Coronavirus pandemic, racist attacks and Africa

Notice of Monday, February 22, 2021

Journalist: Mawutor NK Alifo

02/22/2021

The world will not be the same when the dust settles after the COVID-19 pandemic. Projections for a post-COVID-19 world are already underway. Will this be an era of new global power configurations? How will the impact of COVID-19 shape the global social landscape?

Coincidentally, the pandemic became more noticeable during Black History Month in February 2020. Some were drawing attention to critical issues affecting Africa and Africans. The songs “Black Lives Matter” were suddenly eclipsed by the unfolding pandemic. In Ghana, plans were underway for a continuation of the successful Year of Return program. How sad! Global tourism is now almost at a standstill.

One would have thought that the world’s attention would be focused on collective efforts to tackle the novel coronavirus pandemic, but it was not.

In April 2020, all kinds of racial threats were launched against the Ethiopian-born Director General of the World Health Organization, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Amid the global turmoil, reports of attacks on black people living or studying in China began to emerge. What was surprising was the lame attempt to blame another ‘hot zone’ virus on people of African descent. Admirably, the reaction and condemnations of African governments and the African diplomatic corps in Beijing have been swift and successful.

Yet the pandemic has lessons to be learned about human vulnerability. It must be recognized that following this health crisis, all races (African, Asian, Caucasian, etc.) were not spared by this non-discriminatory virus. This pandemic has shown how quickly human society can regress into old patterns of thought and behavior, even with a plethora of international treaties and laws that seek to abolish the last vestiges of human wandering. International treaties may mean little to panicked populations and when it comes to life and death anything can happen on the streets. Scapegoats of all colors can be easily found. It only depends on where you are at any given time and which street you are walking on.

Then in May 2020, another tragedy struck! George Floyd !!!

Anyone, regardless of race, can easily become victims – even abusers – under the circumstances. But what makes Africans and people of African descent particularly vulnerable to racism and xenophobia?

I thought about it and searched for answers. I wondered why some of the major religions – Islam, Judaism, Christianity and even to some extent the indigenous African religion – were used to justify the slave trade and colonialism.

A quote from John Wright’s book caught my attention: “What are they for if not for us?” Go take them, because they are Kaffirs and we cannot do without them ”. (Arab boy, quoted by George Lyon (1820) in John Wright. The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade.) The author then enumerated the (4) main types of slavery on the African continent from the 5th century to 1833 namely:

1. Trade in black slaves across the Saharan desert to North Africa (Maghreb).

2. Trade in human beings from the east coast of Africa across the Indian Ocean or the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf and western India.

3. Trade in the Nile Valley between eastern Sudan and Egypt; and

4. “Modern” Atlantic slave trade from the west coast of Africa to the Americas, the Caribbean – 15th to 19th centuries, ending circa 1833.

Could there be deep and subconscious attitudes towards Africa and Africans that still persist in our modern age? I thought about the unimaginable impact of nearly a thousand years of servitude and slavery (black Africans being the dominant victims) and how this could have solidified common stereotypes of African people. I tried to shrug my shoulders, but it wouldn’t go away. There are no quick fixes to correcting racist attitudes in our murky world – and racism manifests itself in different ways. Anyone can face racism anytime, anywhere.

However, as Africans, even though there is little we can do about the past, it is part of our innate ability to change our future. It starts from a deep belief that we can create a better future for ourselves … if we are truly willing to work to that end. There is more to our history, more to our past, present and future than just being “the slaves, the wood cutters and the drawers” ​​of the world. Some countries in very arid regions have done so. But it takes a collective effort to get there. We need to develop this winning mindset.

If there is one thing to be gained from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is the awareness that we must work together as an indivisible continent with a vibrant diaspora that strives to:

a. Improved image

It will take extra hard work to diffuse or erase the negative images about Africa and Africans. The label “black continent” was stamped on Africa by foreigners. This led to political and economic subjugation as well as to the “Islamization” and “Christianization” of a continent. It’s time to embrace science, technology and research to propel our advancement. The continent should strategize and get around our “image problems” in the mainstream media. For example, the AU can help accelerate the implementation of communication and media strategies to ensure balanced reporting on Africa and Africans.

