This is a very interesting article which talks about how African Americans can connect with their roots by making a trip back to Africa. This article is written in the form of a reflection by the author who talks about comfortable he was connecting with his roots. Ghana has started a development called the year of return where it encourages black people from all over the Diaspora to visit. To commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to English North America in 1619, President Nana Akufo-Addo has encouraged descendants of Africans who were enslaved in the Americas to return to the country. The author also talks about elements of African heritage such as the food, customs, and various traditions. The author makes an interesting claim when he says that “, I would be one drop in the sea of black people at every event I attended and in every social situation. I wouldn’t be subjected to as many off-color remarks and subtly bigoted insults. I wouldn’t have to question whether I should respond to those or stay quiet to avoid being judged through the lens of racist stereotypes. I wouldn’t wonder whether people would think I’d been hired as a token rather than for my potential” I was very glad that the author felt a sense of belonging even though he had not even stayed in the continent. I believe that efforts have to be made to ensure that Black Americans have the opportunity to connect with their roots

 

 

 

 

This is a very interesting article which talks about how South Africa’s business sector is dominated by the white minority. The article talks about how the South African government which consists of the black majority  ANC has sought to provide opportunities for the country’s majority black population to achieve greater economic status and influence.

I was very blow by some of the statistics such as black South Africans makeup nearly 80% of the economically active population, but they hold just 14% of top management jobs. It is very shocking that even after the apartheid there seems to be a gap in economic class. South Africa’s labor minister commented on these findings, “A white, male-dominant organizational culture still prevails. I am very shocked that apartheid indirectly exists in Africa. It makes me question the governments in these countries who are made up of a  majority of black people. This issue is very similar to that of the United States, the only problem being that the US is a white majority. I believe African leaders have to rectify this situation. They owe it to their people, this is a complete disgrace to the struggles of great leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah and Nelson Mandela.

 

 

This article was a very surprising article which made me understand some of the effects of colonialism, even in the modern era. It talks about how children born to Belgian settlers and local women were forcibly taken to Belgium and fostered by Catholic orders and other institutions. The article further shows the negative impacts of colonialism at that period and how it has even carried into the modern day. The mixed-race children were taken to Belgium against their will and in some cases never received Belgian nationality and remained stateless. This is very sad considering that they were taken from their African mothers and lost contact with them forever. Another shocking revelation is that most of the fathers refused to acknowledge the paternity of their children. This left the children in a void and without any economic future in an unknown land. The prime minister did acknowledge that it was a violation of the basic child human right, and also talked about how they were stripped of their identity, stigmatized and split among their siblings. Many of them had no access to birth records and remained unable to find their mothers or their Belgian fathers. The Un demanded that Belgium apologize for all its atrocities during the colonial period, a move which wouldn’t repair the deep wounds

 

Source: BBC

 

 

 

This article talks about how African soldiers who fought along side the British were treated unfairly. I was very surprised by the influence of African soldiers on the world war . The British took advantage of their numerous African colonies. The article mentions about half a million black African soldiers  who fought alongside their British counterparts were exploited . These  African soldiers risked their lives and families to help fight a course . The question even arises if it was a worthy course from their perspective .Another shocking revelation by Prof Timothy Parsons, one of the world’s leading authorities on Britain’s east African army who talked about how “The colonial regime placed a different value on African life than it did on European life.” This really shocked me in the sense that even when they fought for the same course ,one side was seen to be less important to the other .The black soldiers were  paid up to three times less than their white counterparts. Another shocking revelation was how these black soldiers were even put in the firing line , even those that were non-combatants . The lives of these black soldiers are not any better now ,and some of  them are living in poverty . The British government was accused of burying documents in their archives which reveal how the government systematically discriminated against African soldiers. This article just exemplifies the exploitation  of African resources by western powers through out History .The western powers see Africans as a way of obtaining free labor and exploiting their human capital.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/13/african-british-army-paid-less-than-white-soldiers