BEAST OF NO NATION

How animal go know say
dem no born me as slave?
How animal go know say
slave trade don pass ?
And, dey wan dash us human rights
Animal must talk to human beings
Give dem human rights...
...Him say, "this uprising will bring out the beast in us"
THIS UPRISING WILL BRING OUT THE BEAST IN US...

   It did in Dallas and will continue if nothing is done urgently. I watched the heart wrenching videos of Aston Sterling and Philando Castile's murder by ANIMALS in government uniform and it dawned on me that nowhere is safe for the black man or his offspring. No, this is not about America but about the value placed on your life and mine just because of the colour of our skin. I must also add, the value we place on our  lives.

   After watching the video, I sat before my mirror staring at the image staring back at me for many minutes. I wondered If truly my life meant nothing to the next human with straighter hair, coloured eyes and white skin. It is disheartening to realize that I am only liberated in paper but not liberated in the eyes of the supposed true image of God (I hope you still believe that God has white skin, white beards and likes to adorn Himself in white garments like all the beautiful paintings of Him you have seen. If you do not, then the next few lines do not concern you).

  For many years, I lived my life based on the almighty Eurocentric( see, even my spell-check would not let me spell with the small letter 'e') standards. I remember hating my curly locs and wanting to add relaxers just to fit in. Everyone used relaxers, even our black role models at the time had straight hair so why not ? I hated the colour of my skin but most of all, I despised my body. "Why so much folds and curves"? I often asked myself. I definitely would look like a bag of garri if I ever envisaged wearing a bikini in public.Bottom line is, I let myself be groomed with the notion that everything tagged "Made in UK '' or "Made in USA " was more original than "96, Iweka Road, Onitsha".

  With the mentality above, tell me why they would not hunt us down like bush meat after all, we have refused to learn the drill even in the 21st century. Every woman who has found a little cash in her husband's pockets and hers as well wants to hurry off to America to have her baby because she wants him/her to become an American citizen! Even the Nigerian brothers who have managed to get two months Visa to China come back to Naija with a cacophony of accents, some wearing dog chains and screaming Wana-Gana-Hana all over the place.

  Now that you have seen that they kill blacks for trying to get their licenses from their pockets, do you still like the idea of your black child being American? I mean the human rights that is supposed to be our property is actually not the property of Black Americans ( pardon the term). I ask again, do you prefer to be a bona fide citizen of Nigeria at least you are guaranteed of giving the police officer some "Take-care-of-your-family " gift and be on your way like Norin happened.

   We all agree that cannabis influenced dreadlocks and gold tooth labels you a criminal in the "Land of the Free", don't you think you need to start speaking your Igbo Sharpely at least nobody will pounce on you and shoot you straight in the heart if you did not steal or hawk things on a major road due to hardship abi will they?

  Now that I know they can shoot me regardless of my large breasts, flabby tummy and big butty, do you think I still care about fitting into a bikini? Is my body even wired to be arranged skillfully like goods ready for the greedy glares of all and SUNDAY (yes, Uncle Sunday) ? Why do I want to be like them so desperately ? If we do not appreciate ourselves, who will? Apparently they see us as scums of the earth, an accursed race but must we continually prove them right?

  Look, we blacks are all beasts of no nation and it does not matter how or from what perspective you choose look at it.  I do not mean to sound so pessimistic but I do not see a near end to our problems.We are not even safe in our own continent or need I remind you of South Africa's xenophobia attacks? It is indeed a Dog-eat-Dog situation and I cannot foresee a near end. Even If I were to leave the shores of this country to another and I am being denied my basic human rights, I am assured that the government that I carry their passport will not be bothered if I lived or died especially as my father is no senator or president. Nobody will question Dubia or Italy or even our backyard Togo. If you doubt me, ask Aisha Falode and the widow of Emmanuel Chidi Nmamdi . Fela did say :

 Na Nigerian government, ee-oh
Dem dey talk ee-oh
"My people are useless, My people are senseless,
 My people are indiscipline"...

Does that ring a most recent bell?

  As things are, blacks all over the world are in a desperate OYO situation ( On Your Own ). We are aware more than ever that our lives do not matter but must we sit back on our haunches waiting for the next murder? Nigerians that like to uphold the FOLLOW FOLLOW ministry, will you now authoritatively answer thy father's name?  I want to say exactly how I feel but I am restrained by instincts that still value the position of my head on my neck.

CREDITS: Lyrics of Beast Of No Nation by the legend and Prophet, Fela  Anikulapo Kuti (apologies if you do not appreciate my interpretation of the song)

Picture stolen from somebody's BBM display picture,and the rest from Instagram hash tags.