THE RACE CARD

White women’s opinion of black women & a brother’s response

Please take a moment and read this. Pretty Deep!

It seems that an article was written to Sister 2 Sister magazine by a Caucasian woman who requested a response from black men. I think she got what she asked for (and more, ha)!!!

Dear Jamie:

I’m sorry but I would like to challenge some of your Black male readers.

I am a White female, who is engaged to a Black male-good-looking, Educated and loving. I just don’t understand a lot of Black female’s attitudes about our relationship. My man decided he wanted me because the pickings amongst Black women were slim to none. As he said they were either too fat, too loud, too mean, too argumentative, too needy, too materialistic or carrying too much excess baggage. Before I became engaged, whenever I went out I was constantly approached by Black men, willing to wine and dine me and give me the world.

If Black women are so up in arms about us being with their men, why don’t they look at themselves and make some changes. I am tired of the dirty looks I get and snide remarks when we’re out in public. I would like to hear from some Black men about why we are so appealing and coveted by them.

Bryant Gumbel just left his wife of 26 years for one of us Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, the model Tyson Beckford, Montell Williams, Quincy Jones, James Earl Jones, Harry Belafonte, Sydney Poitier, Kofi Anan, Cuba Gooding Jr., Don Cornelius, Berry Gordy, Billy Blanks, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes… I could go on and on. But, right now, I’m a little angry and that is why I wrote this so hurriedly. Don’t be mad with us White women because so many of your men want us. Get your acts together and learn from us and we may lead you to treat your men better. If I’m wrong, Black men, let me know.

Disgusted White Girl, Somewhere in VA

RESPONSE

Dear Jamie:

I would like to respond to the letter written by A Disgusted White Girl. Let me start by saying that I am a 28-year old black man. I graduated From one of the most prestigious universities in Atlanta, Georgia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. I have a good job at a major corporation and have recently purchased a house. So, I consider myself to be among the ranks of successful black men.

I will not use my precious time to slander white people. I just want to set the record straight of why black men date white women. Back in the day, One of the biggest reasons why black men dated white women was because they were considered easy. The black girls in my neighborhood were raised in the church. They were very strict about when they lost their virginity and who they lost it to. Because of our impatience to wait, brothers would look for someone who would give it up easy without too much hassle. So, they turned to the white girls. Nowadays, in my opinion, a lot of brothers date white women because they are docile and easy to control. A lot of black men, because of insecurities, fears, and overall weaknesses, have become intimidated by the strength of our black women.

We are afraid that our woman will be more successful than us, make more money than us, drive nicer cars and own bigger houses. Because of this fear, many black men look for a more docile woman. Someone we can control. I have talked to numerous black men and they continuously comment on how easy it is to control and walk over their white women. I just want to set the record straight. I want A Disgusted White Girl to know that not all successful black men date white women. Brothers like Ahmad Rashad, Denzel Washington, Michael Jordan, Morris Chestnut, Will Smith, Blair Underwood, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds ,Samuel L. Jackson, and Chris Rock all married strong black women And, to flip the script, there are numerous white men, in and out of the spot light, who openly or secretly desire black women over white women. Ted Danson, Robert De Niro, and David Bowie to name a few. I just don’t want a disgusted white girl to be misinformed Stop thinking that because you are white that you are some type of goddess. Remember, when black Egyptian Queens like Hatsepshut and Nitorcris were ruling Dynasties and armies of men in Egypt, you were over in the caves of Europe eating raw meat and beating each other over the head with clubs. Read Your history! It was the black woman that taught you how to cook and season your food. It was the black woman that taught you how to raise your children. It was black women who were breast feeding and raising your babies during slavery. It is the black woman that had to endure watching their fathers, husbands, and children beaten, killed, and thrown in jail. Black women were born with two strikes against them: being black and being a woman. And, through all this, Still They Rise!

It is because of the black women’s strength, elegance, power, love and beauty that I could never date anyone except my black Queen. It is not just the outer beauty that captivates and draws me to them. It is not the fact that they come in all shapes, sizes, colors and shades that I love them. Their inner beauty is what I find most appealing about black women. Their strong spirit, loving and nurturing souls, their integrity, their ability to overcome great obstacles, their willingness to stand for what they believe in, and their determination to succeed and reach their highest potential while enduring great pain and suffering is why I have fallen in love with black women. I honestly believe that your anger is geared more toward jealousy and envy more so than snotty looks. If this were not so, then why do you continuously go to tanning salons to darken your skin?

If you are so proud to be white, then why don’t you just be happy with your pale skin?  Why do you continue to inject your lips, hips, and breasts with unnatural and dangerous substances so you can look fuller and more voluptuous? I think that your anger is really a

result of you wanting to have what the black woman has.

