The narrative of what it means to be black is a consciousness that was
embedded by the Father of Consciousness, Steve Bantu Biko: In the book, I Write What I Like “THE
DEFINITION OF BLACK CONCIOUSNESS” , in 1971, Biko defines blacks as ‘those
who are by law or tradition politically, economically and socially discriminated
against as a group in the South African society and identifying themselves as a
unit in the struggle towards the realisation of their aspirations.’
South Africa’s social and political standing has since been transformed
into a Democratic State. However, twenty years into our young Democracy, black
people are starting to rise up against the notion of being white and treated as
whites.
Prominent black people are
starting to revolt against the notion of being white, of being taught in a Whiteman’s
language, living in a Whiteman’s world.
Traditionally black people were not given a choice to assimilate their cultures
with the Eurocentric and Westernise styles of living. Black people were
forcefully attributed to the Whiteman’s
world as subservience to the Whiteman’s style of living, and only as second-class-citizens – which was and still is
a human rights violation.
This infringement on black people,
as dark beacons of prejudice, inequality and lesser-class-beings has been
recorded through history, wide-reaching, as a gross-negligence, inhuman and racist
injustice by white people upon the black population. Taking away their inborn
identity, as part of the human race.
Inside today’s South Africa, a Social Economic Transformation is needed
to restore the pride and identity, that
was taken away by the white colonisers, to erase the far-reaching abuse that
has clouded the black mentality for centuries.
Steve Bantu Biko states that firstly: ‘Being black is not a
matter of pigmentation – being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.’
Secondly: ‘ Merely by describing yourself as black you have started on a road
towards emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces
that seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient
being.’
In seeking the true black identity, we as South African black people
have to be vigilant of mitigating old Whiteman’s racist tendencies with our own
superfluous racist approach.
We cannot deny that our pigmentation has been a source of ridicule, to
help guide the way of life for white people. Justly, we also cannot deny that
black people are proud, multilingual, multi-coloured, non-racial , non-violent,
non-segregating nation. Even through the extremities of neo-Nazi racist white lefties. The black nation remains
strong and connect as one.
In our connectedness many polarizing adversaries on what it means to be black: i.e. the Foreign
Element in our neighbourhoods, Economic Emancipation, Land Repatriation, the true
South African identity, greedy Politians
and Political parties, and our own ignorant corrupt government - stand to degradingly pull away our democratic
right, black identity and pride, that our elders stood for and fought for, for decades.
A neo-black revolution on black mentality and black pride has commenced*
The debate goes on!
WORD TO THE BLACK PRIDE REVOLUTION
Linda Sakazi Thwala
