Decolonising The Mind

AS A Eurocentric, white, political scientist, I agree totally with what Dr Henning Melber wrote in The Namibian on October 20, 2006, in the article ‘Colonialism – An integral part of European modernity’.

But I also have a problem with it, since you only point out the first step to be taken against colonialism, that is realising the existing fact. You speak about colonialism still continuing at both ends of the phenomenon.Neither the colonial societies, nor the colonised societies have been de-colonised.While visiting Germany during the Soccer World Cup, many Africans could see and feel that, even though the slogan was ‘Zu Gast bei Freunden’, for example Nigerian soccer fans were questioned by the authorities because the police suggested they were illegal immigrants.Many Africans, but also people from other continents, can feel it on a daily basis in Europe and the West in general.Racism and racist structures are dominant.How many white males think black women are erotic because they are exotic? When a person of colour walks along a German street and people ask him/her, where he/she comes from, they don’t want to hear “From Heidelberg”, they want to hear “From Africa”.I live on the African continent and see on a daily basis that the African societies are not de-colonised either.Why do the National Archives of Namibia first ask a German historian to write the Namibian history? Why does Namibia’s NBC show more feature films from Hollywood than from the African continent? Why do African elites send their children to American and European universities, instead of to institutions of higher learning with long traditions like in Egypt, Nigeria and so on? I guess the answer is because of the dominant structure given by today’s power base.But I guess, this is only part of the story.Africans, and African elites especially, need to lead and believe in the African Renaissance themselves.Unfortunately, this happens too seldom.My next comment is related to your way of writing and criticism.It sounds as if you are aware of the emerging academic research field ‘Critical Whiteness Studies’.But do you actively support it yourself? How often have you mentioned scholars and intellectuals in your article who are of African origin? How often do you mention scholars like Leopold Senghor, Cheigh Anta Diop, Ali Mazrui, Toyin Falola or Prince Alexandre Kum’a Ndumbe III? In your article you mention German philosophers who believed their thinking represented universal thoughts, thereby overlooking their racism and Eurocentrism.You mention the Mitscherlichs, who wrote a very brilliant book.Why don’t you mention even once ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ by Frantz Fanon? And why not mention and support those Germans and Africans in the European diaspora, who work in the field of ‘Critical Whiteness Studies’ like Grada Kilomba and Susan Arndt? How often have you chosen to contact Africans and do research and papers with them? And ask yourself, why do you work with institutions or representatives of, lets say, the Institut fuer Afrika Kunde in Hamburg, where there is not one African or German person of colour.I remember hearing you at a presentation on the issue of Namibian ex-combatants.I liked your comments and agree with you.But don’t you find it strange that there are two white persons in front of a black audience giving a lecture about what to do, and what not? The director of the NID and Henning Melber are Eurocentric in everything they do and say.All underlying value systems are Eurocentric.So, where is the difference between someone how speaks about continuing colonialism, writing about it with a undertone of criticism, yet agreeing to give speeches on BEE and so on, where I don’t see any re-definition of current concepts of power, political systems, good governance e.g., and so continuing the colonising of the mind.Where are the African scholars in your speeches? Shouldn’t they actually be the invited ones, instead of you? Where are African concepts of political systems like Ubuntu in speeches given by you? Mr Melber, please do not misunderstand me.I agree with your statement given in the above-mentioned article, and on most opinions in your books.The societies in the Northern hemisphere are racist societies and colonialism continues.But the fight for the decolonisation of the mind is a daily fight, which one cannot solely fight while having tea with the Swedish Queen.The fight starts here in Windhoek, where a black security officer doesn’t control my shopping bags, because I am white, or better: not black, but where the same security guard checks every item in the rucksack of a black customer, assuming the white customer is honest and the black customer might be stealing.In Europe, we will know we have achieved a lot in fighting racism, when Critical Whiteness Studies entered all universities and is widely accepted, certain streets in Berlin and other European capitals renamed (I remember seeing a newly built train station in 2001 in Riboleira, Lisboa, decorated with a world map where Maputo was still called Lourenco Marques).We will know what we have achieved when films like ‘Die Weisse Massai’ are not talked about in Der Spiegel, but instead Ousmane Sembene’s newest film release.Here, we will have achieved a lot when there are a thousand Joseph Dieschos and therefore replacing the necessity of inviting Henning Melbers, Juergen Zimmerers and so on, to hold speeches.We will know we have come a long way when tourists stop wearing khaki, buying solely masks and drums, since the souvenir receiver thinks it’s what Africa is all about, Safari, native dances to wild drum beats, grass huts, and voodoo/witchdoctor’s culture.Of course, we will also know when we stop asking European donors for money, and instead knocking on the doors of government and enterprises like Namdeb.Mr Melber, I know how much you personally have contributed to the liberation of Namibia.I also acknowledge the personal commitment by many staff members of The Namibian, especially Gwen Lister, who easily could have faced a tragic death like Anton Lubowski.Therefore I thank the editor Lister and the author Melber for their ongoing commitment to the decolonization of the mind.H.