Yet Another Trek

I know, I know, I know...it's been almost a year. I have been neglectful in keeping up with my monthly postings. It's been an interesting journey in the last nine months: from successfully completing the final milestone of my PhD in August 2015, to returning to Liberia to present findings of the dissertation before completing it (almost there) and delving into new research and teaching opportunities. In early June, I presented at the Law and Society Annual Meeting 2016 in New Orleans. Now, that was a real experience, not just of NOLA's wonderful food and friendly culture but certainly getting a glimpse of the reality of former slaves who returned to Liberia in the early 1800s. These days, I have been inhaling "hateful" toxins exuding out of America's election. You bet I certainly have my perspectives...you will soon find out.

I can't thank you enough for your continuous visits to my blog!

DEAR GOD: AFRICAN UNION IS 50 YEARS OLD

Dear God:

Since I realised that as a born and bred Liberian I am NOT a citizen of America, I started to question my mentally enslaved twisted thinking. I earnestly do not know where my maternal ancestral line come from. I stress the matrilineal link because I was simply born of a woman [PERIOD]. OK, now that I had the epiphany, by the way that was during my refugeehood in Ghana; I begun a journey of what it means to be black African. Bob Marley added political songs to my soul - like War, Africa Unite, Redemption Song, Buffalo Soldiers, Get Up Stand Up, Them Belly Full, If the Cap Fits, Natty Dreads and more. I love Nesta, no kidding...I could go on listing his songs. 

But the Natty Dreads part became stronger when I discovered Brother Malcolm. I have never met a brave heart in spirit. Oh by the way God, I don't know whether you did that on purpose, but he and Obama look so alike...I'm drifting now, back on track. Malcolm's autobiography changed my life, especially the part where he was constantly called "red" because of his mixed race and hair colour. How he realised while in prison that perming his hair didn't make him White. That was gospel to me - before my graduation ceremony at the University of British Columbia in 2004, I asked my brother-in-law to "cleaned my skull" from every fibril strands that was permed. I love my dreads now, it's growing beautifully. 

But why am I saying all this God? Well, I have to give you some background about the emergence of why I strongly feel Africans should return to their original goal set by the founders of the Organisation of African Union (OAU, now AU) God, as if you don't already know since you're the pre-destinator of every human life. Anyways, I would like for you to know that the African Union is 50 years old. That means 64 years ago Ghana (under Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah) set the stage for postcolonial Africa. But there are these great grandfathers (like uncle Bob) who like to take things to the extreme all the time. The sad part is, though, they are in the minority. Regardless, can you please help us, Africans realise that the West (whatever that means, speaking of Bob Marley - if the cap fits then wear it) will NEVER save Africa until we UNITE as ONE PEOPLE? This is my prayer in your son JESUS' NAME! AMEN. 

PS: Oh I forgot, God...and all them folks in the Caribbean and the US, I apologise on behalf those fools who used the boats (I mean the ones that packed women, children and men with chains and dump them overboard to claim insurance liability whenever there was trouble at sea - see The Voyage of the Zong). Trust me, you're (Carribbeans, African-American, etc.) Africans too - yes all them taken from the motherland are Africans. I believe once we can at least come to this agreement, we could prosecute the fools (dead or alive) for crimes against humanity in a historical class action lawsuit - a due process of law way overdue. OK God, you said in Mark 11:24 that "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours". AMEN

TRIBUTE TO MY CHILDHOOD HERO: JESSE OWENS

"...Jesse Owens the grandson of a slave will go down in history not only for his athletic achievement but for his repudiation of Hitler's racial ideas..."

 

The first meaningful email I got this morning was from the University of Alumni Association congratulating 4 Notts students for carrying the olympic torch in London. I later glided to UBC homepage to download something completely different. BOOM again, the first flash news was about UBC olympic representatives. Then, it sunk in that there is only 28 more days to the 2012 London Olympics. Well, my memory of olympics dates back some 3 decades ago when I was still a thinny whinny bit. I have indelible photographic childhood memories from our cute black and white Sanyo TV. No doubt that these memories are endless but here are selected few divided into groups: 1)  Cartoons (e.g., yabadabadoo - the Flintstons, Stingray, the Muppet Show, Tom & Jerry, the Incredible Hulk, etc); 2) TV Shows & Sit-Com (e.g., Hawai'i Five O), Miami Vice, Star Trek, the Jackson 5, Different Strokes, the Cosby Show, Good Times, the Jeffersons, Sanford & Son etc) and 3) Documentaries and World Politics (e.g., the Ethiopian Civil War, Apartheid in South Africa, Jesse Owens biography, etc).

"...Ohio State was not desegregated at the time so Jesse Owens attended school there which meant that he  had to live off-campus, he was not able to eat his meals with his white colleagues and there was no scholarships for him so he had to work on multiple jobs in order to pay his tuition..."

Well, this reflection is about Jesse Owens - even as I write, I can still hear the loud chants from the TV screen "Jesse Owens" as he returned from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. As a child, I understood nothing more about the complex world or racism, discrimination, slavery and violence. But those photographic images have stuck with me and have gradually transformed my thinking into curiosity and now incessant drive to contribute towards building a knowledge society to enhance social justice, equality and respect for diversity. Jesse Owens was, is and forever will be my hero.

"When Jesse Owens came back from the Berlin games, he was greeted with a hero's welcome. They had a ticket-tape parade for him in New York city that was a celebratory reception for him at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and the irony is he had to take the freight elevator up the reception because he was black"

Because of his inspiration, talent and humility today many of African descend have gone on to set world records and more...to yours and your unborn generations to come - HAIL TO JESSE OWENS!