... THE MOST RACIST BOOK EVER WRITTEN ABOUT THE BLACK RACE, OR THE MOST UPLIFTING?
Let me state this upfront: I have mixed feelings about this book. And I would be inclined to believe that I have lots of company in this. Yet, when faced with its explosive mixture of provocative statements, I rend myself to what might be more plausible: this is not for the faint-hearted, it doesn’t leave any middle ground to anyone, you are either for or against its tenets, because it’s not everyday you are punched in the face with things like this, written by a Black man: “Nobody owes the Black race anything!”
This is the opening paragraph of my fourth input to AfricanPath's "Guest Blogger Series". (Read article here).
SEE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS BOOK HERE.
5 comments:
I saw this article over at African Path today and was a bit surprised at the title of the book. The use of the word "Nigger" in the title will create more sales of the book than whatever is inside... which is probably not much.
What also surprised me is that following the bio link from African Path back to your personal blog it appears that you have reversed your earlier decision to make the blog private. Do you plan to keep it open to the public? If the answer is YES than I would like to include it in my blogroll to share your work with my readers. Let me know what's up.
Best regards,
BRE
BRE,
I agree with you about the sales-generating power of the title; it has a lot to do with the book having become a no. 1 best-seller in SA for instance. That’s not surprising and I guess we must give Onyeani credit for practicing what he preaches: “getting the killer-instinct and the devil-may-care attitude”…
As for the content, as I suggest in the article, there’s really nothing more substantive in my view than the African Proverb with which it opens. But that, of course, depends on one’s particular approach to the subject matter and I am sure that this book has had a significant impact in a number of people, specially literate young Africans aspiring to "make money in whichever way possible"…
Now, as I hinted one post below, I’ve decided to keep the blog open to the public. So, you’re most welcome to include it in your blogroll.
Thanks!
Comments from Africanpath:
Added: June 04, 2007 12:26 PM
Nigger what?
If titles sell books, then this one should do well on the market. As for content I don't know but from what you say Koluki, it looks like there might be mixed results with it. I wonder though if the intentions the author had were achieved (promote dialog and have people engage each other in trying to find solutions).
To some level, it reminds me of our good friend Dennis Matanda. He too will use shock to incite people to think. I hear he has something in the works that will be in line with his past articles. Can't wait for it to come out.
By:
Joshua
Added: June 05, 2007 12:35 AM
Waiting...
Joshua, the book became a best-seller in South Africa and I believe also in the US... I guess that tells a lot about the "pulling power" of its title and about how much its author deserves credit for practicing what he preaches as far as "adopting the killer instinct and the devil may care attitude" of the... whomever!
My only problem with this sort of approaches is that they always leave me confused about their real intentions: provoke thought and dialogue, uplift Africans and "the black race", or just plain simply gain notoriety, celebrity and make money?
In any case I will be waiting for our friend's new "provocation"! ;-)
P.S.: For those who haven't read the book, I have a post with extracts from it: http://koluki.blogspot.com/2007/02/whats-in-name.html
By:
Koluki
More comments from AP for the record:
Added: June 14, 2007 12:59 PM
Change
Well I can say the word is not a good word to use. second Poverty should be over by now and third Working together as one from here to the end of the earth can mean Joy
By:
Tha Sho
Added: June 14, 2007 01:41 PM
Partial truth in the article
Although I have yet to read the entire concept of the paper as a whole but I intend to read it, thanks to this article I am convinced that the original paper may contain idea that I can study and reflect on. By no means I do not claim to the quote below as only having come from me as an original idea but I may be responsible to it. Some seven years ago I wrote that reflecting on the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia. I wrote, whites give us wheat and guns to fight and to eat, our life has become eat and fight as if there is no other things we can do to improve out lives.' In that context I mentioned what is quoted below, I said it exactly as put by the author. May be what I wrote on the internet may have found its way into the mind of the Author of the paper. "We are a consumer race, we produce nothing and consume what others produce."