-Chr.Mahnke Via e-mailYou speak about colonialism still continuing at both ends of the phenomenon.Neither the colonial societies, nor the colonised societies have been de-colonised.While visiting Germany during the Soccer World Cup, many Africans could see and feel that, even though the slogan was ‘Zu Gast bei Freunden’, for example Nigerian soccer fans were questioned by the authorities because the police suggested they were illegal immigrants.Many Africans, but also people from other continents, can feel it on a daily basis in Europe and the West in general.Racism and racist structures are dominant.How many white males think black women are erotic because they are exotic? When a person of colour walks along a German street and people ask him/her, where he/she comes from, they don’t want to hear “From Heidelberg”, they want to hear “From Africa”.I live on the African continent and see on a daily basis that the African societies are not de-colonised either.Why do the National Archives of Namibia first ask a German historian to write the Namibian history? Why does Namibia’s NBC show more feature films from Hollywood than from the African continent? Why do African elites send their children to American and European universities, instead of to institutions of higher learning with long traditions like in Egypt, Nigeria and so on? I guess the answer is because of the dominant structure given by today’s power base.But I guess, this is only part of the story.Africans, and African elites especially, need to lead and believe in the African Renaissance themselves.Unfortunately, this happens too seldom.My next comment is related to your way of writing and criticism.It sounds as if you are aware of the emerging academic research field ‘Critical Whiteness Studies’.But do you actively support it yourself? How often have you mentioned scholars and intellectuals in your article who are of African origin? How often do you mention scholars like Leopold Senghor, Cheigh Anta Diop, Ali Mazrui, Toyin Falola or Prince Alexandre Kum’a Ndumbe III? In your article you mention German philosophers who believed their thinking represented universal thoughts, thereby overlooking their racism and Eurocentrism.You mention the Mitscherlichs, who wrote a very brilliant book.Why don’t you mention even once ‘Black Skin, White Masks’ by Frantz Fanon? And why not mention and support those Germans and Africans in the European diaspora, who work in the field of ‘Critical Whiteness Studies’ like Grada Kilomba and Susan Arndt? How often have you chosen to contact Africans and do research and papers with them? And ask yourself, why do you work with institutions or representatives of, lets say, the Institut fuer Afrika Kunde in Hamburg, where there is not one African or German person of colour.I remember hearing you at a presentation on the issue of Namibian ex-combatants.I liked your comments and agree with you.But don’t you find it strange that there are two white persons in front of a black audience giving a lecture about what to do, and what not? The director of the NID and Henning Melber are Eurocentric in everything they do and say.All underlying value systems are Eurocentric.So, where is the difference between someone how speaks about continuing colonialism, writing about it with a undertone of criticism, yet agreeing to give speeches on BEE and so on, where I don’t see any re-definition of current concepts of power, political systems, good governance e.g., and so continuing the colonising of the mind.Where are the African scholars in your speeches? Shouldn’t they actually be the invited ones, instead of you? Where are African concepts of political systems like Ubuntu in speeches given by you? Mr Melber, please do not misunderstand me.I agree with your statement given in the above-mentioned article, and on most opinions in your books.The societies in the Northern hemisphere are racist societies and colonialism continues.But the fight for the decolonisation of the mind is a daily fight, which one cannot solely fight while having tea with the Swedish Queen.The fight starts here in Windhoek, where a black security officer doesn’t control my shopping bags, because I am white, or better: not black, but where the same security guard checks every item in the rucksack of a black customer, assuming the white customer is honest and the black customer might be stealing.In Europe, we will know we have achieved a lot in fighting racism, when Critical Whiteness Studies entered all universities and is widely accepted, certain streets in Berlin and other European capitals renamed (I remember seeing a newly built train station in 2001 in Riboleira, Lisboa, decorated with a world map where Maputo was still called Lourenco Marques).We will know what we have achieved when films like ‘Die Weisse Massai’ are not talked about in Der Spiegel, but instead Ousmane Sembene’s newest film release.Here, we will have achieved a lot when there are a thousand Joseph Dieschos and therefore replacing the necessity of inviting Henning Melbers, Juergen Zimmerers and so on, to hold speeches.We will know we have come a long way when tourists stop wearing khaki, buying solely masks and drums, since the souvenir receiver thinks it’s what Africa is all about, Safari, native dances to wild drum beats, grass huts, and voodoo/witchdoctor’s culture.Of course, we will also know when we stop asking European donors for money, and instead knocking on the doors of government and enterprises like Namdeb.Mr Melber, I know how much you personally have contributed to the liberation of Namibia.I also acknowledge the personal commitment by many staff members of The Namibian, especially Gwen Lister, who easily could have faced a tragic death like Anton Lubowski.Therefore I thank the editor Lister and the author Melber for their ongoing commitment to the decolonization of the mind.H.-Chr.Mahnke Via e-mail