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Dear Africa — The Call of the African Dream

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For years, the black person was assaulted with the message, ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do that’. It was in fact so sadistic that there were toilets which black people could not enter under colonialism, not to mention areas they could not live in and business they could not do, writes Andrew Wutawunashe in his book Dear Africa – The Call of The African Dream that The Patriot is currently serialising.

BOTH in the Diaspora and on the African continent there is a growing pool of black entrepreneurs who are emerging and making a meaningful impact in the global village, and a few authors and publications have taken the noble step of chronicling their stories.
Such books and publications need to be given wide exposure and to be added into the curricula and libraries of black educational institutions.
Successful black entrepreneurs need to redouble efforts to conduct motivational workshops in schools, colleges and young people’s institutions, and the media needs to keep them visible to young people.
The third message which needs to be loudly proclaimed to the black young person is the simple message of ‘competence’ that propelled the first black and relatively young man into the presidency of the United States of America—yes we can!
In other words, contrary to the stereotypes, yes, black person, black young person, you are as capable, able and competent as anybody else to marshal resources and create wealth.
The self-confidence of the black person remains one of the most abiding casualties of the years of servitude, oppression and dispossession.
For years, the black person was assaulted with the message, you can’t do this, you can’t do that.
It was in fact so sadistic that there were toilets which black people could not enter under colonialism, not to mention areas they could not live in and business they could not do.
Self-confidence will not return spontaneously to black people.
It has to be aggressively rebuilt and reinforced by all right means possible.
The black young person needs to be re-educated and re-trained into a new mind of self-confidence and assumption of responsibility—it is I who must create wealth and I have the ability to do so.
From the parents to the institutions, there must be a shrill voice that declares to the black child, to the black young person, there is nothing good and profitable that is impossible for you to achieve!
And, of course, my strongest word on the issue of marshalling resources for wealth—creation is to black children and to young black people themselves.
If I could gather them all together I would tell them,
“The poverty you see in your parents in comparison to people of other colours does not mean that there is something wrong with you or your parents.
“It was deliberately created through the history of the plunder of black people in Africa and all over the world over the past 400 years through slavery and colonialism.
“Much of the wealth which you watch children of other colours enjoy was built on the foundation of the dispossession of your parents, grandparents and great-great grandparents.
“But through the bitter and sometimes bloody struggles of black peoples all over the world for political liberation, the dividend of the struggle of your parents and grandparents, political freedom, justice and self-determination has come.
“The world has changed.
“On your shoulders now rests the responsibility for a new kind of struggle.
“You now have the responsibility and opportunity to mobilise resources, to build wealth and to change through your economic struggle the painful face of the poverty of black people everywhere.
“Yes, you may at times feel inadequate, timid and intimidated by the financial strength of people of other colours.
“You may even feel that you are not worthy to own the resources of your nation and of the world, or to create wealth.
“Fight and reject these feelings, for they were created in you by the many years of oppression which black people suffered, oppression meant to create apathy in you towards ownership of resources and towards wealth creation.
“Learn the history of the black people and their struggles and embrace passionately the real truth: you have the God given right to own the resources of the land and to use them to create wealth for yourselves and for future generations.
“Learn the truth that you need to create your own dreams of wealth creation and aggressively compete for the world’s wealth and resources through your own innovative enterprises.
“Embrace the ethic of hard work and defeat the temptation to be lazy—for with freedom comes responsibility.
“Above all, reject the lie that you are incompetent or incapable, and raise the bold shout, “Yes I can! and there will be nothing impossible for you.
“You are able to compete with anybody in the global village in the game of wealth creation.”
Somehow, I can hear the sights and sounds of an emerging prosperity of black people.
I hear the sights and sounds of these little future economic warriors in the African school.
I hear the sights and sounds of them engaging the soil and going into farming and mining.
I hear the sound of them developing and transforming rural areas of Africa which they have thus far shunned.
I hear the sights and sounds of this live African terracotta army punching away on computer keyboards as they engage technology in the creation of numerous businesses and enterprises.
I hear the sights and sounds of young black people trading on the stock and financial markets.
I hear the sights and sounds of this young generation of black people creating industries and manufacturing enterprises and exporting competitively all over the world.
I hear the sights and sounds of the launchings of innovative inventions by young black people.
I hear the sights and sounds of money being traded in banks and financial institutions owned and run by these young black people.
I hear the sights and sounds of their executive jets landing and taking off at airports all over the world.
I hear the sights and sounds of black young people paying employees of their own and of other colours.
I hear the sights and sounds of black philanthropy as prosperous black young people learn the freedom and joy of giving over receiving.
I hear the sights and sounds of prosperous black neighbourhoods, communities and nations of black people.

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