Beyond The Average Life

History was made in America on November 4, 2008 when 47 year old
Barrack Obama was elected as president of the most powerful nation on
earth. The election of Obama, a black America of Africa descent from
Kagore in Kenya will for long be discussed in all nooks and crannies
of the world. No one ever expected that a black man could reach such
prominence. It was the belief of everyone that it would be a herculean
task (if not an impossible one) for a black man to be elected
president of America.

The Obama victory has no doubt broken all the myths that have
surrounded the inferiority of the black race. Nelson Mandela recalled
how the blacks have been marginalized, treated as second class
citizens, denied of their rights and never given fair justice. He said
"A law was also formulated to teach African children that they are
inferior to their white counterparts". When on the night of November 4
2008, the election of Obama was announced to the world, television
camera caught Rev. Jesse Jackson and other people having tears dropped
from their eyes. Jesse Jackson cried because he remember quite well
the history of how the blacks had been treated in America which has
made the entire black race in other countries of the world look down
on themselves and believe there is no inherent good in them to display
to the world.

The Obama re-election was no doubt given us the
assurance that the journey to perpetual freedom and the dignity of the
black race was over. However, it is not enough for us to learn
historical dates and events, it is imperative that we learn from
history.

One subtle thing an average African wasn't taught is Perseverance. We
were not taught to dig deep and wide. We were not taught to believe in
ourselves and our potentials. We grew up with a deep sense of
inferiority complex and pseudo-confidence. That is why we are
satisfied with the average life. However, History has proved to us
that we can equally achieve outstanding feats as done by the
Europeans. We dont have to continually depend on them for survival,
instead we can maximise our potentials and surpassed what they've
done. We can unleash the treasures in us to design amazing inventions
and show the world that though our skin is black, our brain isn't
black.

Perhaps this average mentality is the force that has kept African
countries in the junkyard of perpetual mediocrity. Though we were born
in the land flowing with milk and honey, yet we are living as slaves.
We have everything in abundance, yet we are living as scavengers in
foreign countries. We are so average in own thinking, in our pursuits
and in our way of life that we set little dreams and dwarf goals. Even
when we try to dream big and aim high, there is a 'committee' in our
head that tells us that we can't achieve it because we are black.
Thus, we shift out thinking pattern to 'Survival mode' The mode that
has paralyzed our creativity and weakened the potency of our
imagination.

While I agree that the political landscapes of African countries have
played a major role in incapacitating our dreams. I strongly belief
every  developed country got to an era in history where they
sacrificed convenience for commitment. African countries are in that
era. And African youths should start taking responsibilities for their
greatness because if a black man can be the number one citizen of
America, then we can attain any height we set out to reach, if only we
would persevere.

We cannot continually place blame on what some people
did or did not do. Rather we've got to take up the challenge like
Obama did and create the future we desire. Though we might have been
brain washed to think we are inferior but the Obama victory has proved
otherwise. Obama could have dwelt in the grave of self pity and
inferiority complex and conclude "I am not good in anything because my
brain is black and no black man has ever been allowed near the white
house seat of power in Washington!" and that would have been a
self-fulfilling prophecy. But he took up his seeming disadvantage and
carved a niche for himself in History.
Nelson Mandela gave this speech on 21st September, 1953 well before
his imprisonment "Teach the Children that Africans are not an iota
inferior to Europeans"
We may be black but our mind isn't black!
YES WE CAN!

Isola Taiwo, wrote African Prospects from  College of Medical Sciences,
University of Maiduguri.

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