BOTTOM LINE: If I were looking for a docile woman, someone I can walk Over and control, I would give you a call. But, unfortunately, I am looking For a Virtuous Woman. Someone that can be a good wife and mother to my children. Someone who can be my best friend and understands my struggles. I am looking for a soul mate. I am looking for a sister and; unfortunately, you do not and CANNOT fit the bill.

No offense taken, none given.

Signed, Black Royalty

I want to say one thing. Please tolerate women as they are. Whether they are black or white, Women are mothers, wives & sisters.

  

The economic divide 

People of the west enjoyed African fortune for several hundred of years with no bargain. In this civilized world no one deny this fact every one of us knows that it is so unjust for the same people to live mythical over the Africans. One scholar said White people owe the Africans more that 650 trillion American dollars. Most of the world will laugh over this figure but the fact of the matter is we will definitely be in a better place had there been no foreign interference in our history.

It is not my intention to judge the westerners for their deed because I believe in my heart that our today Africa doesn’t need all those dollars to change its state of being. Let’s forget our doomed history to discuss our current situation, who are our current economic barons? Who own the market? Who is milking us?  Narrowing my domain to my country, Ethiopia, my answer is the “The chosen Few” this few are not westerners but they are citizens affiliate to the government. The government seems to entertain by levying every possible tax, the value added tax, turn over tax, income tax, sales tax you name it and now the sur tax, on the common people while allowing the affiliates to swindle by any means. In the name of Investment people close to the government are allowed to import goods on tax free basis now you see luxurious sedans on the streets in disguise of investment for the poor people. An Ethiopian is requested to pay three times much as compared to the American for a Japan made vehicle. Scholars abroad, even during the military regime, where given the opportunity to bring a car on tax free basis when returned home but following the 2005 election fraud and the reaction from scholars abroad the government didn’t take time to deny this privilege. Today money is flowing to the hands of some who have no idea how to make a good use of it.  Ethiopia must be the only place where an investor completes a nine story building in six years and constitute a new bank in three months time with a capital to the surprise of many including the prime minister.

Our telecom a no option option

The mobile phone service we are getting from our telecom company (ETC) is totally unacceptable. We are buying it because it is the only option.  I had an opportunity to visit some countries in the North and the South. Let me share with you my observations in telecom related issue, particularly in the mobile phone aspect. I will begin from my observation in the west. As my intended stay was relatively long in one of the developed nation in Europe, I had to get a mobile phone to stay in touch. The options are too many; there are a number of subscribers and the service features these subscribers provide are many but comparable. As a result, my main criterion for choice was which subscriber most of my colleagues are using because calls within same network are cheaper than calls across different network (for instance, vodaphon to vodaphon call is cheaper than vodaphon to O2). Sim-cards are apparently for free, transaction and activation is a few minutes task and handsets can be purchased on contract basis or on immediate payment. One can find handset as cheap as 25 euro (about 275 Birr) with no obligation associated with it. Nothing may surprise you given the level of development the west has reached. I would end by saying the service is perfect, call waiting, call divert, browsing the net and etc you name it, all are possible from your handset.

Let me tell you the story of our immediate neighbors, I am referring to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. By the way these three nations are on negotiations to form an east African federation where the nations are heading towards erasing their respective national boarders. Mobile phone coverage is more then ten times wider compared to Ethiopia in these nations. There are a number of private subscribers; more than five in Kenya and four in Tanzania to mention figures. I bought a sim-card for 200 Tanzanian Shillings from a kiosk. Do not imagine that this amount is about 200 Ethiopian birr, not even close.  It is less than one birr and fifty cents!! (It is about 300 times cheaper to get a sim-card in Tanzania than Ethiopia). Handsets are also relatively cheaper due to lower custom tax on the same. To keep the tax lower is rational if there is a commitment to widen the telecom service coverage and the politicians should be applauded for the undertaking. What strike me most is the recharge amount, the minimum recharge amount in Tanzania is 500Tshs (which is about three birr and fifty cents; compare this with our 25 birr minimum recharge amount and how many people can afford to have 25 birr at once).  In addition, the recharge cards are locally printed resulting in a huge cost saving. As a result of this, from mini-bus assistants (Woyalas) to street cleaners even the rural pastorialist Masais has mobiles. There is immense competition among subscribers to attract new customers and retain the already existing one. As part of this effort, every now and then there are new features introduced by the subscribers and call and text message rates are going down.

