We are all racist

Sometimes ago, the executive Governor of Lagos, Babatunde Raji Fashola said that there was actually a clear difference between ‘godfatherism’ and endorsement. It was easy for me to accept his stand on the political situation in Nigeria because I approve of his approach to leadership and governance.

On the other hand there can be a blurred line between endorsement and godfatherism depending on which clime and context it is used. In a political structure, godfatherism cannot be totally eradicated; be it in advanced country or third world nation. The perception of people about the person that endorse or godfather always determines the choice of word. The social construct of discrimination is often very complex because the most visible point of discrimination is often phenotypical. Martin Luther King Junior once said ‘I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.". As much as he preached for a society not prejudiced on colour or race, yet his message sends another message of discrimination. ‘I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character’. People had to be respected on mental capacity and attitude. Social construct of education, status, religion etc. are discriminatory at best. I doubt if men were created equal in the first place. The cure for certain type of discrimination often leads to discrimination. Having a quota of gender ratio in appointment for example will leave some competent and capable people discriminated. The social construct of discrimination is most visible in appearance and the skin colour is really a betrayal. Racism takes different format; it could be loud or subtle

To some racism is abolished while to some it is very much in existence. Yet there are many aspect of the colour foundation which has been left unspoken about. Ayodele’s case was quite loud and as Ayodele would recount of the first time he was discriminated in the UK. It was the word ‘that is the way you people behave’ that sparked the revolt in him. It was not actually a racial statement but one that definitely plough a social division. Ayo was in the company of other African and here was a train conductor who believed all black people were cheats who never want to pay for train tickets. To him (Conductor) it was ‘our’ colour that made us ignore the vending machine and opted to buy on the train, as such attempt as dodging train fare had not been attempted by any ‘white’ man before. Ayo had challenged the conductor because a fruitless attempt had been made at the vending machine to purchase ticket before boarding, yet the conductors prejudiced mind would not offer a rebate ticket Ayo deserved. The whole race fight became  Ayo’s  and the matter deteriorated when the conductor sold Ayo  a ticket to the wrong destination, refused selling to other people of colour and when told of the wrong destination, he boldly told Ayo to go to hell. Attempt to extract justice from the conductors employer was a spirited effort to restore Ayo’s wounded pride but all Ayo could get was ‘sorry for the bad customer service’ and those words were extracted after a long lengthy official letter, incessant calls and the threat to sue. It takes a minimum of two years to train a railway conductor so Ayo’s complaint was an expensive joke on the organisation. The right of the minority is only heard when loud and expressed in messy way.

The other incidence was a subtle confirmation. It was graduation time and Chidi and fellow Nigerians thought it awesome to throw a party. They searched for venue, because they wanted to abolish the long standing tradition of Africans and Caribbean doing all parties ‘in-house’ in the name of house parties. They approached ‘two clubs’; one for youth and one for elderly people that meet weekly. The first encounter was promising but the subsequent ones simply said we don’t give this place to blacks. They (Chidi and friends) were naïve and insensitive; they never read the signs and they kept pushing and they were given a run around until they finally decided to settle for the traditional house party at the last minute. Racial prejudice is best served in body language

But racism does not only reside in colour, it resides in the mind. According to Mandela people prejudiced against the other based on colour, race, ethnicity etc. and could go to the length of imprisoning them, victimization, oppression etc. were themselves prisoners of their own prejudice. There is often a stain attached to a minority group that seems to spread among the minors themselves because everyone is in the minority when one is not within his or her race group. It is possible to simply refer to a Hausa man as ‘aboki’ and the friend intent is not in the ‘aboki’ but a mild way to refer to such person as an illiterate or cow herder from the North. One might have as many Yoruba friends as possible but still think every Yoruba person speaks with both sides of the mouth. That one is espoused to an Ibo person does not mean one sleep with both eyes closed, not expecting to be sold in exchange for money. Though we can stand on some moral and self-righteous proclamation that one stand for a colour blind, xenophobic free society but how many times in those moments when we become loose do we throw in those jibes of xenophobic or racial tendencies, when we feel the other group have one bad trait which makes our own group more superior or how many times we allow people make such comment in our presence and go scot free. The self-identity of superiority speaks nothing but of discrimination in itself yet we seem to easily label the extremist and those bold enough to voice their prejudice but we are in silent isolation, mounting a calcified layer of indignation. It can be justified as indignation; others are judged on action but self is judged by intention. It is a discrimination clothed in multi-coloured apparel.  The mind is often prejudiced but society or moral justification forces us to say little.

Discrimination comes in different shades of grey. One is, where one is from? The other is where ones parents are from? The latter is asked when ones colour, ascent does give one out easily. There are some discrimination that are socially unacceptable and there are some that the society simply rubberstamp. The above mentioned are rejected or socially acceptable depending on social norm. There is also the question of are his parents Christian or Muslim? Is he a Christian on Muslim? Catholic or Pentecostal? When he is Pentecostal? Is s/he born again? In all my life I have not seen any of this form the basis of good manners or morals. I have seen good men and women cut across different spectrum of the society. I have a Christian friend who was formerly a Muslim (my use of these reference is not to justify the superiority of one religion over the other), a Muslim lady refuses to date him because he is a Christian and a Christian, whose father is a pastor refused to marry him because her Pastor Father refused to sanction a marriage to someone from a Muslim Family.  Discrimination is a society code based on time and season. It was almost impossible for Catholics and Pentecostals to marry at some point in time and in Nigeria it was almost impossible for some section of Pentecostal church to marry one another. One’s born-againism had to be questioned as if there are no corrupt son of the devil amongst the so called holier than thou Pentecostal born again Christians

Discrimination, racism, prejudice, sectarianism, xenophobic attitude et al; all comes from indoctrination, passed down as a way of living or spiritual injunction until challenged.