AFRIKA's UNTOLD

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“Just think, that this race of black men, today our slave and the object of our scorn, is the very race to which we owe our arts, sciences, and even the use of speech!" 

~ Count Constantine de Volney

It’s quite ironic you see,

Apparently black is selectively beautiful,

They love my black oil and my black gold,

Yet they condemn my children for the color of their skin.

I am trapped by dead aid that only cripples me,

My children accept the third world status,

With a beggar mentality,

Forgetting the 1st world was built on Afri-Aid.

My identity is consumed in headlines,

Wars that have left nations crippled,

Dirty politics that have left children hungry,

The lack of education that has led to ignorance,

The greed of men that has led to tribal clashes,

The poverty that drives the insecurity,

The unemployment, which drives the idol youth to addictions.

I say there’s so much more to me and my future is bright,

But they say all I am is a dreamer,

I say there’s more to me beyond the poverty, diseases, wars or hunger,

They say I’m just a, dreamer

Many times I ask to give you a break,

A break from stereotypes you attempt to fit me into,

I ask you to take my hand,

And allow me, to introduce myself.

But you call me, THE DARK CONTINENT,  

And say I’m just a dreamer.

You see once upon a time,

I ruled the world,

Yeah, I really did rule the world.

My history was not one of slavery,

But one of inclusion, love, peace and unity.

Kingdoms so large, larger than Western Europe,

Where millions attended universities,

Education that didn’t have them drowning in debts,

Many lived in abundance and luxury,

With no fear of crime, murder or rape.

But violence, they say, is in my nature,

And my children are more prone to commit crimes.

In Timbuktu, my children were uplifted,

Profits were not made at the expense of humanity,

But instead, for humanity,

Souls were not traded,

But instead, enriched with knowledge

A reason why the book-trade was so prominent.

Recorded by Mani as “the world’s third Kingdom”,

Ancient Ethiopia was the first kingdom,

To build stone castles of its kind,

Where coffee was discovered,

And it was the first Kingdom to convert to Christianity.

The Kush Empire, an empire so powerful,

That it defeated the Greek, Persian, Roman and Syrian armies,

A King so competent that he revived the Egyptian economy,

And came to the aid of Israel when it was under attack.

Yet they call me uneducated and uncivilized,

My civilization is burried in the sand, 
As European civilizations are storied,

A reality so suppressed that it sounds almost surreal.

I guess that’s why they call me a dreamer.

Still today, I invite you to take a walk with me along the Nile,

Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Victoria Falls,

Come and witness the great wilder beasts migration in the Serengeti,

Or better yet, take the challenge and see how far up Kilimanjaro you can climb,

Perhaps even wine and dine in the Sahara desert,

Maybe then you’ll understand the beautiful paradise I am.

Alternatively, allow me to alter your perception,

Of the violent culture I am all so commonly associated with,

Let me tell you about Ubuntu,

One of the most beautiful humanist philosophies you never hear of,

A notion that simply stands for, "I am who I am, because of who we all are",

Because I understand, that humanity is interconnected.

You see one day,

I will rule the world again,

Yeah, I really will rule the world,

Not in isolation of others or prejudice towards them,

But with inclusion, love, peace and unity.

Because in Africa, we don’t want to merely go fast, alone,

But instead, far, as human beings,

And so we go together.

And you, you can feel free… To join me.

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