Dear Editor,
Greatness lies within each of us. Some are called to be teachers, religious leaders, lawyers, parents, politicians, gravediggers, labourers and so forth. It matters not what you are called to be, but the quality of service you deliver on the task you are called to perform. Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr said it best in reminding us: “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause and say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.” We must proceed to do what we have to do by first reaching deep within us and bringing to the fore the needed confidence to propel us into action.
Though slavery was brutal to our ancestors, they overcame as is evident from our presence today and what they bequeathed us. With less they did more, and persevered in spite of the roadblocks. Their success did not happen by fluke. Success came because our ancestors’ conviction never to doubt their ability and capability to beat the odds kept them going even at times when the road seemed rough and rugged.
The acquisition of villages which was purchased through the cooperative economic model is a source of pride for and in the African community. When former enslavers thought Africans could not survive outside their control, direction, spitefulness and domination, they were proven liars.
Africans have built and maintained infrastructure, beautiful homes, gardens and surroundings. They have tilled the soil, sold produce, pursued education and maintained family on the principle of the African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child.” The extended family structure was central to the cohesiveness and success of the African child and the community. Our elders held their pride of place.
Religion and education were key pillars in establishing the sense of community, brotherhood and sisterhood. Religion instilled in us faith and the moral compass to discern right from wrong. Education empowered us to open new doors into the world of knowledge as we acquired and honed skills, secured work and provided for the economic needs of self and family. An educated people is an empowered people, because they possess the skills to think for themselves, ask the right questions and not settle for less.
Earlier political affairs in the villages were handled through elders, then later the Village Councils/Neighbourhood Democratic Councils and at the national level. Sports, both competitive and non-competitive, were the hallmark of all ages, be they indoors or outdoors, lending to community spirit, putting the mind and body to work in a relaxed and fun-filled environment. Entertainment was the showcasing of cultural and dancing skills and recognising the best-dressed.
What is being pointed out here is that the Black family had a structured, successful and well-organised life. This is not to say there were no social ills, but a structured and organised environment was central to the confidence that drove the innate desire for self-determination and economic accumulation.
In this month of August as special attention is being paid to the struggles against and freedom from chattel slavery, our greatness in other endeavours must come to the fore to ensure upward mobility. A good starting point would be examining practical solutions and the problem-solving used by our ancestors in their struggles to overcome.
Yours faithfully,
K Sharma Solomon
