African – American, George Floyd was the unlikely hero of the All Lives Matter movement, even when that was never his intention. All he did was die in the hands of a racist police officer and step into the civil rights Hall of fame where Martin Luther King Jr., and others are already ensconced.
Floyd has become the global symbol of a worldwide discrimination against black people just because he got killed by police in the US. Indeed, like Shakespeare wrote: “Some are born great, others achieve greatness, and some others have greatness thrust upon them”. Mr. Floyd had greatness thrust upon him; sadly, he didn’t live to see the pomp and pageantry that attended his “state funeral”.
This fellow didn’t need to die to wake us up to a world, riven by injustice against racial, religious, ethnic and other minorities, including the vulnerable demographics like women, girls, the poor, the aged, and the sick.
Of all the racial, ethnic and other minorities that went to America, only blacks were forcefully shipped there in chains as slaves. They are the worst victims of injustice and other forms of abuse. Black lives should matter because they worked the plantations, farmlands, mines and industries that built America’s prosperity. And because they were slaves, their white masters didn’t pay them any reasonable wages for their forced labour. America’s prosperity runs on the blood of millions of blacks that were killed in that country during the days of slavery.
We should not forget that American settlers exterminated more than 20 million native Indians and occupied their lands. That is why American cities still bear the names of the native Indians, the original land owners. British explorers went on the same murderous expeditions when they seized Australia and New Zealand from the native Aborigines and wiped them out. I write this to remind us that All Lives Matter, not just those of Black people.
Youth are frustrated around the world because of unemployment, maladministration, inept, corrupt and wicked politicians who run rogue regimes. Many young people from the Third World are dying daily on the high seas in turbulent waters while in desperate voyages to European cities where they’re not welcome. These economic refugees are leaving their countries because they’ve been impoverished by thieving politicians who rule their nations like personal estates. But you do not solve a problem by running away from it; for, he who fights and runs always lives to fight another day.
I admonish young people to stay back home and fight for their rights for employment, accountability, good governance, justice, and prosperity. Human rights is never willingly given, it is earned. Nobody gives you prosperity, you have to work for it. You also fight for injustice, it is never redressed voluntarily. All things matter. Little things like good portable water, personal hygiene, matter a lot as we could see from the Covid-19 preventive measures.
For me, I ask youth to go the way of personal development because it is the shortest route to success. Self-actualization gives you the motivation to be a leader. If you could develop yourself, you can actually develop a family, community, and local government, ultimately you can be a leader. If you can lead yourself to success, you can lead others. You can’t govern a nation if you haven’t first governed a small community successfully.
Give heed to little things. Effective leadership is what transforms a people. Nations that are well governed show that equity, justice, rule of law, and human rights, including the right to prosper, are the basis for political emancipation. Most youth are detached from governance. Once they vote, they go to sleep. They don’t care about how their leaders rule.
Now, all that must change. Leaders must be held accountable like we see in Belarus, Lebanon and America. Youth must be in the vanguard of active social engagement in their communities. Youth must fight against discrimination, rape, violence; and support of the weak and the vulnerable. They must reject crime and indolence. Young people must get education; indeed, continuous training and retraining is what makes you relevant in today’s virtual economic environment.
Little things matter. Don’t waste your precious time on useless pastimes. Too much TV, entertainment,, drinking and revelry can be harmful to your career. You need to produce to create wealth. Many Western and South East Asian nations are rich because they produce wealth, technology, new inventions, quality services and progressive leadership.
To change things on a large scale, you need to be a leader. Only leaders manage change effectively across the board spectrum of society. Be a leader in your field in order to make a change. If blacks are in the commanding heights of society, no racial group would mess with them. Do Americans mess with the Japanese, Indians, or Chinese? No! These Asians even threaten western leadership in the global economy, in technological advancement and innovation.
Black Lives Matter, All Lives Matter and all things matter, but Black people have to decide to change their circumstances by themselves through productivity, good governance, education and selfless leadership. That’s how the world would know that Black Lives Matter!
Weekend Spice: Never waste the opportunities offered by a good crisis
– Machiavelli
Ok folks, thanks for being here. Let’s do it again next week. Keep safe, COVID – 19 is real. But be motivated!
•Ayodeji is an author, rights activist, pastor and life coach. He can be reached on [email protected] and 09059243004 (SMS & WhatsApp only)