“This year alone, Safaricom has launched five new services for its consumers. For Celtel, the count is seven – the latest being what the firm calls its “One Network”. The aim, Celtel marketing director Anne Othoro says, is to provide Africa‘s first borderless mobile network in a region where, traditionally, trading and family relationships have crossed national borders. “One network is about one region,” she says.” BBC news.

As a result Celtel subscribed customers can use their mobile phone in any of the three nations paying a local rate for cross country calls. Note the difference here for Ethiopia; even with a single service provider (ETC) rates are different based on regions with in nation, a logic which I can’t understand. Another service on the rise in these nations is the wireless internet. Many of the mobile companies have commenced providing the service. A new arena for mobile service seems money transfer. In Kenya one mobile subscriber has introduced a money transfer service via text messaging.  Improved mobile service is revitalizing other areas of the economy, even shaping their future. The revolution in telecommunication service is being spearheaded by the private sector. The current low prices and myriad service features would not have been possible without the involvement of the private sector. But Ethiopia is dropping behind in the race.

Let me get back to our own problems. Few years back our genius PM argument for not privatizing the telecom company and failing us not to enjoy what our immediate neighbors are enjoying today was allegation of the private sector tendency to focus on urban areas where maximum profit can be harvested, neglecting the rural areas. After so many years of effort to cover the rural areas with the service the argument has evolved. Letting ETC to the private sector is like allowing them to print money, according to the same genius. I guess there is another option, let ETC remain in the business being the government cash caw but allow private sectors to come with own networks, if there is good will to improve the service. Given the advantage in huge monetary and network asset ETC own, can’t it be competitive if private sectors allowed entering into the business short of privatizing ETC? After all ETC has absolute advantage over any emerging firm in the sector. What is at stake here? The government revenue or the role high quality telecom services play in development of the nation. For that matter, improved telecommunication service is not an end in development by itself, it is a means to an end, it facilitates development period.

As a matter of fact, we should not take the arguments of the PM not to privatize ETC or allow others to join the business at face value, as they are illogical and unconvincing even to a layman. The concern of the government (the ruling elite) is not improvement of the telecom service but effective control and censorship of information flow. I have been ridiculed by my colleagues from Africa (not to mention those from Europe) when I told them text messaging is not possible in Ethiopia. One of them said maybe it is because it is not yet 2000 in Ethiopia. Frankly speaking this has made me feel ashamed of our unique calendar, which once was a source of pride to me.

The nation could have attracted a lot of FDI in the telecom sector at the immediate and a lot more as a result of improved telecom service in other sectors eventually had private sector allowed to operate in the business. This FDI is channeling to our neighbors putting us into a further competitive disadvantage. It is embarrassing for a city which is claimed to be the capital of Africa to lack a telecom service that cities like Kampala, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi has. The bizarre thing is the government tells us day in day out that it is committed to develop the nation and is doing everything towards the achievement of this. But the reality speaks a different story; the government is the bottleneck for the development of the nation, so to speak a grave digger for our mother land’s down fall.

Calculation Somalia

 “….when the Ethiopian military rolled in to Mogadishu and sent the Islamist fleeing last week, the bush administration kept a low profile, applauding the invasion and thanking its lucky stars that it was Ethiopia that launched it, not America.”  Time, January 15,2007 

“We have achieved no other nation able of. Now Somalia is a different state many thanks to our brave soldiers” PM Meles Zenawi on his one day visit to Mogadishu  

Me as a citizen doesn’t have a clue why our soldiers fought this war. I don’t want to hide my admiration to those troops, as a military they have delivered what is expected of them but for what cause? I am no fun of extremism but I believe Somalia people have the right to solve their internal problem by themselves. I think it is time for our government to materialize the real motivation that lead to the invasion of this fragile state. As a government our leaders has to dig every means to fund our underprivileged economy  but to invade other country to have the heart and mind of the World Bank is a gamble with a so so unpredictable consequence.  

Filtering the Net

Internet censorship is a world wide practice and technology we didn’t miss. China invests tens of millions of dollars on US technologies to filter the net with an amazing precision and speed. Iran, Vietnam, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia are also good participants in this investment. I forget Cuba “the legendary”; according to reporters without borders Castro simply keeps the net virtually away from citizens, who cares   

We are also deprived of the right to read opposition parties websites our government describe this act as protecting the citizen from some malicious organizations who try to shake the foundation of our constitution. SMS is also found to be a toxic technology we do not have to practice. To filter what msg we can receive must be found to be expensive so the government instructs its Teclom Company to simply ban the service. Folks if our constitution doesn’t give us the right to use the technology the other world enjoying now, it is the right time to say no to that constitution. The freedom of speech and expressing opinion is now a history or talk of old politicians. Many of our news papers lost the test or the touch of free human, at present they have no greater value than a toilet paper. 

