The African continent is constantly portrayed as a charity case and that is unfortunate. Nevertheless, we have to be realistic and admit that there are problems in Africa and the efforts/help from people/organizations worldwide are very much appreciated. However, it seems like most of the prominent people who are part of those efforts are white/Caucasian (e.g. Bono, Bill Gates, etc). There’s nothing wrong with this, but it makes one question whether black celebrities are doing enough to help their motherland. People in need cannot choose their benefactor, but wouldn’t it be nice to see more black faces when it comes to charity efforts in Africa?
Now, to be clear, some famous black Americans have done great things on the continent. The late great Michael Jackson comes to mind, and so does Oprah Winfrey. However, whether it’s the media’s fault, or whether their activities are not on as large a scale as those of the aforementioned personalities (Bono and Bill Gates), whatever most are doing are not being widely publicized.
Some people may ask why this “burden/responsibility” should fall upon African-American stars. To that I’ll answer that black Americans are probably the most prominent among the black populations in the World. And I have an idea that many of them can use, which individually does not have to be that big, but collectively could create a major impact, allowing them to take their rightful place in the efforts to help Africa.
Last year, I watched a program on PBS by Henry Louis Gates called “African American Lives” where scientists used DNA technology to identify the origin (in Africa) of some prominent African-Americans. I remember being fascinated by “Roots” but I never thought it would be possible for the majority of black people in the Diaspora to ever locate their original tribe/ethnic group. That program opened my eyes and gave me some hope that science could make that search possible.
So with this possibility, my general idea is for black American celebrities to use the procedure to first find their “roots.” Then, once they’ve done that, they can decide to help their newfound community in any way they can. I’d suggest sponsoring anything from a school or hospital, to a soccer field or basketball court. Even better, help introduce some kind of programs that could allow the particular community to eventually become self sufficient.
I would also encourage the donors to be “on the ground” in whatever they decide to do because unfortunately, many African governments are corrupt, and so if they decide to just send money, the communities they intend to help might never see any of it. In any case, “hands-on” is better than “handouts” because actually being there would make it more genuine. They’d be able to witness the progress of their efforts firsthand rather than sitting at home hoping their donation is at work. Furthermore, the recipients would most likely appreciate personal presence more than money from an unknown source.
The idea seems simple enough but I cannot be naïve and think there aren’t any problems with it. For one, the tests may not have been perfected yet, or may not be accurate enough. In addition, over the centuries, not only have miscegenation between African-Americans and other groups occurred, but intermixing between the many African groups that came here happened as well. Therefore, most African-Americans have several “points of origin” on the motherland. Be it as it may, it would not hurt them to help more than one community.
Another problem is that most of the slaves who came to the New World were from the West and West-Central regions of Africa. As a result, the North, East, and Southern regions of the continent would be left out in such a plan. However, again, the stars are resourceful enough to do similar work in those other regions as well.
Now, this may be a far-reaching idea. Plus, it’s very general and I haven’t provided much detail on how it could function. However, it’s basic enough for everyone to understand. There’d be critics as well. One thing they’d say is that these celebrities should help their communities here at home first and foremost, and I completely agree with that. But this could be an extra noble project they can undertake, something that could bring them a strong feeling of satisfaction. Not only would they be getting a sense of homecoming, but they’d be simultaneously improving the lives of their long-lost “cousins.”
And the emotional feeling could be mutual as the natives would get a chance to welcome a descendant of one of their many exiled ancestors. Imagine Shaquille O’Neal for example, being hailed as a hero in a remote community somewhere in West Africa. He probably is already a hero throughout the continent but imagine the sense of extra pride of that particular tribe/ethnic group that could claim him as one of their own. It’d be a similar case for the other stars as well.
There are probably many prominent African-Americans already involved with projects in Africa which unfortunately are not visible. This particular project, if done collectively (many individual participants but as part of a larger project), could change that. They all have strong influences that can attract attention to the cause. In his Ghana speech, Mr. Obama stated that Africans should work to help themselves. But he also affirmed that America would be there to lend a hand in that process, and who better to provide that hand and show some Pan-African unity than the Diaspora community of African-Americans.
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Landis Baker is an Examiner from San Francisco. You can see Landis's articles at: "http://www.Examiner.com/x-5978-SF-African-American-Culture-Examiner"
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