Africa: We Are Indeed Not Yet Ready.

Africa: Indeed We Are Indeed Not Yet Ready. 

Earlier this year, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, proposed that France returns all stolen African artifacts back to their respective countries of origin. This sparked mixed reactions among the French people, dividing them into two distinct schools of thought.

The first school of thought says it's about time France returned stolen African artifacts to Africa, because keeping and withholding a people's history and cultural heritage from them is morally wrong.

The second school of thought, which is mostly comprised of French curators, is of the opinion that France should continue keeping stolen African artifacts in France for Africa. According to them those said artifacts are safer in France than they would be in their respective countries. They claim these artifacts would have been lost anyway if they weren't taken away from Africa and that they only became priceless pieces of art because they traveled to Europe.

Sadly, I agree with the latter; because let's tell ourselves the truth, WE ARE NOT READY! Let's assume for a moment that France actually goes through with this. Which Africa are they planning to return these artifacts to?

The same Africa that despises her own history?

The same Africa that treats her cultural heritage like a taboo?

The same Africa that views her fore bearers in the image and likeness of the devil?

The same Africa where people destroy centuries old pieces of art and history because we believe it brings "ancestral curses" upon us?

This Africa?

We are not ready!

The white man spends millions of dollars each year on research, to expand his knowledge about our history and cultural heritage. He builds libraries, museums, monuments and safe houses in his country to preserve and honor our history. Yet somehow the European countries where most of our "ancestral curses" are kept are not sliding into chaos!

Never mind the fact that all the acts of savagery committed by our ancestors is inconsequential compared to  the atrocities committed by the white man's ancestors. Theirs is legendary; stuff our own ancestors couldn't even imagine in their worst behavior. Yet Europe is still prospering; their counties are heaven on earth compared to ours.

But everyday we destroy huge chunks of our history because we've been brainwashed into believing that our heritage is cursed. Somehow, we believe that a two hundred year old carved piece of wood in the village is the reason we can't have 24 hours of electricity in Nigeria.

We are not ready!

This year a seminar is about to be held in UNN, which focuses on the historical permutations of witchcraft in respect to traditional African beliefs, strictly for academic and research purposes; and Christians around the area are losing their minds over it, like its the end of the world.

WE ARE NOT READY!

As much as it pains me to admit this, African history is better off stored in Europe.

At least in Europe they're safe from our ignorance and madness.

At least in Europe they get to survive for generations to come.

At least in Europe they'll continue to tell our story.

So let's keep paying huge amounts of money into the white man's tourism industry to go see the ingenius works of our ancestors.

Because, we are not ready!

© Jude Eze - Abuja, 2019.

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