the ArmChair Thoughts

I was split between a ponder on relationships and an equally bothering brain-drain; the African brain drain. When I thought of brain drain, my mind went, first to the poem I always want to write about it but haven’t gotten around completing it yet and, a talk by Philip Emeagwali, a Nigerian-American. You can read the thought-provoking speech here. And let me add, I feel in some way that Emeagwali is hypocritical in some of his claims considering how much he himself has had his brain drained into the Western society, but I digress.

I’m worried the growing generations of African have lost their devotion or sense of responsibility to their motherland. We have voluntarily alienated ourselves from our roots, now, a prince is now the slave.

I’m worried. From Ethiopia to Sudan, to Algeria and Ghana, to Nigeria or South Africa, Zimbabwe to Algeria, it feels like the giant has been put into permanent sedation. I’m guilty, I write this while being a resident in the United States, but don’t crucify me yet, I have the courage to ponder on why Africa is being drained of its best and brightest, the first step in fixing is acknowledging.

And for those brightest that remain, they have been incapacitated. Every here and there, I continually see Africans de-Africanizng, claiming they have ‘escaped’ the pain [Africa], and I wonder, what about those have the ill-fortune of still residing in Africa? Well, they are quick to add, “that’s their business”. African leaders are raising their kids to be continual slaves to the West, maybe using the word ‘slave’ is inappropriate considering slavery has been eradicated long ago.

Or has it? There is the new kind of slavery the West is imposing on people of color – economic slavery, think about it, and re-think it.

I’m tired of Africans repeatedly saying we should think like true Africans, that’s just vague and a real effort to put their money where their mouth is not. When I was growing up, I imagined I would live in a better Africa, well, I’m not living in Africa and for all I know, it hasn’t gotten better.

I continually strive to change myself towards a refraction that might change my country, yours, or the continent. One day I hope I can truly take all I’ve learned here to make real changes in my motherland.

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Tagged: Africanism, being a African, west slavery