Putting order in the house of the continent means refusing to be the face of misery, misery and misery and this also comes down to taking primary responsibility for our own development.

b. A stronger economy

History will judge whether (or not) the international community acted quickly enough to nip the corona virus in the bud. As this debate rages on, Africa will have to count the cost against the weight of the pandemic. The continent must emerge from the pandemic with a renewed spirit of “being able to do” self-reliance. It is a matter of urgency. In times of crisis, people must first help themselves before helping others. This bitter truth should prompt the AU to consider a trade policy tinged with autarky to protect the African market. Following the adoption of the ACFTA agreement, it would be desirable to accelerate action on African trade agreements with other free trade areas / partners to ensure that the continent derives maximum benefits and collective force of these agreements. It would also be necessary to develop a processing model for the granting of exploration and mining rights, with the stipulation that the minerals must be processed in Africa before being exported.

Over-reliance on externally processed products will keep us in a state of perpetual impoverishment. A district, a factory in Ghana and going beyond aid deserve to be replicated elsewhere on the continent. Perhaps by choosing to transform our resources, our partners would begin to give us the respect we deserve because we would have created a stronger economy and proved that we have come of age. A resurrected and roaring African lion would go a long way in changing attitudes towards Africa and Africans.

Fortunately, a lot is going well on the continent due to the advantage of having a young population. Governments that take action to provide accessible and quality education deserve the loudest applause. An educated and skilled population will help maintain the current pace of the continent which boasts of having no less than five countries among the fastest growing economies in the world.

vs. Data and impact

The appeasement of global markets (and a rapidly approaching global economic recession) means that the continent should prepare for common antidotes to deal with the fallout from contracting African goods, services and tourism markets. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on people of African descent in some Western countries. How will this have an additional impact on purchasing power and remittances for African economies? The scale of the pandemic’s impact could be part of an assessment of the crippling debt service obligations facing African economies.

As Africa progresses on these and other issues, the continent must emerge from this pandemic with new strategies for managing statistical data on its human and natural resources. It was so remarkable to see the daily counts of patients and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the different countries. The continent should build on this plus to create reliable data for national planning and decision making.

re. Implementation

The operationalization of ACFTA and the implementation of Agenda 2063 are great markers of political will and commitment. The post COVID-19 period should witness the successful implementation of major regional and global plans without forgetting the SDGs.

In short, there is no need to reaffirm that Africans are no less endowed (in faculties) than other humans. Studying the rise and loss of influence of civilizations can be our helpful guide. Over the past 70 years, Asian countries have consistently laid the foundation for a strong economy. This remarkable example should be a source of motivation for Africa. The Japanese have focused on electronics and automobiles, Indians are in ICT, Thailand, world cuisine, Singapore for cleanliness and confidence, while China has become the factory of the world. Not so long ago, were some of these countries lagging behind some African and European countries in terms of living standards?

As for those who hate others for reasons of race or ethnicity, we can advise them to go read John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me for the redemption of their soul.

If the countless people who fought for equal rights, fought against racism, discrimination and xenophobia, etc. come to resuscitate today, will they be shocked that in 2020 some human beings still have not abandoned their sectarian ethnic, racist and sectarian tendencies? I believe that Dr Kwegyir Aggrey, Ottobah Cugoano, Olauda Equiano, Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, Dred Scott, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, among others, will recite a supplication for racial harmony and peace in our world.

To conclude, Africa and Africans should ask the ultimate questions: “Why do we want to be known in the next 50 years?” What philosophy do we need to drive our progress? “. The answers are within us during — and — after — COVID-19.

“Hating people because of their color is a mistake. And it doesn’t matter which color hates. This is simply not true ”- Muhammad Ali

The writer can be reached via: [email protected]