Cool breeze

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Here's another racist post

This post has been inspired by the current discussion on AB&H's blog about the bloggers' conference in Grahamstown.

I am not attacking the work you're doing... Vincent baby... love your efforts, think they're important for the continent 'cause... we wouldn't be having this discussion if you hadn't organized the conference now, would we? So you get an A+ (with stars and glitter) on that front. I just take exception to your use of the word "racist" in this context.

I don't believe that the word racist can be applied sensibly to an African. Please note I’m only talking of the African context. And I’ll be bold enough to say, the 'real Africa' not South Africa where everything is turned on its head... a great thing on most days... but can be very oppressive on the balance. The African context, if I may further explain, is largely one where 'white' people have all the means, and 'black' people are constantly made to feel inferior as they run to 'catch up'.

I feel Africans can't be described as racist, not because we shall forever remain victims, or because we're particularly virtuous, but because on any given day, ceteris paribus, we would not discriminate against someone on the basis of color in the same manner that non-Africans ( insert your favorite definition here) on this continent do. We may be evil, cruel, despotic, corrupt, tribalistic, etc... But racist we are not. So 'thanks but no thanks', I refuse to accept that label. For me, any behavior we exhibit that may even be loosely interpreted as racism is simply a reaction to, or a way of pre-empting racist attacks.

I know it is South African-speak, but you might need to be aware of continental discourse (e.g. the AID/donor factory/industry, neo-colonialism) before you apply the "racist" label to a discussion. There is so much brainwashing here... what with the most progressive constitution on earth, Nelson Mandela’s reconciliation efforts and second-only-to-Jesus status, 'African identity' now being extended to 'the rainbow' so that the true owners of that identity are now reduced to a color prefix before 'African'.

Before you jump down my throat, African identity has been discussed ad nauseum, conferences held, papers written (just google African identity), with no lasting conclusion reached. Indeed one can never be reached, so feel free to insert your own definition as I have mine.

God forbid you put anything in terms of white or black around here; everyone in the room (as long as they're South African) blows the whistle, reaches into their pocket and pulls out the race card, kicking you off the field of discussion and exploration. Let me cut you off before you say "if you don't like it, just leave"... I will. Soon as I get what I came for.

Before you remark that around here 'no good deed goes unpunished', I’d suggest that if the conference focuses on Southern Africa, say so! I know 'African citizen' has a much nicer ring to it than 'southern African citizen'... but there needs to be truth in advertising (may help the old cred you know), and you'll head off criticism that you're appropriating the noun 'Africa' for your own purposes, or that your efforts fall into the "let's help 'Africa' help herself" category.

I hear you on the credibility of blogs as a news source, but don't see any such concern in the rest of the world (and I can't wait to have my knowledge updated...). In case you missed the memo, blogging is about freedom of expression, unfettered rants and unpopular opinions... unless of course, I missed the memo, which is entirely possible.

All the best at the conference.

7 Comments:

  • I'm not going to post a long comment on this, I think we're just coming from different perspectives.

    Of the total attendees at the conference (about 130), 100 of them will not be from South Africa and none of them white. I don't think it's fair to say that this is a white conference as if we set it up in any patronising manner. We just thought it was time that people who blog on this continent get together and discuss their issues and see if there is some sort of consensus on how to work together.

    To be honest, our experience dealing with people who applied for scholarships was shocking. The extent to which people seemed to think they immediately applied for a hand-out because they don't live in South Africa was quite surprising. So when I read that post this morning I recongnised the sense of entitlement that had irritated me initially.

    We have done the best we can within our very very small budget to host this conference and people who feel that they were hard-done-by because they didn't hear about it or didn't get a personal invitation need to change their attitudes.

    Believe me, if this conference had been held in Kenya we would have made a plan to get there and participate. At any rate, it's going to be great event and hopefully we can channel some of this type of discussion into the debates.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At Thu Sep 07, 06:18:00 PM  

  • First time here, deep stuff and love your style.. Will sure be back again..

    Thanks too for your comments..

    Be safe..

    By Blogger Shaggy, At Thu Sep 07, 09:47:00 PM  

  • I am slightly confused.. I get the feeling that you are saying that becuase you are an african, who has been oppressed before (Or who's father and grandfather had been oppressed), that you cannot thus be blamed of repressing someone of another colour and it being labelled racism? Am i right?

    If this is the case, i am shocked by your ignorance and blatant excuse making abilities! Pah! What a cop.

    Take responsibility of your actions. Let the past rest and take ownership of your actions. Become a proactive citizen and drop the destructive human-suffering-sins-of-the-father complex.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, At Fri Sep 08, 03:41:00 PM  

  • can someone please fill me in on the conference thing. i'm in KZN and would like to get the details. i might attend.details mfowethu!

    By Blogger bomseh, At Fri Sep 08, 11:38:00 PM  

  • @vincent
    like potash said on your blog, i think the original issue was all about exploration of identity and (and as the author pointed out) mischievously tongue in cheek. I was pointing out that the fighting words used were ... well... fighting words.

    @bj,
    karibu tena

    @nic,
    what i'm saying is that calling an african a racist is the equivalent of (remember austin powers?) asking for a trillion gazillion rands... does not compute. It's akin to calling an african a colonialist... makes no sense. Yes we can all rush to the dictionary (or conveniently revise history) and point to attributes that qualify a person as one or the other. Many africans and hyphenated-africans do agree with your perspective, but that does not change the truth that ultimately, the twain (colonialism and racism), on this continent, went hand in hand and cannot now be conveniently surgically seperated and used on africans.

    I know you had nothing to do with it (I didn't either)... but such is the mess our forebears left us. I'm happy to pull myself up by the bootstraps (you see, all my land was stolen, all i need is a piece to work and build a home..) but as I do so, I will not countenance being painted in colors that have nothing to do with me.

    @bomseh
    Hope you make it mfowethu, the link is http://dci.ru.ac.za/index.php

    By Blogger Rista, At Sat Sep 09, 11:40:00 AM  

  • Rista - great post. I ould not agree with you more on this matter of racism.

    Vincent Maher - Your use of the phrase 'sense of entitlement' I hope does not apply to me on African Bullets & Honey. Cause then my reaction will be 'you've gone and done it.' I have written a second post (Is the Digital Indaba the Internet Berlin Conference of 2006?) on this issue that goes deeper into why I reacted as I did in the initial one. Do not for an instant think that you will get off scot free with ill thought out positions just because you are wearing a do-gooder badge. The road to hell like they say... It is not whether the majority of the 130 will be black or not. My question is about the panels, the people conferred with authority. Those I bet will not be majority black. I wish I would be proven wrong but your defensiveness tells the tale.

    By Blogger arty, At Sun Sep 10, 02:27:00 AM  

  • @mmk
    Shukran, thanks for visiting. Sadly, this is a country where quantitative statistics rule and few care about qualitative information. Glad you're more rigorous.
    Have read your second post, beautiful. Have commented there.

    By Blogger Rista, At Sun Sep 10, 06:34:00 PM  

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