Ghana Chronicles

CHANGES: My Final Message From Ghana

2010-06-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

PHOTOS!!!

2010-06-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Illiterate Today

2010-06-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

“The illiterate today is not one who cannot read or write, but one who cannot use the computer to his/her advantage”

This was posted on the side of a building located in a Ghanaian compound that hosted us for a day. Immediately entranced by the quote and what was inside the building I got to take a look inside and meet the founder. The E-Learning Center was founded in 2004 to help low-performing high school students gain the technical skills and abilities that would help them in the field of business and entrepreneurship. The quote resounded in my heart because of my passion to help alleviate disparities in technology resources and education. “Computer 101” or “Utilizing Technology in Your Education” are probably not courses you would see on any high-school students freshman year course list. Why? I do not know why, however, I do know that I find it extremely disturbing. Biology teachers asking seniors in high school to complete a lab report with graphs, and the student does not how to create a spreadsheet. English teachers asking high school sophomores for a slide-show presentation as a final and some students presenting something that looks like it came out of a comic book. High school seniors finding Scholarships requesting a curriculum vitae and them not even knowing what this is let alone how to make one. These are all things that students, especially high school students must be proficient in if they are to transition and perform well in college. So why are many students only being exposed to these things once they get to college? I believe it is because many teachers, administrators, and parents believe that because we live in such a technological world that skills such as developing effective slide-show presentations, creating useful graphs from spreadsheets, and how to find financial aid online are somehow supposed to just spontaneously diffuse into the brains of students today. Though this thought is not entirely false; students today are exposed to technology much more frequently than previous generations. It is still irrational to continue to overlook technology education in high school curriculum's. In fact, including technology education and training in junior high would surely produce even greater benefits.

Talk is cheap though, and theory without application is useless. So what do I plan to do about disparities in technology usage and abilities? Well, I have already begun my journey in attempting to synthesize progress. This year, I founded Developing Technology Access in America (DATA), a non-for profit initiative branched off Chicago Scholars, which is a scholarship organization based in Chicago. DATA’s mission is to synthesize success in inner-city students by decreasing technology disparities within low-income communities. By increasing access to personal computers and providing technology education in this progressively technological age, DATA anticipates higher academic performance, increased access to college, and more undergraduate financial–aid opportunities for high school students. This year DATA was able to help two high school juniors gain access to a laptop, printer, software and technology education. In the future DATA hopes to be able to help many more students gain access to technology that will enhance their education and ability to pay for college. Most people would agree that technology is extremely important in society today, but many overlook what the consequences are for those who do not have the means to possess such technology or have limited computer literacy due to limited exposure. Seeing this quote on a building 6,000 miles away from home reassured me that I am not alone in battle and that DATA’s mission is relevant.

Conversation with African-American Returnees

2010-06-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, May 27th I had the great pleasure of participating in a discussion hosted by Rabbi Kohain with African-Americans leaders who were born in America and decided to return to Africa permanently. The introductions and dialogue were rather lengthy, yet a boring moment never found a way to creep into the restaurant that night. I found myself glued to the participants every movement; catching every word passed to me like perfectly thrown footballs. Most of the opinions were caught for touchdowns; making absolute sense and not stirring up anything pessimistic in my heart. However, a few passes were dropped; too hard for me to haul in. I suppose I will start with the touchdowns.

The first comment made by the returnees that stuck to me was that Africans in the Diaspora have a home in Ghana. The returnees stressed the fact that Ghana is a peaceful place compared to the States and that if we-the Morehouse and Spelman College students- ever wanted to make Ghana our home, there was a place for us. We of course would experience some small difficulties in completing our transition such as leaving family and friends, being accepted by the native Ghanaian community, and adapting to the lifestyle changes, but even with these challenges we would become an embraced part of the Ghanaian community. Another point that I found interesting was one returnee stating, “there are no English words to describe an African experience”. In saying this she wanted to stress to us that when we returned home that there would be an urge to return to this land an unpredictable and instantaneous desire of wanting to be back HOME. Of course at this time, I cannot say if this will occur or not. Nevertheless, I found the thought of developing this desire once I returned to America to be very interesting. I could see why this feeling would develop in someone. I am of the opinion that once one tastes truth; deception will no longer be swallowed as easily. I also believe that in the center of every human being there is an unconscious search for his or her physical origin or home, and for many African-Americans this home will never be the United States of America. The last comment made by the returnee leaders that had a profound affect on me was made by Rabbi Cohain. He stated the need for an army of young leaders that would take the torch from the elders and continue the battle against oppression, dissension, misrepresentation, exploitation, and ignorance. While fighting, the new leaders must understand the power in numbers-that one cannot overcome these previously mentioned issues by oneself- and that now matter how extensive the numbers are, true progress will not be made without a clear plan. These thoughts weighed on my heart because I am guilty of wanting to be a leader in my community, wanting to fight these battles, without a clear plan of how I will do it.

Now for the incomplete passes, also known as my criticisms of the discussion. I feel as if the returnees wanted to make us feel that there is no other place for us other than Africa and that we would not end up happy anywhere else. While this may be true, I don’t feel that these thoughts should have been imposed on the students. Also, the returnees made the comment that we would be accepted here in Ghana yet ironically, some of them have been in Ghana for over twenty years and the Ghanaian government will not grant them citizenship. To me, this contradicts the so-called “embrace” we would receive if we decided to make Ghana our home. “In America I do not have to fight for my citizenship” is what my brain says, “But in America you’re still a second class citizen”, my heart swiftly replies. So which one is worse: fighting for citizenship in a place where you are holistically accepted, or remaining in the place where you have citizenship but aren’t totally accepted? Currently, I do not know the answer to that question but I do know that Chicago, Illinois is my home. It is the place where I am committed to creating change and for me to depart from this place, attempting to escape the problems that exist there, would almost be cowardly. This does not mean I want to reside in Chicago the rest of my life (technically, I don’t reside there now). It simply means that Chicago will always be my home, and I will always want to be in a position to aid in its progression in addition to the worlds.

