before that of their great, great,
          system over and over again, these   ‘good’ grades? They draw their cues   great grandparents, all the way down
          essayists have uncovered a truth that   from a society around them that   to their parents this is the narrative
          more Afrikans should know about.   frowns on a certain type of failure   they have been fed either through
          I will get into that a little later in this   (i.e., the kind that makes you look   words or through the lives they
          article.                           lower in the eyes of a superficial   lived or live and have never apol-
                                             society) and celebrates access to elite   ogized for, that were built on the
          In addition to that, the professor   schools, high-flying jobs and life-  foundation of corrupt deeds. If, for
          and the editors of Patta’s video   styles etc. A society that is obsessed   example, a British or an American
          missed several critical issues. The   with status, how things look and –   family once owned slaves and never
          first of which is that cheating does   all things considered – bribery and   renounced or denounced the prac-
          not lead to overall social corruption,   corruption.                  tice or the profits they made from it,
          but rather it is an outcome of it.                                    or the social and financial benefits
          Corruption stems from what is in   Bestvalueschools.org puts it this way,   they gained from it and continue
          the heart, from what one perceives   “Pressure to do well either academically to   to live their lives on the foundation
          oneself and one’s society and culture   get into colleges, or to maintain a certain   of murder, slavery and theft, they
          to be, from how one measures right   GPA causes some students to cheat.   have built a culture (knowingly or
          from wrong, and the importance of   Students also face other pressures from   not) that declares to each succes-
          right and wrong in one’s eyes based   external sources like parents, jobs, or other   sive generation that this method of
          on cultural experience and obser-  responsibilities that prevent them from   wealth acquisition is acceptable and
          vations. Consider the recent college   devoting time to studies.” They also list   normal. The child who grows up in
          admissions scandal in the US where   other things like competitive im-  the mansion or on the piece of land
          50 people were charged for trying   pulse, unfair grading, lack of prepa-  that was either the fruit of slavery or
          to get children into schools they   ration and effort, helping a friend,   land grabbing and murder … which
          had not qualified to attend. Parents   opportunity, group mentality (where   is romantically referred to as ‘con-
          would pay millions of dollars to   students feel everyone cheats, so it’s   quering’ in other words, the same
          a college admissions counselor to   okay), ethics (they don’t care) and   thing they decry Israel for doing…
          have their children’s test scores and   because they want to finish school.   that child will grow up believing that
          athletic achievements falsified, in   In short, a culture has been created   it’s okay to continue along that path
          order to secure their admission to   that has these young adults believing   and will do so, given opportunity
          elite colleges. Had they gotten away   they can or should cheat and that at   and means to do so.
          with it, like I believe others have in   some level, it’s okay. That the end
          the past, their children would have   justifies the means.            So, I ask you again, why wouldn’t
          understood the underlying message:                                    they believe that it’s okay? If they
          “You want it? You can have it, if  you can   I ask you, why wouldn’t they believe   are rich because their father or
          pay for it somehow.” We see the fruit   that? If my reading of American,   mother stole money either directly
          of this culture in the children who   French and British culture is correct,   or through an unfair deal and then
          are paying to have their assignments,   then the current crop of people in   celebrated themselves as wise or


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