AFROPHOBIA

063ADCCC-6ED4-407B-BBA3-5C4F47259942
The word XENOPHOBIA (the deep-seated fear or hatred of that which is considered to be strange or foreign) comes from the Ancient Greek words Xenos (meaning foreign or strange) and Phobos (meaning fear).

It is thus strange when the Blacks of South Africa begin to consider other Blacks born outside South Africa as being „strangers“ or as being something „strange and foreign“, as a result of which they go to the extent of serially and gruesomely and regularly murdering them ON THAT ACCOUNT.

Not only have they all been on the same continent for millions of years and evolved together for millions of years, they also share the same recent history of subjugation, colonisation and de-possession on their own home continent. South Africa experienced a particularly virulent and cynical form of this Colonisation, sarcastically called „Apartheid“, from which they were eventually liberated, in no small measure through the political pressure of the rest of the already free Africa, foremost of all Nigeria.

Thus, to use the word „Xenophobia“ for what is happening in South Africa today – and has been happening there for a while – is completely inaccurate. The right word for it is AFROPHOBIA. The hatred of Black Africans. And since they themselves are also Black Africans, it becomes an afrophobic Version of chronic deep-seated Self-hatred.

Africans, Blacks: Say No To Afrophobia. Love and Advance yourselves. Ourselves. It‘s not for nothing that Bob Marley sang „Africa Unite“.

– Che Chidi Chukwumeri
The word XENOPHOBIA (the deep-seated fear or hatred of that which is considered to be strange or foreign) comes from the Ancient Greek words Xenos (meaning foreign or strange) and Phobos (meaning fear).

It is thus strange when the Blacks of South Africa begin to consider other Blacks born outside South Africa as being „strangers“ or as being something „strange and foreign“, as a result of which they go to the extent of serially and gruesomely and regularly murdering them ON THAT ACCOUNT.

Not only have they all been on the same continent for millions of years and evolved together for millions of years, they also share the same recent history of subjugation, colonisation and de-possession on their own home continent. South Africa experienced a particularly virulent and cynical form of this Colonisation, sarcastically called „Apartheid“, from which they were eventually liberated, in no small measure through the political pressure of the rest of the already free Africa, foremost of all Nigeria.

Thus, to use the word „Xenophobia“ for what is happening in South Africa today – and has been happening there for a while – is completely inaccurate. The right word for it is AFROPHOBIA. The hatred of Black Africans. And since they themselves are also Black Africans, it becomes an afrophobic Version of chronic deep-seated Self-hatred.

Africans, Blacks: Say No To Afrophobia. Love and Advance yourselves. Ourselves. It‘s not for nothing that Bob Marley sang „Africa Unite“.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije

READING MEANING

The strange bird
Strangely heard
Their fear as a song for which
It had no dance-steps
Their hatred as a tongue for which
It had no dictionary
All it had was its strangeness
And its strangeness was its Dance
And its book of many Meanings.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.

AGAIN

Faces of strangers
Phases of enmity
A look is fuller than a book
Brevity is the soul of it

Hatred is a virus
It lies low for generations
Then breaks out with the new youth
Like a message stored in the DNA
Unbroken.

– Che Chidi Chukwumerije.