A Good Leader Cannot Govern A People Who Hate Themselves

"Who Taught You to Hate Yourself" - by Malcolm X. (May 5th, 1962) 

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Malcolm X, a teacher, preacher and speaker, gave this speech in a church in Southern California. The year was 1962. He spoke about internalized anti-Blackness in the Black community. At the time of this speech the preacher was, as a matter of fact, speaking about a mindset which plagues the African people both on the continent and the diaspora. He was addressing the African-American community in the United States but his words echoed a problem which is still quite common in African communities and families all over the world. 

Africans, on the continental or diaspora communities worldwide are bedevilled by a troubling trait; there seem to be the culture of unhelpful internal competition which leads to animosity, disagreement, rivalry. and violence in cases of "black on black violence".

We know this to be factual because we talk about it all the time in parties, bars, pubs, clubs, families, communities meetings and in schools. Very few people can claim not have heard the phrase "black on black" shooting etc. 

This type of unhealthy competition creates atmosphere of distrust and the lack of care and value for the best interest and progress of each other - it is a love thyself and hate your neighbour matrix. It is an unhealthy obstacle to forming beneficial business networking and community links for development and wealth creation. 

The main reason why Africa is poor is because Africans "hate themselves" as Malcolm X opined. Some people may not put it that bluntly but it's true because Africans seems not to be able to manage themselves and create prosperity and wealth. That the continent of Africa has the face of poverty, disease and and unacceptable developmental challenges is not an accident. 

"When an African man fails, he wishes his brother same fail so that he won't be the only one who had tasted the bitterness of failure. An African man is happy when evil besets his brother. When most African men succeed, they want to enslave their brothers; they try to make the class gap between them and their brothers widen daily".

Africa needs to be fixed urgently for the good of the future generations of Africans.