By:
James
Added: June 18, 2007 06:39 PM
Felicitous Book
The warming reception of mogul Onyani by south africans skeaps to nothing but South Africa's willingness to stop begging and blaming the white man or any other race for their own faith.
The phenomenal success of the book in the country (I think) atests to the political culture in south africa that shows an openess to ideas that are fresh, empowering and progressive. No wonder, amongst sub-sharan nations, South Africa is seen as the most stable country- politically and economically- that has been making an effort to reconciliate instead of pursuing the same old path of blame, and with that, they have been able to attrack foreign investment and slowy inflict on the world market of gold futures, seek ambitious projects in nuclear energy development and pharmaceutical advancement. Amidst all the racial problems and unfair redistribution that still lurk in south africa's society, it seems to me that the blacks in that country are and have been ready to stop complaining and pursue lives with dignity and pride.
I hope that the rest of my african brothers and sisters embrace Mr. Onyani and clutch to his words as the awakening truth about our present condition, if we are to change the way the world sees black people.
His proposals for a new african dawn are simply brilliant, such as turning the African Loans and debt into bonds - investment - so that we can become more respected in trade negotiations, and more attractive to foreign investment for instance. By stating that nobody owes nothing to the black race, he's really saying- Come on! We have untapped resources, we have brilliant people in the diaspora, let's use it to our advantage and prove to the whole world that we are not just living in the forest and swinging from trees and letting our leaders squander our money. And to prove to everybody that we are not what they think, he says: let's team up with the strongest, let's do it like the asians did, and let's get closer to Wall Street. He made these remarks at a meeting he held with more than 50 African statesmen urging them to capture the Wall Street Mentality.
He didn't say, let's erradicate or send all the foreigners out from the surface of Africa and lock ourselves in, let's follow the path of those who blamed underdevelopment on dependecy. NO. I can't see this book as racist AT ALL. It actually reminded me of the words of Maya Angelou,adapted in a song by musician Ben Harper (Poem Still I Rise)
By:
Nyanga Tyitapeka
Added: June 20, 2007 12:29 AM
I was living in South Africa last year when this book was all over the bookshelves, and highly visible...
Intrigued, I picked it up to have a read...and put it down again after leafing through for about 10 minutes. I could not believe what I read! I feel sad that a black person could have written this book. I felt embarrassed that the book was so highly visible especially in a country like South Africa with its history.
There is nothing uplifting about this book, and it's extremely sad and disappointing that when the media and society are so intent on their unrelentingly negative viewpoint of Black people, a Black person with a voice chooses to use it in that way (essentially a cheap shot at publicity).
It could have been written by someone from a far-right political party. It was full of blanket (negative) statements about what black people are like, how we think, what we do. Has this man met every black person on this earth, or met so many that he feels he is the authority on our representation?
Anyway, there are many more empowering books out there and I hope people spend their money on those rather than on this.
By:
Lola
Added: July 03, 2007 07:40 AM
Capitalist Nigger?
The message of this may indeed be uplifting to some young Africans who have the drive and opportunity to succeed. However, I fear that it will also be read by many non-Africans, particularly Americans and Europeans, who still harbor visions of innate racial superiority. Overall, I believe that books such as this and other "black conservative" tracts do more damage to Africans and African Americans in their quest to achieve economic wealth and cultural vitality.
By:
Don Thieme
leaders in particlar are supposed to purchase this copy and read it to succeed. Chika is right and what he mentioned in this book is a true reflection of what is happening here in Africa.Indeed we rely on western society even for our culture, language but this are some of parameters that actually does'nt require aid from the westerrn society, ya of course we can get financially assistance from them and other creditors world wide. Africans we need to defferentiate between modernization and westernization, i gues some treat them as one thing but there is a difference between the two. For the African society to wake up our leaders has to demonstrate it to us. We need to learn from them of course but with vision. Resources are enormous ya but we keep on begging and i wonder for how long is going to happen! africans we always put blame on other countries for failure to succeed wich is of no use. Thank you for the copy chika that's fabulous maybe our leaders will wake up and change their victim mentality.
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