[Kictanet] Fwd: FW: Blacks don't read

Mon Aug 1 14:17:11 EAT 2005

Thanks Flo and Wainaina.

My first reaction is obviously indignation....what Cheek!!!

But agree with Wainaina and would rather consider myself as a Kenyan. And 
yes we do have our own idiosyncrasies, we have extreme challenges in our 
social sectors, high levels of deprivation, extreme poverty and inequality, 
etc. and this in turn exacerbates conflicts of different natures. From what 
would appear to be selfishness to corruption and mismanagement. As a result 
majority of Kenyan's continue to be severely constrained to contribute to 
the development process as well as collective and individual well being.
And it does point to a framework of social and political institutions which 
are highly personalised, and revolve around patronage and political 
mobilisation based on ethnicity.  The expectations that people (including 
poor people) have of government and elected officials relate more to getting 
access to short-term, tangible, benefits on a personal basis, rather than 
the provision of public services on the basis of need and universal rights. 
In addition, the capacity of Kenya's public institutions, including the 
civil service, parastatal organisations, public sector, banks, the police 
and the judiciary, our communal creativity has been seriously and 
systematically undermined over many years.

alice

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wainaina Mungai" <wainaina.mungai at oneworld.net>
To: <kictanet at kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 1:55 PM
Subject: RE: [Kictanet] Fwd: FW: Blacks don't read

Thanks Florence,

If it's true, then we have to work together to model ICTs to address
the 'information' gap in Kenya. Here's one response by De Andre'
Hudson (March 4, 2002) I found online
http://www.africanbynature.com/eyes/openeyes_read.html

I prefer not to see myself in the confined label....as if I was
peeping through a race 'keyhole'.. ;-). I however must admit that
Africans are a very 'communal' lot so I wonder whether the assertion
on 'selfishness' is true except to the extent that we are divided on
'tribal' lines (communal selfishness). In some cases, such as the
Constitutional Review process, we have been divided by greed for
power instead of being brought together or even divided by higher
ideals. However, that is one very common human trait that transcends
race.

On the issue of awarding 'speakers' rather than 'doers'... ;-) true
to a great extent. Our politicians are an outstanding example.

Regards,
Wainaina

---- Original Message ----
From: Fetta at idrc.or.ke
To: kictanet at kictanet.or.ke
Subject: RE: [Kictanet] Fwd: FW: Blacks don't read
Date: Mon, 01 Aug 2005 11:54:21 +0300

>
>>  Hi all,
>>  I saw this and wanted to find yout what your thoughts might be on
>it
>> although it was meant for a different audience!!!!!
>
>
>> > >For those of you who heard it, this is the article Dee Lee was
>reading
>> >this morning on a New York radio station. For those of you who
>didn't hear
>> >it, this is very deep.  This is a heavy piece and a Caucasian
>wrote it.
>> > >
>> > >THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES
>> > >
>> > >We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the
>effort of
>> >physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that
>they use
>> >on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED, and SELFISHNESS.
>> > >
>> > >Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great
>man once
>> >said, "The best way  to hide something from Black people is to put
>it in a
>> >book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the
>opportunity
>> > >to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their
>fight for
>> >freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily
>> >available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com, not to
>mention their
>> >own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach
>economic
>> >equality (which should have been their fight  all along), but few
>read
>> >consistently, if at all.
>> > >
>> > >GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since
>the
>> >abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their
>disposal.
>> > >
>> > >Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of
>their
>> >450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%).
>> > >
>> > >Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business
>venture we
>> >care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it.
>Being
>> >primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They
>> >continually want more, with little thought for saving or
>investing.
>> > >
>> > >They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a
>> >business.  Some even neglect their children to have the latest
>Tommy or
>> >FUBU, And they still think that having a Mercedes, and a big house
>gives
>> >them "Status" or that they have achieved their Dream.
>> > >
>> > >They are fools!  The vast majority of their people are still in
>poverty
>> >because their greed holds them back from collectively making
>better
>> >communities.
>> > >
>> > >With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that
>often
>> >broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will
>continue to see
>> >huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has
>even jeered
>> >them, saying he doesn't want their money, and look at how the
>fools spend
>> >more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to show off to
>each
>> >other while we build solid communities with the profits from our
>businesses
>> >that we market to them.
>> > >
>> > >SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of
>the
>> >major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own,
>Dubois said
>> >that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented
>Tenth" he
>> >called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments
>of their
>> >culture that has achieved some "form" of success. However, that
>segment
>> >missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the
>"Talented Tenth"
>> >was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in
>achieving a
>> >better life.
>> > >
>> > >Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class
>that
>> >looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner.
>They
>> >will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow
>them to
>> >be able
>> > >to work together on any project or endeavour of substance. When
>they do
>> >get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of
>their
>> >goal.
>> > >
>> > >Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote
>their
>> >name without making any real change in their community.
>> > >
>> > >They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our
>hotels, and
>> >talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best
>> >speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their
>selfishness? They
>> >steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)
>.
>> > >
>> > >They do not understand that they are no better than each other
>because of
>> >what they own ,  as a matter of fact, most of those  Buppies are
>but one or
>> >two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the
>control of our
>> >pens in our offices and our rooms.
>> > >
>> > >Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to
>read,
>> >continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are
>"helping"
>> >their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little
>other
>> >than
>> > >hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don't worry
>about any
>> >of them reading this letter, remember,
>> > >
>> > >'THEY DON'T READ!!!!
>> > >
>> > >(Prove them wrong. Please pass this on! After Reading it..)
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >Dr (Mrs) Olubunmi Otubanjo
>> >
>> >Department of Zoology Marine Biology and Fisheries,
>> >
>> >University of Lagos,
>> >
>> >Lagos, Nigeria.
>> >
>> >
>> >---------------------------------
>> >  Start your day with Yahoo! - make it your home page
>
>
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