Oil...

I have reached my limit. I'm finally really, truly realizing that something SERIOUSLY needs to be done to correct the vicious cycle of death, exploitation and poverty that runs rampant through Africa. hearing about it in lectures and on the news is one thing, but to actually read specifics and understand the injustices occurring everyday is sickening. Reading about the oil in Nigeria is just another prime example of Africa's goods and materials being jerked out of their hands almost immediately. Nigeria has managed to get screwed over simply for being lucky, it seems as though Africa is the little kid who gets bullied by all of the other power hungry countries, and every time yet another resource has been discovered some other country comes in before Africa even figures out what should be done. I saw in the reading that Nigeria's biggest source of gaining income through exports is oil, and today they import more than they export! What I cant get past is that oil always equals money!!! and despite this Nigeria rates below all of the other oil nations and has an annual per capita income of $1400! Although there are some good people in this fight, trying to defend Nigeria, there are still too many power hungry people coming from inside and outside of Nigeria, if the people of Nigeria cant even unite to protect their resources, why should anyone else not want to take advantage of the "fragile state" of this country. Its so tragic to see what material goods can do to people, and this is Africa's blessing and curse. As long as Africa has been being taken advantage of, it has been for good reason: they have tons of natural resources and other countries will take whatever ruthless action they need to to ensure an uneven distribution of wealth and profit.

African Soldiers in WWII

As soon as I saw this topic I knew it was something particularly interesting to me, my grandpa was in WWII and received a Purple Heart amongst other honors and I know how important that is to him. The thought of someone being willing to risk their life yet not be rewarded with the same honors because of skin color is appalling to me.

African-American soldiers played a significant role in World War II with more than half a million serving in Europe. However, even though the numbers were high there was still discrimination. Just because the numbers say that black were a part of WWII it doesnt mean that they were out on the front lines of combat. They were mostly given support duties, and were not allowed in units with white soldiers, I know that this had been a widely known fact but just actually researching and reading about it blows my mind. War seems to be such a primal to me, its always over essentially some product or land and the winner is whoever does more damage; I just dont understand how even in such a do or die situation people were still influenced by racial and social stereotypes. So its okay to blow eachother's heads off but heaven forbid I stand next to a black guy?? COME ON!...
That changed in 1941, when pressure from African-American civil rights leaders convinced the government to set up all-black combat units, as experiments. They were designed to see if African-American soldiers could perform military tasks on the same level as white soldiers.
A man named Woodrow Crockett was a part of that experiment. He was a Tuskegee Airman, and flew 149 missions between 1944 and 1945, protecting harbors in Italy and American bombers from German fighter planes. I can only imagine the pressure these men had weighing on them, not only were they fighting for their lives but they also had to try to prove their abilities to their fellow countrymen--something that Im sure alot of white soldiers took for granted! One of the most amazing things that I read about this group was that in 200 missions they never lost a bomber to enemy fire.

Now of course, even despite all of the accomplishments Ive mentioned (in addition to many more Im sure) no African American soldier was ever awarded the Medal of Honor during World War II. In fact it wasn't even until 1993 that the Army did some research to prepare a study "to determine if there was a racial disparity in the way Medal of Honor recipients were selected." Eventually the research team agreed that there was disparity and recommended the Army consider a group of 10 soldiers for the Medal of Honor. Of those 10, seven were recommended to receive the award. In October of 1996 Congress passed the necessary legislation which allowed President Clinton to award these Medals of Honor since the statutory limit for presentation had expired. The Medals of Honor were presented January 13, 1997 and of all seven, Vernon Baker was the only recipient still living and present to receive his award...sad.

I guess all we can do now is be thankful that we no longer live in world like that, even though these medals and awards are just material possessions what they represent is so much more than that. To risk one's life and get no recognition for it (AND be doubted the whole time), these men really were and are heroes...

Women in Ancestor Stones

The thing that I find to be the most interesting about the women in Ancestor Stones is that despite their genetic obligation with one another, they all seem very different. Although they all suffer some form of injustice because of they're gender, I think its crucial to remember that all of these stories are ranging over a very revolutionary period in African history.