African Liberation Day

2010-06-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

On May 25^th, 2010 the African continent celebrated African Liberation Day. A national holiday dedicated to celebrating and commemorating the progressive struggle African countries have experienced in the fight for independence against colonialism and exploitation. My stay in Ghana allowed me to witness this day, including the excitement on many native Africans faces as this day went on, and it also allowed me to hear the thoughts many veteran African leaders who fought in the struggle for African Liberation during the 1950’s through the 1970’s. While attending the 2010 Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Colloquium I heard the wise thoughts of professors who are continuing the fight for Pan-Africanism (Continental African Unity). The first presenter, Issa Shivji, made some interesting points during his talk on “”The Evolution of Pan-African Ideology”. He started by pointing out that unity on the continent of Africa cannot be identical and should not be compared to European unity. This is because European Unity is used for domination and power over others. He also spoke about how Neo-Colonialism is bringing about clashes between African states; states that cannot realize that they are all African. Horace Campbell who presented “An Africa Without Borders in the 21^st Century” delivered the most captivating ideas of the day. He started by pointing out that unity on the continent of Africa cannot be identical and should not be compared to European unity. This is because European Unity is used for domination and power over others. He proposed that the old ideas of what energy, life, society, work, and organization have to be reconsidered and rephilosophized due to the fact that current energy sources will not be able to sustain the Earth for long, that life can now be created in test tubes, and that many of our societies are based upon domination and oppression because they are run off capitalism. Capitalism produces different levels of people, fractions so to speak, and fractions that are lower than others are considered less human than the higher fractions. Mr. Campbell clearly stated that the former is what has to change if the world is to progress. The idea that one deserves fewer rights, that one is inferior, or that one is less human because of socioeconomical status, sexual orientation, race, tribe, religion, culture, sex, etc has to be eliminated in the 21^st century if the world is to be sustained. This is “what a Pan-Africanist must be in the 21^st century” says Mr. Campbell, “Someone who wants peace, health, and justice not only for nations of Africa, but for all countries”.

My thoughts on the ideas and viewpoints of the various intellectuals at the Centenary Colloquium are mixed. I feel that every point that was made during the colloquium was valid and very thought provoking. If I could snap my fingers and bring to fruition every ideal that was presented during the colloquium, I would do it in a matter of seconds. However, this is not reality, nor was the surplus of ideals that were presented. To say that society in the 21^st century must move toward a situation where there is no division or hierarchal systems is like asking all Americans to give up electricity for one day to combat global warming. It definitely sounds good and could produce positive affects, but its not going to happen. This is because modern society is based on domination and hierarchy. The rich could not exist without the poor, because the rich exploit the poor to gain their riches. The rich are not going to give up their statuses, conveniences, and power in order promote more equality and move toward a “society that is not based on different levels of people”. In order for this to happen the entire economical systems of the wealthiest nations in the world have to be abolished and reformulated. Capitalism= Inequality + Domination + Oppression and the equation will never be Capitalism= Equality + Communalism + Liberty. For equality, communalism, and liberty to exist, a new system must be enacted. My ideas may be stark, but they are the reality. The question that remains is what system can lead to these things...

Sunday: June 6^th, 2010

"One Must Travel Outside One's Home..."

2010-05-22T13:31:00.000-07:00

Due to all of the books I have been forced to read and all of the essays and research papers I have completed, there have been many times when I thought I was full of knowledge. Today, I realized how little I really know. Trapped in a box called Chicago, Illinois and an educational system that is not designed to force one out of their zones of comfort; the duration of he expansion of my mind has been short relative to the span of my education. I have performed years of problem sets that have not added an inch of value to my life, and I have performed a plethora of experiments that have not taught me anything other than how to follow a set of steps. These are things that have not taught me anything about myself; things that have not been conducive to my growth as a person, nor the growth of my mind. Unlike the problem sets and experiments, my first individual experience out of Illinois to the state of Colorado, was one of the most important events of my life. It forced me explore uncharted lands without any set of directions; without redundancy. This experience was a beautiful one; the start of a journey that still has not ended.

Today, I write this passage from Accra, Ghana during my first experience outside the United States. In coming here and realizing how much I do not know, I also realize how much potential for how much I can come to know. I recognize how much I have yet to learn about myself, but will come to know; how much I have yet to learn about the world, but will come to know through observation. I am optimistic because I feel that god has so much in store for my life and I am grateful that I have been able to travel outside of my home at this age. However, I must say that I am disheartened and pessimistic about the many students who, for a plethora of reasons, have not traveled outside of their own homes. I am also disheartened about the primary education system in the United States, a system that does not promote exploration without directions and experimentation without predetermined conclusions. These missing components are essential in inducing the expansion of students’ minds: the questioning of current theories, the formulation of new theories, the reorganization of opinions, and the shuffling of presuppositions. It is my hope that students can be exposed to this expansion of the mind earlier in their education, rather than being required to go to a post secondary institution to get a taste of such things. The earlier such exposure occurs, the greater the potential for the student to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and identity.

Saturday: May 22nd, 2010