Blacks in America on Tuesday scored a stunning upset in their racial equality battle against Whites. General Charles Brown Jr, was unanimously confirmed the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, making him the first ever African American to lead one of the troubled nation’s immensely-powerful and influential military. It was 98-0 in a White-dominated Senate, with Vice President Mike Pence who is also the statutory Senate president, presiding. He rarely performs the Senate presidency role except as a tie-breaker. This time, everybody, both Republicans and Democrats received sense and voted in one basket. That historic moment speaks to the dizzying political height the murder of five-time felon African American George Floyd by a White officer and former work-place unfriendly colleague, has powered the Black Lives Matter’s bloody racial revolt. Brown, the first fruit of the “I can’t breathe” revolution is the same guy who as a senior officer, in full uniform and all appurtenances, constantly received an embarrassing rhetorical “are you a pilot” simply because of his skin colour. Lesson one, don’t be moved by the condescension of today; God can use your adversaries to lift you. Is someone seeing Joseph and his 10 brothers’ story here? Lesson two, someone’s blood is always going to water another’s path to the palace. As I write this on Friday, Nigeria was celebrating Democracy Day. There was an American knee to M.K.O Abiola’s neck 27 years back. Unfortunately, today, mostly charlatans, occupy the palace he couldn’t breathe to water. Sacrifice is good, but who wants to be the Lamb?
The rest of the world is eating from the palm of the Black Man today and the political forces that obviously powered the movement, just for the Fall election to rid the White House of Donald Trump, may have been stunned by the dimension it has taken and the extreme demands being made by the Black community in America and Europe, aided by their unseen backers. Yes, the moment should be fully utilised but exploitation should be avoided. In demanding racial equality, injustice should not shift to the Whites, because a nationalist is in the White House.
Just like in South Africa, Whites are grudgingly conceding Blacks’ demands in the US, but instead of flowing with the emotions of the moment, genuine leaders of the movement, not the kind with Pelosi and Romney’s rent-seeking strategy, should aggregate something fundamental, far-reaching and enduring, before the world moves away from them and their noise.
Yes, the moment would soon become a part of obtainable history on Wikipedia. As it is today, Blacks are yet to have the voting population to dictate national change in Washington, though they are beginning to shift mountains in some states and after being helped to elect Barack Obama, a Kenyan-American in 2008, African brothers and sisters in America, should do less of blame-game and move to something bigger. And you ask, what could be bigger than having your own as the C-in-C? That seems to be of little significance today, regardless of how nepotistic that kinsman is. If not, Buhari’s billboard should remain scared in Katsina. But not anyone. In fact, this time, his mouthpiece in Villa or elsewhere simply shut up. The anger was too palpable. If anyone dares calling those angry youth opposition thugs, there could be stench of burnt skin the next time the president visits home, though he may be too protected to be torched.
The overwhelming protection guaranteed the ruling class and their collaborators in commerce, boardrooms and media, is one reason they are always detached from the realities of the everyday environment.
Not even the obvious criminality mix in the BLM movement could overshadow the built-up anger. There should be a major message to the rest, holding others down. If America could burn so much, though the protest was obviously choreographed, backed and funded by powerful Washington figures seeking to make life hellish for Trump, all the tinder elements were surely in place before Floyd’s death. Such oils of vitriol are visible in nearly all nations of the earth. Men seeking freedom and men seeking a permanent hold. Something will just have to give way someday; the same way I see the relationship between Nd’Igbo and the rest of Nigeria. The rest of Africa should also learnt from the unfortunate situation in America. Countries stifling minorities should weigh the consequences of sustaining such domestic terrorism. Going forward, it is likely not many would allow knee on their necks again.
But the seeming world applause doesn’t guarantee sustainable victory for Blacks in US. An average White, without Christ, has an attitude towards pigmentation. The darkened variant still looks something cursed to him. Maybe, leaders of the Black continent have projected such belief with their nonsensical home-grown methodology to governance, mostly measured by greed. Whites in America will fight back, this time, with their votes, especially with the uprooting of the statues of the Confederate figures, who were their own heroes, though common-slave masters to the rest of the world.
The clash of cultures defining the racial war will have far-reaching effects going forward. I also doubt the Democrats would be allowed to reap benefits from it in November and the world may be shocked by a huge Trump victory, powered by the oldies.