Asana (the eldest) is the daughter of the first wife Namina. Her story begins in 1926 with her father's journey into a forest leading to him to find a new village (Rofathane) and start a coffee plantation. Then, at 10 years old her (favored) twin brother dies. As a result, Asana hopes to win her mother's affections, but instead her mother is convinced that she is possessed by the dead twin becoming obsessed with exorcising his spirit instead! In comparison to some of the other stories this doesn't seem too tragic, yet this kind of familial isolation can be equally traumatizing.
Next, in 1931, is Mariama (Mary later on...thanks to those overwhelmingly generous do-gooders in Idaho), whose mother Sakie is the third wife. I found Sakie to be as fascinating as she was mysterious...she has two preoccupations, selling snuff and partaking in the spiritual practice of reading stones. The bond that is described between Sakie and Mariama seems almost elemental and spiritual, but all this changes when a Muslim preacher comes and imposes a ridiculously strict moral code in which virtually everything that Mariama enjoys is deemed haram. Sakie is eventually forced to give up her religion and falls into depression and then hazily enters and reenters until one day she never returns. After this, Mariama is sent to a convent where she gets baptised and becomes Mary.

Then comes Hawa, her portion begins in 1939. She is the daughter of the the sixth wife, Tenkamu, who is the favorite wife. envied by the other women, when Tenkamu falls sick she gets blamed for anything bad that happens to the village (its already bad enough being sick, but then being blamed for things completely out of her control...? ridiculous). After she dies, Hawa tries to avenge her mother' and goes after her accusers.

The youngest is Serah (1950), her mother Saffie is ranked at number 10 and has basically little to no status. She is (falsely) accused of adultery leading to her eventual departure from the village. Serah initially appears to be the most modern character...she gets married and studies in Britain, but when she returns home she is faced with the dilemma of an unfaithful husband who abuses the cultural polygamy.

It seems like all of these women experience loss at the expense of a power hungry male. None of these stories would be complete without the narrator's mothers, and the reason behind this is that these women have all witnessed their mother's "fall from grace"; whether it be from a failed marriage, envy, or sickness they are all subject to the male dominated hierarchies of society.

Ancestor Stones

Ancestor Stones explains the brutalities of life as an African during the age of gaining independence, Aminatta Forna utilizes several different narrators (all female) to convey the many different emotions and experiences felt by all of those affected.

Ancestor Stones begins when Abie (a young African woman) leaves England and to assume control of her family's coffee plantation in Sierra Leone. When Abie reaches her destination, she is met with a small village (much different than her life in England) and her aunts; Asana, Mary, Hawa and Serah. Throughout the novel she learns stories of the past that explain why and how her aunts and their country have chnaged over the years. Oh yeah, did I mention that each aunt was born to a different wife of Abie’s wealthy grandfather? (I can't help but think of these women as Hadji's children from Xala...)

This trip home ultimately proves to be a very enlightening experience for Abie, she is given authentic stories from the past that shed new light on her aunts and Sierra Leone as a whole. The different sections of the book are composed of tales of rivalrous co-wives, life in a patriarchal society, and old religions challenged by Islamic and Christian religions. However, for as many "old stories" they tell and reflect upon, the women also provide modern stories that contain a lot of relevance and explanation of life in the "new africa". The aunts discuss European-owned mining companies, the oppressive (and culturally repressive) nature of mission schools, corrupt elections, and the new genearation of postcolonial Africans. Even though I loved all of these stories and did find relevance within all of their experiences, I did find the text to be a little disjointed at times...it seems like each of the stories could stand alone as I wasnt really picking up on the connection or commonality between them on a familial level.

One scene that stood out to me as truely posessing the essence of the work was during the refugee camp portion. It takes place in a camp where refugees have been waiting a long time for a shipment of food to arrive, but when the crates are opened, it becomes apparent that there has been a mix-up and the box is full of lipsticks. Sections like this are what made me really appreciate Ancestor Stones, and really just the unwaivering strength of Africans over the years, even during the extreme desperation of war these women still attempt to hold onto moments of joy, even if its through the smallest things.

Xala...a new Africa?

