I have been exposed to some anti-Black literature recently which I find rather amusing.
The critics, both black and white, may as well be referred to as the Blacks Bashers.
Leading the pack is none other than our own columnist Log Raditlhokwa who makes an assertion that Black people like sex.
He writes in the Midweek Sun of October 17, 2007 that: “The point is everywhere you go, the Africans, here and in the Diaspora, frequently discuss and romanticize about sex. Even their non ÔÇô verbal cues in dance and play show sexual inclinations.”
Several days before the notorious Dr James Watson reportedly had made similar remarks and he went to the extent of linking skin pigmentation with a high sex drive.
Dr Watson, quoted by his former student, Charlotte Hunt-Grubbe in the Sunday Times Magazine of 14 October 2007, argues that some extracts of melanin are responsible for higher sex drives in Black people. His assertion also is that Black people naturally like sex.
In his infamous book The Capitalist Nigger, the Nigerian writer, Chika Onyeani, also blames Blacks for the state of affairs and comes close to suggesting that Blacks are less intelligent as compared to Caucasians, Indians, Chinese and Jews. An observation also supported by Dr Watson who says that “all our social policies are based on the fact that their (Blacks) intelligence is the same as ours ÔÇö whereas all the testing says not really.”
Onyeani also says that “everything we use today is a product of Caucasian ingenuity” and goes on to cite the homes that we live in, electricity, heaters, cars, telephone, airplanes being inventions of Caucasians. He laments that Blacks have nothing to brag about as their own invention save for new dancing styles.
“Blacks like dancing”, he claims. It is perhaps this dancing that Log claims has “sexual inclinations.”
Among the three, it is Raditlhokwa’s claim that I find most amusing, given the fact that his academic background is in sociology and Social Work (I stand to be corrected). His argument has no basis whatsoever and it is neither based on research nor scientific theory of any kind.
My suspicion, however, is that no such theory exists. I am surprised at his pedestrian analysis of the whole situation when there is a growing evidence of the existence of multiple intelligences.
Researches by Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey, Reuven Bar ÔÇô and others point out that issues relating to inability to control our emotions are as a result of low emotional intelligence quotient, (EQ).
This has nothing to do with whether you are black or white, unless, of course, he can provide scientific evidence to show otherwise.
Poor Dr Watson, he is reported to have said, “We do not yet adequately understand the way in which the different environments in the world have selected over time the genes which determine our capacity to do different things.”
He wants to justify that because Whites live in Europe and Blacks live in Africa, our genetic makeup could have evolved in different ways; Whites being superior, of course. It is not a secret that White’s soÔÇôcalled White “superiority” has its origins from the Greek civilization.
The Greeks emphasis of formal education made them more advanced in their way of life than the rest of other Europeans.
When the Romans conquered the Greeks, they adopted and assimilated the Greek formal education system. It is this education that may have led to the rise of Rome. (I’m not a historian but an educationist). When the Romans defeated the Greeks they were captivated by the Greek way of life that they themselves became captives of Greek civilization. It is the same education that spread to the rest of Europe and was eventually brought to Africa. Obviously, had Blacks had formal education before the Caucasians, Blacks would be “superior”.
Intelligence is not determined by which race one belongs to, or where one lives as Dr Watson wants us to believe.
To Onyeani, the fact that we did not build aeroplanes, cars and modern houses does not mean that we lack invention skills. There was probably a lot fighting among Europeans, Chinese and other races than there were amongst Africans. (Go ne go nale metsametsano). This is why they needed to build strong shelters to protect themselves from enemies. Rome, the Great Walls of China were all built as protection against adversaries. We had stable governments that existed for longer periods of time and they took care of their own people. We had no reason to build The Great Walls and the fact that we did not is not a sign that we are not innovative.
It’s high time Blacks stop apologising for not inventing the car, the aeroplane or producing nuclear bombs.
We don’t owe anybody a cent.
In any case all those inventions are threatening our very own survival by emitting harmful Green House gases.
It is also time that prophets of doom, like Raditlhokwa and others, refrain from making sweeping statements and learn to write balanced articles. They should come up with well researched articles that can be beneficial to the masses rather than those with racial connotations.