It is their history being rewritten. There would be a fight back and the perception of Black vs. White may detract from the surplus the Black community should reap from their own Spring. For maximum benefits, the rest of the People of Colour should be carried along, to make it a uniformed voice.
Joe Biden, days back, tried to capture the global impact of Hurricane Floyd. He said his death had bigger impact than of Martin Luther King. America roared disapproval. Maybe, he is right, if the statistics are compared, though social media played a huge role. One was a true American hero; the other, a criminal. But did God not say He would use foolish things…As for my heading, Deal With It.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buy and read digital replicas of your TRIBUNE titles by subscribing through E-VENDING
President Buhari’s Full Democracy Day Speech
Fellow Nigerians,The 2020 celebration of Democracy Day marks 21 years of uninterrupted civil administration in our dear country. This day provides us an opportunity to reflect on our journey as a nation, our achievements and struggles.
It is a day to honour our founding fathers who toiled to establish our republic and every Nigerian who has worked tirelessly to sustain it… Read full story
Democracy Day: NADECO lists 12 conditions to unity, peace •Insists on return to federalism
TWENTY-ONE years after it led the struggle that culminated in the restoration of civil rule, the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) on Thursday declared that Nigeria remained in dire straits. Accordingly, it listed about 12 fundamental conditions, including a return to federalism, coupled with the convocation… Read full story
Governance: Our best not good enough since 1999 —Atiku
EFFORTS by Nigerian leaders to govern the country rightly since 1999 have not been “good enough to improve on the lives of the citizenry and grow the nation in all facets of development needs,” former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said… Read full story
ASUU Challenges FG To Provide Proofs It Saved Money Through IPPIS
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has again challenged the Federal Government to present to the public a verifiable proof that it has saved huge amounts of money through its newly introduced Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) for workers… Read full story
Reps Increase 2020 Budget From N10.805trn To N10.810trn
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a resolution to increase the revised 2020 budget from N10.806 trillion to N10.810 trillion. The resolution was passed after the adoption of a debate on the motion sponsored by the chairman, House Committee on Finance, Hon Abiodun Faleke, who underscored… Read full story
COVID-19: Reject Patients, Have Your License Withdrawn, FG Threatens Medical Doctors
The Federal Government on Thursday threatened to withdraw licenses of medical doctors who deliberately reject and turn back patients from their hospital without attending to them or offering necessary advice on what to do. Describing it as unethical and unacceptable, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while speaking… Read full story
Reopen Schools For SS3 Students First, Proprietor Tells FG, WAEC
A school administrator and principal of Adesina College, Ibadan, Mr Adejare Adesina, has advised the Federal Government to liaise with the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and other West African countries that subscribe to the council’s examinations to reopen schools for all the Senior… Read full story
COVID-19 Lockdowns Deny 500m Children Access To Education ― IMF
Over 500 million children all over the world have lost access to education as a result of the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Thursday. The IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, said in a statement that “More than half a billion children worldwide have… Read full story
Nigeria Is 3rd Worst Country On Child Marriage Index
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said that with a figure of 3.5 million, Nigeria has the third-highest absolute number of child brides in the world and the 11th highest prevalence rate of child marriage globally. Tribune Online reports that only Bangladesh with 4.4 million and India with 15.5 million child brides are… Read full story
Anxiety Over More Deaths, Rising Cases Of COVID-19 In Nigeria
THE geometric rise in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the increasing casualties arising from the infection have continued to raise concerns among Nigerians. The deadly virus is still running riot despite concerted efforts to curtail it, crippling many facets of the economy as it passes the first 100 days of… Read full story
Senate Threatens To Issue Warrant Of Arrest On Heads Of MDAs
The Senate has threatened to issue warrants of arrest on some ministries department and agencies of government over failure to appear before it and respond to queries by the Auditor General of the Federation. Tribune Online reports that the threat follows the refusal of the agencies of government to honour the invitation of… Read full story
June 12: A Milestone For Democracy – Tinubu
The election of June 12th 1993 changed Nigeria profoundly. That it would have this deep and positive effect was not always certain. Many people laboured, struggled and sacrificed for democracy. They fought not that we would have democracy day but that Nigeria might exist as a democracy every day. When I say democracy… Read full story
EDITORIAL: Defence Minister’s Lamentation
THE Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, has lamented that Nigeria’s military is too understaffed and underfunded to tackle the various security challenges facing the country. He made this lamentation while briefing journalists after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting where he said he had made a presentation on… Read full story