Well although this is a late post I almost feel its better that I waited. After reaching my own conclusions about the book as well as exploring the characters during our class discussion, I am finally realizing that Xala isn't really representing the "new Africa" that I had envisioned. I realize now that what I had previously thought was impossible...how could Africa ever go back to the way it was pre-colonialism? These people have been forever changed, their culture, traditions and religion have all been stolen and replaced with some kind of indignant amalgamation of European ideals and forced abandonment of a previous way of life. Africa has been marred with the corruption and greed of Europeans and this is displayed throughout Xala, as the characters all experience the internal and external conflictions of tradition and a changing society.

One huge example of this is through Rama, she personifies the new generation of young adults who have grown up during the process of African independence. Although she holds to her heritage and people, she has a surprisingly modern take on day to day life, she has sex before marriage, she has a "boyfriend" (which in itself is a very modern idea), and rebels against any authority that she interprets as oppressive to her culture. So even though she values the past, she applies her own philosophy and logic (over tradition) to the present.

Rama's father, we'll just call him Hadji, also provides a modernized view of Africa in the sense that he becomes a part of the thing that robbed him of his old way of life. He has been transformed into a sort of figurehead for the joining of African and European business, although judging by the resentment of many of the characters its clear that this is by no means a reconciliation but rather a greed driven partnership. Hadji seems kind of like a sell out even though he still values tradition (polygamy, wedding rituals), while Rama seems to be the opposite. Its clear that Hadji practices these traditions out of some kind of moral obligation, but doesn't really view them as sacred or important which pretty much discredits entire point of partaking in them.

Xala was very entertaining, and even though it wasn't quite what I expected I learned a lot. I'm beginning to see and understand why Africa is the way it is today through reading about these characters as they try to delineate between old and new ways while forming their own beliefs somewhere along the way.

Walter Rodney...part deux

So obviously we all know at least a little something about Walter Rodney from the essay last week, but that was just hitting the tip of the iceberg. Walter Rodney was a prominent figure in numerous parts of the world and stood for unity among Africans regardless of where they lived.

Born in Guyana in 1942, Rodney attended Queen's College in Guyana and continued by attending university on a scholarship at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, graduating in 1963. By 1966 Rodney had earned his PhD at the School of Oriental Studies in London, England. His dissertation was published in 1970, entitled "A History of the Upper Guinea Coast" focused on the slave trade throughout Guinea, and characteristic of Rodney the essay operated as a way of informing about a part of history that even the locals weren't aware of.

Throughout his life he travelled worldwide and became increasingly popular, teaching in both Tanzania and Jamaica (which eventually led to him being banned from the country for being overly critical of the middle class and its role in post independence). By 1968, Rodney has something else to add to his record, a riot bearing his name. The "Rodney Riots" broke out as a result of his radical advocacy for the working poor that ended in his banishment. On a bigger scale, these riots forced the rest of the world to look and pay attention to the Caribbean, Rodney became transformed into an important face of the Black Power movement as well as an activist for Rasta, and an integral part of the development of a new centre for African discussion and learning.

On a side note I also found it interesting to note that out of all of Rodney's publications, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa is his most well known work, it took him to a new iconic level of activism and controversy. In 1974 Rodney returned to Guyana from Tanzania as he was supposed to take a position as a professor at the University of Guyana but the government prevented his appointment. As he became increasingly active in politics, forming the Working People's Alliance, against the PNC government he was arrested and charged with arson after two government offices were burned in 1979.

Of course, there is an end to all things, and in the words of Wayne "you know what they say, when you great, its not murder its assassinate"; which is precisely what happened to Walter Rodney in 1980. Rodney was killed in a bomb explosion while running for office in Guyanese elections. The bomb was disguised as a two way radio transmitter and was planted by a CIA agent. The perpetrator fled and was never prosecuted. By the end of his life he had established a family of his own; a wife, Pat, and three children who were now forced to grow up without a father. Clearly Rodney was a huge part in achieving equality and awareness, and I don't think I need to bother redundantly fawning over his life and achievements...the impact he has indelibly left on society speaks for itself.

