#BlackLivesMatter from an African Eye

Quite a fragile topic that demands so much gentility whilst handling it. A topic that I have deliberately remained a premium observer, and digested several views from diverse intellects.

A few have argued that; “All Lives Matter”, with #BLM campaigners counter-arguing that for All Lives to Matter, Black Lives needs to Matter first. Quite a valid point from the latter, which can be depicted in a different angle as, ‘For the entire body (All lives) to matter, the hand, leg, neck, head, eyes and every other Individual parts of the body needs to individually matter first. 1Corinthians 12:12–27 has so much to say regarding this counterargument, I’m pretty sure the Quran and other Holy Books would have something similar to say as well

Here comes the boomerang!!!, the point where I take my neutrality, and face the facts. Few Questions:

1. Does All Lives Matter take the lead ahead of Black Lives Matter? Few arguers
2. Does the reverse take precedence? More arguers
3. Or a 3rd Question, Does Africa Matter? No arguer yet

There are a lot of facts around the first two questions, hence the focus on the last question.

The last question was coined from a video clip I watched some days back, where the subject literally asked that question. The moment she voiced it, my head was filled with so much ideas and analogies, which I’ll try to explain herein.

The #BLM movement is mostly associated with European countries, USA etc, who have citizens of mixed race, and the Africans seems to be the major target. Now a quick delve into what a racist would say, ‘We brought you out of abject poverty in Africa to live a good life in our country (America), which they somewhat feel you the African-American citizen doesn’t deserve. This feeling is irrespective of #Slavery being the major reason we have African-Americans, and the minor reason being African migration due to war and poverty.

Now, here are what the White Supremacists see; Africa is reeled with abject poverty and African Americans were once descendants of slaves to their own Ancestors. These points are not doing the African Americans much good, and these needs to be well rewritten. The slave point cannot be rewritten, this leaves us with just one point which can be written so well that the positive effect would annul the negative effect of the Slavery.

There is a general silent bias that every human has, and it goes thus; When you see someone of a lower social class trying to enjoy the privileges you get, there is that silent nudge that depicts a ‘you don’t deserve this privilege’. This is absolutely the bias every White Supremacist has, they see every Black as not deserving of the good Lives that America offers, and this is courtesy of the Poverty image that Africa has. The only difference here is that White Supremacist does not have it as a silent bias, but as a Bold/Open bias called racism.

So, here goes my major point; Poverty in Africa seems to be the present factor indirectly fueling this Bold bias. If racism would be treated as a systemic issue that needs to be eradicated, then we need to treat it with a systemic solution, and as such I’d say ‘Africa Needs to Matter before Black Lives would Matter globally’. The moment Africa is no longer seen as a Poverty haven, then the class bias would cease to exist and the White Supremacists who sees the next African in their countries wouldn’t think he’s there because of a better life. Systemic racism goes beyond the USA police that seems to be dominated by White Supremacist, but it goes as far as foreign countries doing everything within their reach to make sure Africa doesn’t get out of the Poverty image, and as such having a valid reason for the white supremacists.

So, I’ll leave you all #ALM campaigners with this major point.
For All Lives to Matter, Black Lives needs to Matter first.
And for the #BLM campaigners.
For Black Lives to Matter, Africa needs to Matter first.
My parting Question to us all would be, how can we make Africa Matter?

Adios.