The Western culture continues to define the behavior of African youth. Foreign customs and traditions set the standards of what is perceived to be normal and contemporary among the Generation Y and Generation Z victims. African ancestors had a unique and special way to respect one another. Their style of dressing was appropriate at that time and their set of values and principles brought them together in a dignified manner.
Decades after independence, the ethical behavior of today’s African youth is largely borrowed from the West and its allies through the lens of “globalization” and “social media”. There is moral decay among young Africans and African etiquette is collapsing. A globalized individual appreciates different cultures and traditions, upholds and tolerate differences without abandoning their origins.
Pointing fingers at one another and blaming colonial miscalculations and neo-colonial manipulations for Africa’s distorted heritage and culture is not enough to redirect the lost generations. Chastising the Western media for defective portrayals of Africa is also not enough to quell the wave of African youth who risk life and dignity on a daily basis to escape their identity.
The new form of colonialism is dynamic and broad. The old and the new imperialists continue to loom large in young people’s minds, shaping the greater part of their everyday style and professional image. This is one syndrome that has been transmitted from Generation X to Generation Y and the culture is likely to continue.
There is nothing primitive about African etiquette, even before colonialism, African societies were thriving. There are so many young successful individuals emerging from Africa today and taking the world by surprise and doing wonders in different strategic sectors of the economy. Majority of them have made it in life because of hard work and who they know and not necessarily because of what they actually know.
Good networking skills always pay off in the foreseeable future, like they say; “Your network is your net worth”. Be that as it may; very few of the successful youths from the continent acknowledge their identity and the role that it played during the Hey days. After receiving international recognition, young Africans barely attribute their success to our humanity, our values, our ability and our potential as Africans.
Yesteryear generations have left indelible footmarks all over the continent and beyond for you and I to see that, there is nothing embarrassing about being an African. We are not second-class beings and one doubt if ever we will be.
The bulk of our history is found in museums and libraries and not in distorted foreign media writings and publications. Generation X has over the years been seduced into provocation by the manner in which Generation Y and Z play victim to Western cultures and ethics.
African youth mimic the Western style of dressing, amplify foreign languages, modify their traditions and way of living just to meet the global north standards and prove to the world that, they are not second-class youths.
The African identity is slowly becoming a positive reflection of the Western culture. While we strive to deride our former colonial masters, there is an opportunity to decolonize our minds as young people. Since the spokespersons of Africa are louder on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, It’s high time they reaffirm a different message about Africa.
Those with influence on Western platforms should occupy the stage and amplify the African culture and identity, embrace mother tongues and showcase the beauty of African manners. Abandoning our origins does not offer you and I and the future generations a blueprint to improve and safeguard African etiquette.
I believe in the power of dreams than in the power of memories. I am convinced that, as original Africans, even though we may not be able to change yesterday, we can do something today that can change tomorrow and reshape our morals through the lens of African perspectives.
@stajicesimmz