Mr Kojo Yankah, the former Chairman of the Pan-African Festival (PANAFEST), has observed that, Africans at home and in the Diaspora have been mis-educated and brainwashed to see themselves as inferior to the White race.
He noted that, the mis-education has had negative influence on the Black race, therefore, until a conscious efforts was made to educate themselves about their true identity, the unity of the black people would be seriously undermined.
Mr Yankah, who is also the Founder of the African University College of Communications, expressed these sentiments at a lecture and book signing ceremony in Accra, under the auspices of the Diaspora African Forum and the W. E.B. Du Bois Centre.
The event formed part of activities marking the Black History Month, held on the theme: “Uniting the African Family”.
He noted that, long before Ghana and most British colonies gained their independence, educational institutions were teaching British and European Civilisation, therefore most African students knew more about the European Continent and Cultural values than that of Africa.
He said British Civilisation was taught in schools with the intention of taming the African natives, and also made to view the African ancestral beliefs as evil and uncultured.
Mr Yankah noted that, the image of the African in the Diaspora was significantly bruised and often portrayed on television as lazy and unproductive people, who want to bring down the stable and prosperous economies of America and European countries.
“In the movies we watched on television, black characters were made to play menial roles or as gangsters and buffoons.
“The White did not want the Africans to learn about the inhuman and torturous treatment meted out to those who were taken through what has become known as the “Middle Passage” and refused to teach anything about the struggles of the Africans in the Diaspora,” he explained.
Mr Yankah, also an astute Journalist, said it was after the independence that, Ghana’s First President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, implemented the Accelerated Educational Plan, which enabled most Ghanaians and Africans to learn about their African value system.
He said most Ghanaians and Africans learnt about the inhuman treatment meted out to the Africans while studying Pan-African Affairs in the universities and through African Movement Clubs, which enabled them to be self-conscious about the mis-education of the Africans by their colonial masters.
He said young African students learnt more about the African values through symposia and public lecturers, which enabled them to share their experiences and share ideas.
“We also read books about Pan-Africanists and followed Black Leaders across the globe,” he added.
Mr Yankah noted that, Dr. Carter Gordon Woodson’s Book -“The Mis-education of the Negro”, stated clearly, the indoctrination of the Blacks and churning of education system, which justified slavery, peonage and segregation.
“The African-American were taught to admire the Hebrews, the Greeks, the Latin and the Tutan and despise the African.
“The inferiority of the Blackman was imbued in the minds of students because the White had a belief system that, “When the mind of a person is enslaved, you don’t need to worry about his actions”
Mr Yankah noted that, this mis-education had continued even up till today, and it is happening in everyday life of the African.
Therefore, he said, the older Africans must teach the younger generation to accept their true identity and value system.
Mr Yankah said the estimated 1.2 billion Blacks living round the world had the potential to make meaningful impact in the world, adding; “The time has come for the Blacks to exert themselves and think positively about themselves in order to erode the mis-education championed by the White”.
He said all is not lost because Africans in various fields are exerting themselves and recording remarkable achievements.
He said the African Union is now speaking with one voice on certain global issues and rallying business men and women to achieve great exploits.
“Now Africans are condemning corrupt and selfish African leaders and demanding for probity and accountability in public and private life,” he stated.
Mr Yankah observed that, a united Africa would become one of the greatest forces in the world, noting that, there should not be any standing block for a United States of Africa because Kwame Nkrumah had laid the blueprint for a united continental body.
He stressed the need for the African Continent to implement one monetary zone, central bank and African Committee of Foreign Ministers and empowered to establish a Commission to frame a Constitution, to form a Union Government of African States that would work out a continental work plan for a common economic and industrial programme for Africa.
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