Deana Bolumbu | Africa is rising—to what and for what?
Africa is rising—to what and for what?
What does it mean to rise? I like to start at the definition of words because it is hard to talk about things if you don’t know the meaning of what it is you’re describing. There are about 25 different definitions of what “rise” means and what “rising” entails. I picked at some that stood out to me when looking through the list. The different definitions can help one see the perspective of which some people describe, “Africa rising.”
Rise*raɪz; ˈrɪz ən(v.; n.)rose, ris•en; ris•ing
to become active in opposition or resistance; revolt or rebel.
to come into existence; appear.
to attain a higher level, as of importance or financial security: to rise in the world.
to return from the dead.
rise above, to ignore and overcome, as adversity.
elevation or increase in rank, fortune, influence, etc.
Some questions that came to mind right off the back included: Are we collective Africans rising? Are those on the continent rising? Are those in the diaspora rising? How are those in the diaspora helping those on the continent rise? In what sense are we not rising? Who defines our rising?
In recent years there have been many opinions onthe subject of “Africa is rising.” Those who are not authentically for Africa see “Africa rising” as a way for economic and social gain in African countries. They see the attraction of natural resources and what they call opportunities for improving Africa—but are really just avenues for them to have economic and political power over people and their resources. That’s what you see in the media when many say “Africa is rising.” They are accessing their ability to use the continent and its people for personal gains. They say Africa is rising because, as Professor Megan Vaughan, President of the African Studies Association of the UK, said, they [Africa] are “finally playing by the West’s rules.” They say Africa is rising because of the boom with technology—the Internet and mobile phones primarily. Is Africa rising if western government still thinks sending “aid” to Africa is the solution but they won’t open up the avenues for easier trading?Is Africa rising when African governments do not demand transparency when they are left out of discussions about investors and licenses to exploit natural resources? Is Africa rising when African figures are left out of the planning and instead called in when decisions have already been made? I think not. Currently the developments going on the continent open up great conversation about what is going on with the growth in Africa. But what about the future?
If Nnedi is writing this book as what the future looks like for Africans, I hope she wrote it as a warning and not how it should be. We see in the novel the way the Nuru project the same behavior onto their own people as white colonizers. The novel highlights to me how internalizing the hate that is projected today will be played out in the future if we don’t rebel against that mindset. The novel advocates for change and continuous resistance against current ways of keeping certain groups down. There are a few things that stood out to me as ways for Africa to rise.
We should go against the status quo because it makes us complacent and stunts growth. “A snake is foolish if it dreams of being a lizard,” was a proverb that many Okeke of the land lived by. Some worked to rebel against this mindset, but then you had those who didn’t seem to mind living the lives they did. I’ve seen this quote played out in the stories of many who are shunned when they try to do more than their family has, or more than what their current situation is. “Something was wrong…with everyone here. The Okeke didn’t look too bothered as they worked. And the Nuru weren’t openly cruel to them. It was confusing and strange.” This shows how exploitation is not always the evident things like cruelty. Subtle interactions are also ways which people get comfortable in systems, which are meant to keep people down.
We should evaluate the traditions that we carry in our cultures. Many times during the book the people participated in rituals they had no real understanding of and had never bothered to question them. I think traditions are great part of culture and should be respected. But on the other side of the coin, it is important to remember that traditions are often created by a few people’s opinions for their own gain or control. Traditions should be challenged and reevaluatedto ensure that they are not infringing on the rights of people. In the novel an example of this was seen through the Eleventh Rite, where young girls were circumcised.
Religious books and practices should be assessed. The Great Book, although not something people read everyday, was how many people based their actions by.“There is a portion of the great book that most versions exclude. The lost papers.” Questionsshould be asked around religious writing because they too maintain certain things we see in society which exploit people.
There were many themes in the novel that many people who reviewed the book were uncomfortable with. I think the fact that Nnedi addressed rape, colonialism, patriarchy, colorism, religion, juju, civil wars, genocide and more. All this is embedded inside a coming of age story of a young girl and her friends. And within their stories the question of how Africa can rise can be addressed. The story of Onyesonwu is being narrated from a first person point of view but written by someone else. The way she shows that Africa can rise is through writing and storytelling. We get this right from the beginning because Onyesonwu knew she was going to be killed but had two days to tell her life story and have it be in documents. I have always believed all stories should be told especially when we talk about the broad “African” story. We should write stories in the context of which we live our lives and not always from the perspective of outsiders. Africa rising has to be about the growth of Africans for Africans. Africa rising is looking for ways to grow and rise up within our own context. At the end of the story Onyesonwu left a symbol of a peacock behind. The peacock symbol meant, “One is going to take action.” This is the essence of “Africa is rising” in my opinion. To always be in action, take action and leave the spirit of action behind for future generations to continue to rise.
-Deana Bolumbu| Narrate Africa Featured Book Club Member
