When you hear the word "Africa", what comes to
the mind of an American or Westerner? Poverty. War. War lords. Malaria. AIDS.
Hunger. Unclean water. Orphans. Assistance. Helpers from the West.
During President Obama's recent visit to Ghana,
we have been hearing the same old talking points about Africa's great need all
over again.
For decades, if not centuries, we Africans have
been groomed, partly by well-meaning wealthy nations, to expect handouts from
America, England, France, China and other nations. We have been used to basing a
successful relationship with developed nations on how much aid we receive to
provide clean water, fight hunger and disease, build roads. An African head of
state calls it progress when he lobbies successfully to have his nation's debt
forgiven by Great Britain, Canada or America.
It has been next to impossible to change this
status quo as long as the United States had Caucasian (white) presidents, some
of whom have gone out of their way to cater to our dependency on North America,
Western Europe, and lately on the rising stars of Asia, especially China. It
fits the same template: Others give; Africans receive. Forever.
Since America now has a son of Africa as
president, the pro-African activists have begun to ask, "What will Barack Obama
do for Africa? How much will he give? Will he surpass Clinton, Bush and other
white American presidents in how much money he doles out to Africa? How much
will Obama do for his Fatherland? He will be judged by what he does for Africa,
not by what he says to or about Africa. Yada yada yada..."
To which I say, "Wrong questions! Wrong
mindset!"
If there were ever an American president most
qualified to shift and transform Africa's relationship with the West, it is
President Barack Obama. Because Africans consider Obama "one of us", he can tell
us the hard, inconvenient truth that white presidents dared not touch, fearing
they would be seen as insensitive to Africa's plight, as patronizing, even as
racist. But when Obama tells the parliament of Ghana, "The future of Africa is
in the hands of Africans," we take that as the long-overdue truth that African
leaders need to hear.
The truth be told, some progressive African
leaders, like those in Ghana, already believe Obama's new approach, which says,
"Africa and Africans have what it takes to develop their resource-rich
nations."
What Africa needs from Obama, the United States
and Europe is not another stream of handouts rooted in sympathy and pity for us
"poor Africans". What we need is recognition of our contribution to the world.
What we need is a genuine partnership in trade, technology, research, and
development. We need a partnership of equals that understands Africans have much
to offer, something to bring to the table other than empty hands to be filled
with goodies from their distant rich uncles from the West.
So, what is the biggest contribution President
Barack Obama can make to Africa? Himself! Just looking at the brother inspires
us to aspire to better and bigger things. Obama himself is the greatest
inspiration yet for Africa's highest aspiration. As Africans look at Obama, we
see the embodiment of the message, "Yes, we can!" We can educate our children.
We can feed ourselves. We can build roads and bridges. We can manufacture. We
can build automobiles. We can build African nations we can be proud of. "Yes, we
can!"
Obama does not need to increase the size of
American aid to Africa. He does not need to be Africa's Joseph before America's
Pharaoh, giving Africans access to America's bounty. No, the man himself is his
greatest gift to Africa. Many of us Africans look at Obama without seeing dollar
signs. We regard the man as the role model of what any African child or leader
can achieve. We visualize him as an impetus for hope that defies and rises above
our longstanding limitations of poverty, political corruption, and unrest. We
have found in Obama something much more lasting than American money, which often
ends up in the pockets of just a few privileged Africans. We have seen in Obama
the potential for millions of Obamas to rise and shine all across the African
landscape – scientists, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, doctors, educators,
impact leaders.
We don't need Obama to become Africa's savior.
Rather, because of Obama, we may see Mother Africa raise up many saviors of her
own.
This is not just theory or sweet talk. Recently,
my wife and I have been discussing the need for us to start a business venture
in Liberia. Also, I visited with a fellow Liberian who is already engaged in a
commercial undertaking in our homeland. Needless to say, Obama's success in
America is one of the incentives that have re-focused our minds to contribute to
Liberia's future.
We are convinced many other Africans will take
similar actions to help lift up Africa. That may be Obama's greatest gift to our
continent.
