Strength in numbers

I admire the combativeness of black Americans despite the fact that they are a minority (13% of the American population). From slavery until their current status, they fought and even managed to have a "black president." When I was a teenager, I thought black Americans weren't a minority because of the way they made noise about their social rights. On the contrary, in Africa, although we are the majority as blacks, since independence we have had our own presidents, whom we elect, but we are still colonized. 

 

We, as Africans are the majority in our own country, but we face injustice, hatred, and disrespect every day. It has become business as usual. Because we are weak, which is a fact, we have been overpowered. To dominate you by force, you have to be defeated, which leads to colonization. How can we reverse it since we are still weak and very likely will remain so? Fortunately, we have a large population as we are the majority on our own soil. How then can our number compensate for when we are weak? 

 

A typical example: If someone takes your car and parks it in his parking spot as their new belonging, what are you going to do as the rightful owner of the car? 

• Go to the police station to report the theft, and on proof that the car belongs to you, the police will recover your car and deal with the thief as prescribed by law. We tried this, but it didn't work because the police said the case was closed. Look for another car; whoever stole your car is not a thief; your car actually belongs to them. Then, as a weak man, you start seeking justice, you complain, you cry—I forgot to mention that the police are Africans and black people like you, but the one who took your car is white, which is why the case is closed. 

After admitting that we Africans are weak, here is the second option: 

Given that we are numerous and weak, we go in large numbers to the house of the new owner of your car to take it back. We are more numerous than the opponent; in this scenario, each of us must be ready to pay the price as casualties will occur; this is called "unity in action," and this is how nations operate to free themselves from oppression. A revolution is a majority of people who agree to say no to injustice.

 

Malcom X said about black Americans during the period of social rights activism, when the population of blacks was 6 million, "If the majority of blacks were demonstrating in the streets, it would be a "regime change," but we are divided."

We have to admit our weakness and focus on our strength, which is that we are the majority. A minority cannot dominate a majority; it's called democracy, the voice of the majority.

 

 

Marius C. Oula