Our government should come to its sense and recognize our rights , better to take lesson from the fallen ones.

Brain Drain in Africa 

“The emigration of African professionals to the West is one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development.”United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) 

“African governments have a great responsibility to ensure that brains remain in the continent; otherwise, in 25 years’ time, Africa will be empty of brains.”Dr. Lalla Ben BarkaDeputy Executive-Secretary, ECA 

“[By] failing to offer greener pastures for its own intelligentsia, [Africa] is committing suicide.”Professor Edward Ofori-SarpongPro-Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana at Legon 

The exodus of highly trained manpower from developing countries to industrialized nations is not a new phenomenon; however, the magnitude of the problem in Africa and its alarming increase presents a growing urgency for action as the consequences of brain drain threaten to stunt the overall development of the continent. 

The Brain Drain in Figures: a Bleak Picture

 Statistics on the brain drain from Africa are scarce but troubling. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Africa has already lost one third of its human capital and is continuing to lose its skilled personnel at an increasing rate, with an estimated 20,000 doctors, university lecturers, engineers and other professionals leaving the continent annually since 1990.There are currently over 300,000 highly qualified Africans in the Diaspora, 30,000 of which have PhDs.At the same time, Africa spends US$4 billion per year (representing 35% of total official Development aid to the continent) to employ some 100,000 Western experts performing functions generically described as technical assistance. For example, 90% of private firms in Gabon are managed by expatriates. Africa as a whole counts only 20,000 scientists (3.6 % percent of the world total) and its share in the world’s scientific output has fallen from 0.5% to 0.3% as it continues to suffer the brain drain of scientists, engineers and technologists. The problem of brain drain has reached quite disturbing proportions in certain African countries, with Ethiopia ranked first in the continent in terms of rate of loss of human capital, followed by Nigeria and Ghana.

Over the past 10-15 years, about 50% of Ethiopians who went abroad for training did not return after completing their studies. According to the IOM, Ethiopia lost about 74.6% of its human capital from various institutions between 1980 and1991. While Ethiopia has 1 full-time economics professor, there are more than 100 Ethiopian economists in the United States.  

The millennium hype 

300,000 or something more people are expected to arrive at Addis for the millennium some including the government view this as an opportunity to harvest foreign money. Though I doubt the number I question, are we prepared to handle the responsibility? Yesterday our president officially opened the celebration, with a motto “2 tree for the 2^nd millennium” it is a good move before we lost the air, and Al Gore must applaud the idea. There is also another call; everyone coming from abroad is requested to bring at least one book, love it. But the thing that holds my mind is the place where these visitors are going to stay.  I really afraid for guys like me who live in a rental house. Will I be kicked out? Or am I going to pay double what I pay now?. The government may think the much controversial condos, to use them as a guest house. If this to happen, the management will become a rocket science for the government housing agency. So are there any contingencies, I am afraid no. I would like to appreciate companies such as Sunshine and GTZ for what they accomplish now.

The Millennium Hype 

 Do we have any reason to fear the coming millennium as it turned to 2000, hope my computer will function properly, oh my account I’ve got to withdraw the balance ‘gomen betena”.  In our context not us but the government has to fear what the coming millennium will come up with as it recklessly expend the peoples fund for reasons I don’t really understand. I see a $10mln project running like “sergegna meta berberi kentesu” to present a musical fiesta with the R&B and RAP stars from the state. Wonder what the man is thinking; his landmark buildings were standing like a statue waiting for the day of their purpose as he accelerates such temporary mega structures. How many of us saw the Addis care taker administration present its annual progress report to the “parliament”. Berehane Deressa, His achievement is nothing as compared to the all time high budget allocation. They treat him like a mother treat her little child, how come an excuse being given to a man who confidently take the place and do nothing. Look at the roads in Addis the traffic jam has never been before; the contractors who undertake the construction have no ethics and know how to implement construction techniques to accommodate the traffic flow alongside the new construction. The care taker admin have no idea how miserable the transportation facility gets. They drove by their Benz watching people standing for hours waiting for taxi and fighting for it, how do they rationally convince their inner self?. If one look at the condominiums it is really a tragedy, forget the delayed completion but it is like taking ghetto to the next level.As our leaders celebrate their 16 years anniversary I was watching the movie series Alias , the actor , Genefer Gardner, was in a very desperate state lost her husband because of her work, she is also hunted  by the bureau, of course the CIA. All of a sudden this agent whom she briefly knows comes to rescue her. Upon questioning he told her that he work as freelance agent in places like Ethiopia back in 1990. This strikes and made me think the driving force that cause our regime change. Was it really the gorilla fighters or was it time, a call for change?. As I watch their war video documentation I always smile and think of the old movies, how come these fighters take the throne, my all time million dollar question. 