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

Africans were deliberately robbed of everything they had, and even the things they didnt know they had. After doing a little research once I finished reading Rodney's essay, I saw that there is some criticsm regarding his oversimplification of the relationship between Africa and Europe...although I do agree with this in portions of the essay the thing that really captured my attention was the "European scholar's" chart displaying the complete stagnation of the African population! In addition to this, Rodney makes the valid point that obviously Africa was dessimated by Europe...how did they expect NOT to be?? They were getting robbed blind and there wasnt much they could do since Europe had been treated them like cattle from the very beginning.

A crucial reason that Africa had completely ruined its economy and population was becasue, as Rodney says, exploiting resources and labour inside the country where the goods and workers is one thing, but to take the goods and people somewhere else to work not only decreases the population but it also just doesnt logically make any sense!! Even though, (OBVIOUSLY) slavery is one the most inhumane cruelties, its even worse that essentially the entire continent of Africa become enslaved as nothing more than a breeding ground for goods and workers that are being exported the second they are ready.

From the unreal salary (it takes 25 African assistants to equal the pay of 1 European) to the whopping 52 hospitals that Africa was gifted by Europe to house their 40 million population to the lack of food and money...all these things were no accident, they couldnt have been, and together they worked together (just as the Europeans knew they woud) in the complete and utter devestation of Africa.

Achebe's Interpretation

Okay, so I admit that despite my adamant defense of Conrad in my last blog, Achebe has managed to thrust my naivete into plain view. Throughout my reading of Heart of Darkness I genuinely believed that Conrad had created a subtle yet strikingly sarcastic work that actually operated as a commentary against the colonization of Africa...so its just slightly devastating that I may have been terribly mistaken.

During my reading of Achebe's criticism several portions stood out to me as shockingly enlightening and definitely something that I overlooked during my idealistic reading of the text...
"If there is something in these utterances more than youthful inexperience, more than a lack of factual knowledge, what is it? Quite simply it is the desire -- one might indeed say the need -- in Western psychology to set Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar, in comparison with which Europe's own state of spiritual grace will be manifest. "
It is this very concept that provides Achebe with his argument, but it also implicitly clarifies the very complexity surrounding the debate of possible racism, is it really just "youthful inexperience" or European ignorance as a whole or greed that drew Europe to Africa? While no one will ever really know, its important to remember the time in which Conrad was living and the preconceived notions regarding race (and gender...but I digress) of the time. To say that Conrad was completely and utterly racist cannot be true, he obviously cared enough to create the book on the first place and the fact that he mocks the inability and overall lack of qualification amongst the white colonists, speaks for itself. If Conrad mocks European society, how can he simultaneously criticize Europe and be racist? Perhaps Conrad's lack of knowledge comes across as racist, but as Achebe says regardless, there is undoubtedly more than meets the eye with Conrad's perception of Africans.

However, although this consistent ambiguity may come lack of knowledge or the innate beliefs of society at the time, there really is no excuse for the following passage,
"And between whiles I had to look after the savage who was fireman. He was an improved specimen; he could fire up a vertical boiler. He was there below me and, upon my word, to look at him was as edifying as seeing a dog in a parody of breeches and a feather hat walking on his hind legs. A few months of training had done for that really fine chap. He squinted at the steam-gauge and at the water-gauge with an evident effort of intrepidity -- and he had filed his teeth too, the poor devil, and the wool of his pate shaved into queer patterns, and three ornamental scars on each of his cheeks. He ought to have been clapping his hands and stamping his feet on the bank, instead of which he was hard at work, a thrall to strange witchcraft, full of improving knowledge. "
Now as Achebe says, "for Conrad things being in their place is of the utmost importance" , so perhaps that is why this description seems so dehumanizing because this particular native wasn't in his natural form, he was trying to be something he was not, just as Conrad criticizes all of the Europeans coming to Africa (a place they clearly do not belong).
Ugh, I don't know, I myself am left with mixed emotions and an unclear idea of what Conrad meant, and as much as I could battle both sides of this argument I am choosing not to simply because I can acknowledge the fact that there are so many things that happened and justifications of both sides of the spectrum that I don't know about, and since Conrad obviously was lacking clear information regarding the Africans and he sways back and forth with his opinion of the Europeans, maybe he should have been more clear or not said anything at all!

*I apologize for the lack of visual stimulation, but seeing as this is my 3rd attempt in posting my blog Im not sure I have the capacity to handle recreating it in its entirety it yet again...