Thursday 3 May 2012

The Absence of Black Intellect in Universities

The very notion of a black intellectual baffles me; in fact I find it pathetic. Such a thing does not exist. It’s rather ironic or downright shocking that the idea of a ‘black intellectual’ is preached within institutions of higher learning, especially in the democratic dispensation which we find ourselves living in. And while you’re reading this, don’t get me wrong. The breed in question exists.

I’ve looked in mainstream sciences, the media, the slums, and the ghettos. The results are conclusive and hard to stomach, given the freedom afforded the black individual to emancipate himself and exonerate himself in the process. The black man as a subject of study has been through many dilemmas. His upbringing is that of a savage. His education is deemed an inconvenience and a disturbance to the ‘order’. His cries for help fall on deafened ears, his efforts to fend for himself seem immaterial as the world looks on from ivory towers. When he does anything correct it is because he has had some superior assistance, at times from a superior race. God forbid the assistance to be from Him! The savage knows no means to bring himself closer to such a being.

The black as a member of society is constantly on the back foot. Before he leaves his home, or rather, for the purposes of being politically correct; his shanty, he has three strikes against him. The first strike is for him being born black. The second strike is for him being relegated to inferior status in society where he is regarded as an animal. The third strike is that regardless of how hard he strives to lead a decent and honest living, he is always your suspect when something goes missing. All these three strikes summed up are called Blackaniah. Simply put, the black is a rare type of breed.
The winds of change are forever blowing. The latest developments have seen the black being regarded as a rare commodity. His constant manipulation for the purposes of acquiring wealth and capital remains the main reason why he is often afforded humanistic characteristics. He is thought to be a beast in as far as physical labour is concerned. His kind is constantly seen employed in mines where the safety standards are appalling. If not in mines then you will find more of his kind doing piece-jobs or riding around at the back of a van or pick-up truck while his master’s pet enjoys view from the front seat.

Those of his kind that work hard enough have their offspring enrolled in universities and institutions similar to them. It is believed by the black that this practice of enrolling the young in universities will see the cycle of misery and gloom broken. The truth of the matter is that such institutions are mere reservoirs where the new ‘recruits’ are chosen and drafted into the ‘highly competitive’ job market. His offspring is expected to go through university with the utmost ease. The reality of it is that his offspring has tremendous strain trying to grasp the Euro-centric content of the curriculum. His limited exposure to literature and his lack of reading acumen make it virtually impossible for his offspring to be truly independent and self-sustaining. As a result, his offspring regularly replicates the knowledge reproduced for him. Thus a cycle of mediocrity is established.

Let it not surprise you then dear reader when you find that the notion of black intellect is at a steady yet alarming decline. This is a systematic breakdown of the black so that he remains in his rightful position- at the feet of his master! So dare nobody question me when I say that there is no such thing as black intellect, the black has his master to assist him in matters that need such!

5 comments:

  1. Great stuff man this could be a great discussion for Activators during the evening in Moduel 2 in Cape Town. Keep up the great work. Malusi

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  2. It'd be great to take this further, I agree with you fully. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

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  3. It'd be great to take this further, I agree with you fully. Thanks for taking the time to read it.

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  4. This strike the deep core of my heart almost everyday of my life as I m a patriotic person. Firstly I think we need a revival of the Black Consciousness movement started by the like of Steven Bantu Biko. We need to liberate ourselves, rediscover our self worth and work together to regain what we have lost. We ve lost uBuntu among each other so I don’t real know what to say when it comes to these issues (ingathi ndingathatha imithwalo ndihambe). We have to re-establish through history and redefine using the present that we were before colonisation and what it means for our current communities. People lack role models especially in sciences because they have too many expectations and they allow themselves to be defeated before fighting the battle and I still think the battle is in the mind.
    Well as an individual I cannot blame government because I m a PhD student (Sciences) at a meritorious University and since my first year I have been using the state money since my first year and unfortunately we cannot have the same view. Honestly I think the blame is too much than to do something, we cant run away from the fact that we are still struggling or fighting for the freedom. I think we need to stop thinking that things will always be easy *NOTHING IS EASY* lets fight for the change. We are already suffering the “we’ve got it now, what do we do with it” syndrome? I know we are better than that as SLIKOUR say (Blacks R Foolz or We Better Than That) There will never be an answer until we create a necessary sense of purpose and stop thinking money or the material things are what will make us progressive.
    Today everything that is wrong with our society is someone else’s fault. Of course there are still a lot of things such as lack of skills in the labour market or overcrowded ghettoes that indeed reflect historical fault lines. Today people have no shame to say that the government “must do something”without bothering to say what that “something” that needs to be done (ma Africa amahle masizicingele nathi).
    Let us redefine what success meant for us before we were colonised. Our task is to build a foundation of academies and give our children and future generations the opportunity to have a global view and perception that will keep them inspired. Without creating this sense of purpose, we will keep fighting for land and, sadly, once we get that land, we won’t even know how to manage it, let alone work together to develop it.
    So whether you are a powerful politician, a rich businessman or a domestic worker, if your being is not rooted in pride of who you are, the foolish mentality will continue to grow. Ofcoz I may write, speak or sing but the only thing that I have is to pray to God for a change. To close please watch your tongues Mzantsi.

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    1. Hey Nosi, thanks for your contribution above. I can relate to what you say about 'ukuthatha imithwalo...' but am reminded that if I do that then I have let the opportunity to contribute positively in the building go begging. All of us have to play a part in bettering our education system so that it serves us as ypung people and as a society at large.

      Blame allocation will not solve our challenges, the onus is on us to work together, as you have suggested, to bring about positive change. Looking only at the government for solutions is limiting.

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