To be continued———————

 

Can’t illegalities be tolerated for the good of citizens?

As part of its effort to beautify Addis and curb illegalities in housing and business related construction, the Addis Ababa city administration is busy with demolishing houses which it says are built illegally. This engagement of the caretaker administration compelled me to ask the question; can’t illegalities be tolerated for the good of citizens? And can we demarket the boarder between legality and illegality?

Shelter is a basic need and a right to all citizens, no one would argue about that. So everyone is entitled to have a place to live in. To this end I would further argue that same has to be enshrined on our constitution be it the one we already have or a better one which we long for.

These days the housing problem in Addis has gone beyond limits, let alone the poor the middle income groups are failing to afford a decent house be it rented or owned. Plots in the informal market cost fortune, and getting one from the formal channel has become a lifetime process. Where do the poor and middle income people of Addis supposed to live? Or the city in particular and the state in general do not care about it?

The city administration effort of building condominium houses can be seen as a good start but the basic fallacy is who can afford those houses? How many houses have been delivered up to now? And how many houses have been demolished in the process of delivering these few condos? Ultimately, is the housing stock increasing or decreasing as a result?

The squatting and informality problem is not unique to Ethiopia. Many developing countries and even the developed one are facing similar problems. But the measure being taken to avert the situation by the squad of the caretaker mayor of Addis is an outdated one. In the 70s such measures as “slum clearance” were popular in many countries but soon after abandoned, the lessons learned were that kind of engagement adds to the problem nothing more than reducing the available housing stock. The current direction in this regard is acceptance to the informal/squatter settlements and finding ways to integrate them in the formal system. Millions in Africa depended on these settlements because that is where a roof over their head is affordable.

If the city administration is committed to fight illegality, where is the border line of illegality? It can be said that a person who acquired plot legally from the city administration but build without complying with the planning standard is illegal. This includes, not allowing adequate offset from property line to building, going higher in building heights than stipulated, wrong building orientation or not allowing adequate green spaces within plot or even putting a window at the wrong place amount to illegality. Are all these illegal constructions subject to demolishing or are they outside the realm of illegality?

I wish the city administration and the state get the wisdom so that they can know these illegalities are that make millions of Ethiopians to have shelter, while many live on streets and in sewer lines as we learned it recently from BBC.

Education

Our skill of English Language

In Ethiopia in particular and Africa in general there is a serious problem related to quality of language education. Particularly, the foreign languages that are being used as a medium of instruction in high schools and colleges. I think we should engage in a constructive debate about how to use our own language as medium of instruction at higher education level. What are the cons and pros of it?

The following excerpt is an application of a high school leaver for security guard position in certain company. I got it from someone, who was bitterly complaining about quality of education in Africa.

Dea
sir,

Iam aply to my job of security guard to you boss in you company ofClearing and Forward. Iam complete to high school examination certificat in2002. My school certificat is very good. I can come to see it for you.

iam 27 ears to be Born of age and no mallied and no children. My father isdead long time and my mother maried in Swaziland country 10 years, since Iam in primary school not see she so nobody known to help me.

My certificat is siting home for itself, but passes inMathematics,Geography,Science and all subjects but fail English because ofteacher teaching me is jelos of myself. Iam wearing good cloth than tothem. But can speak English free I here you company want security gardsand I tell you i want job.

Am one of that job experience for 2 years I shoot thief dead this temporayjob. I want to employ in you company because I can shot gun AK47 I leanedfrom Mgambo.Please consider me application careful and telephone me anytime because Ihave celphone. Iam red inteview for you. Iam very kind. And rememba thatEnglish is not our mother land!!!

Thank you very much
Yours
sincere

I doubt it how many of our students, who graduate every year from high school or 10+1 and 10+2 vocational training can compose a Job application conveying their message properly. I bet the above referred guy will out smart our boys and girls.

It is obvious that lack of language skill is defeating quality of education in our nation. How can one learn and grasp new concepts in science, mathematics or geography while the medium of instruction is a language that he can not understand? What has to be done? Shan’t we revisit our justifications for using English as a medium of instruction and use another simpler language that students can understand easily? Or can we change the way we teach and learn English to the better?

I remember few years back the issue was being debated among politicians and academicians, the problem is still there but forgotten before finding any remedy for it.

Folks, what should be done? Should we let it go because “English is not our mother land” as the guy put it?

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