Author: Mohamed Toure
Speaking with love, as a sibling member of the African
diaspora family, I must share a thought which may or may not be well received
by my siblings… my African brothers and sisters. My thought is born of the
notion that the African diaspora has demonstrated an ample potential to become
a major contributor to Africa’s well being, and to that of its respective home
countries outside the continent. The thought is simple; the African diaspora,
with its faculties and resources, could do more to live up to its full
potential.
“If you have no critics, you’ll likely have no success,”
opined the great late Malcolm X. This observation was made more than four
decades ago; yet, it is timeless because it hits the nail on the head. It so
happens that in order for observers to issue critical opinions about our
endeavors, they must first take notice. Being the authors of our efforts, we
are the first to know ourselves, and for this reason we must become our first
critics.
Throughout the United States and Europe, Africans who left
the continent in search of opportunity several decades ago managed to settle in
the best way they could. For some, the journey has covered stops in multiple
countries. Many often, these experiences were written in hard manual labor, and
long hours at menial jobs. Others found their way through academia and
professional environments, where they did better for themselves than they could
have back home in their countries of origin. My family’s experience has been a
mixture of both, and we have all learned a great deal in the process.
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| African immigrants in France How much have they sacrificed? |
With solemn applause, we must congratulate the sacrifice of
these adventurers who went in search of a better life and means of livelihood,
for themselves and for the relatives and communities they left behind. However,
it is in their children (ourselves), who have now come of age, that we must
observe and measure the relationship between potential and future success.
In my attempt to form a self-critique of my dear African
diaspora community, I find it appropriate to focus on professional, academic,
and communal bodies made up predominantly of Africans. I am sure that one may
come up with several examples of bodies that fit such description, but for the
sake of this piece, I choose student groups made up of African diaspora
students.
There are several factors that justify this choice. Firstly,
African student groups are housed on college campuses, and college campuses are
the gatekeepers to professional, financial and consequently, social success in
most modern societies. In addition, these student groups are usually formed
with an understanding that they will serve to advance the academic and
professional interests of its members and the community at large. Finally, by
means of physical proximity and institutional affiliation, members of African
student groups on college campuses have better access to practical knowledge,
resources, and networking opportunities.
The next point of observation then becomes the issue of
potential… the future promise of the African diaspora. How is this potential
understood? As early as 1996, the Journal
of Blacks in Higher Education reported that African-Born U.S. residents
were the most highly educated group in the United States. A decade and a half
later, the African diaspora has laid down solid roots in Western countries. Africans
and their children are now more educated. Through the advances in telecommunication
technologies, they are as connected to the motherland as ever. As if academia
were a sporting competition that we long ago mastered, in the second decade of
the second millennia, African immigrants continue to lead all other groups in
the United States in terms of education attainment. In fact, we even surpass
Asian Americans, a group that is stereotypically looked to as the
model-minority in education. Similar trends are also becoming noticeable
throughout countries in Western Europe.
In a world where achievement in higher learning is viewed as
a solid indicator of intelligence, discipline, and work ethic, there is little
room left to doubt the potential of the African diaspora. Several questions
follow these praiseworthy facts. Do Africans earn the highest incomes? In
praise of western meritocracies, are Africans beginning to occupy the highest
positions in their fields, as their superior qualifications would call for? Do
African immigrants lead in percentage of business owners? More questions come
to mind than can be printed on an entire ram of paper. The answers to these
questions are to be decided collectively by the African diaspora.
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| Students at the Harvard African Business Conference '12 |
To drive the point home, African student groups throughout
the US, the UK, and other countries are close to the discussion tables where
answers for the aforementioned questions are to be found. In fact, many of
these groups have found new vitality in recent years by showcasing Africa.
African fashion and talent shows take place many often to showcase a mixture of
traditional African art and culture, infused with other influences from around
the world. African business conferences take place now at least by the half
dozen to convince their audiences that Africa is now open for business and that
great things are happening in the motherland. Harvard hosts one regularly,
which I have attended in previous years. Columbia
University has one as well, which I attended once. MIT has one. Oxford
University hosts a Pan-African
conference this year to discuss building capacity and youth leadership in
Africa. Several other schools host similar events with the commendable efforts
and coordination of their African students.
Including the aforementioned schools, African student bodies
are all over the place now, with a variety of wonderfully motivational events
taking place. These events are packed with bright young students and
professionals eager to be reminded that their dear mama Africa truly has
potential after all, and that if they are innovative, driven, and persistent,
they too can finally realize the dream that their parents once left behind.
These events are no fairy tale, but it should seem so. Rock star professors,
authors and activists, and African politicians make frequent appearances at
these events now. Business owners and company executives also find the time to
speak to our dear African students. In the end, attendees exchange business
cards, shake hands, and leave the events star-struck… a fair return on
investment for their ticket price, which often costs them the price of a brand
new textbook. Sometimes, the proceeds of these events are used to donate books
or medicines in Africa. Other times, they are used to fund more on-campus
activities. These activities are all very nice, provided that they lead to
more.
Admittedly, I have found myself in auditorium seats at these
conferences many times. I have met many like-minded friends there. I have
learned many interesting facts, and my resolve to involve myself in the growth
of Africa has hardened. I find it regrettable however, that not once did I
leave one of these daylong, or two-day conferences having gained a single
tangible skill. To what extent do I benefit from hearing about cool new
innovations and trends if I am not given access to the resources or knowledge
that would permit me to jump in the action immediately, even minimally?
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| African Diaspora Club in 2010 Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland |
Then there are the galas and college parties hosted by
African student groups, all in the name of humanitarian fundraising. The
proceeds of such events have a one-time-use value, and fail to establish
long-term solutions. African student groups should devote their energies to
lobbying more aggressively to get aspiring African students in top schools with
the necessary funding to cover tuition. Business and finance members of these
student groups would help the African diaspora community by organizing to help
small business owners grow their operations… and maybe this growth will warrant
the creation of new positions within these businesses waiting to be occupied by
young Africans. Perhaps on-campus consultancies could be organized to offer the
expertise of African students to major corporations in all sectors of the
economy in their host countries, respectively. The ideas are endless once we
adopt the notion that we are not doing enough.
Essentially, I am not saying that we are not doing anything
as African students. Rather, I am suggesting that we need to do more, a lot
more. We need to be less timid, and more assertive. Ambition requires no
apology, and other continents, nations, communities, and ethnic groups are not
waiting. As Abraham Lincoln put it “things may come to those who wait, but those
things left by those who hustle.” I hope that my fellow African students in the
diaspora will join me in exploring this issue, for the sake of our collective interest.
Long live Africa and its diaspora.
Mohamed L. Touré is the editor-in-chief of SEADiaspora. He is currently a business professional based in Maryland, in addition to serving on the steering committee of Alliance Guinea, an organization focused on human rights, democracy, and justice in Guinea. He is an associate at the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. Mohamed graduated from the University of Baltimore with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in International Business. He is a Guinean-Italian, who holds dual citizenship and resides in the United States. His belief in sustainable development as the way forward for Africa is rivaled only by his commitment as an A.C. Milan fan.
Mohamed L. Touré is the editor-in-chief of SEADiaspora. He is currently a business professional based in Maryland, in addition to serving on the steering committee of Alliance Guinea, an organization focused on human rights, democracy, and justice in Guinea. He is an associate at the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance. Mohamed graduated from the University of Baltimore with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in International Business. He is a Guinean-Italian, who holds dual citizenship and resides in the United States. His belief in sustainable development as the way forward for Africa is rivaled only by his commitment as an A.C. Milan fan.
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