World Food Day 2024: Food Scientists Make Urgent Call for Nutritional Awareness and Reform in Uganda
By Bazira Henry Mugisha
KAMPALA-SHIFTMEDIA- For a long time, I have contemplated why “White” or Caucasian or is it “pink” people exhibit high levels of animosity against “black” or is it “dark” or “chocolate” people. I see the former group of people spending so much effort to demonstrate their dislike of the latter group, especially when the latter never seem to be bothered about the former. I have looked for historical, cultural, scientific, racial, supremacy, colour/skin pigmentation, and religious reasons to explain why the animosity, but there is no clear evidence other than conjecture.
Historically, Africans/ blacks have demonstrated that they are smart; energetic; innovative, resourceful; are loving, and have a high sense of humility, hospitability, and togetherness (Ubuntu). Science and innovation is believed to have started in Africa. Africans are known to have reigned in Europe for quite a long time. It is also reported that Sophia Charlotte born on 19th May 1744 and died on 17th November 1818 was the first black Queen of England, suggesting that even the current royals of England have “black blood” in their veins.
When whites come into black society they are welcomed, but when blacks come into white communities, the reverse happens – blacks are ostracized. Could it be that blacks have something that Whites unconsciously desire, but do not have and cannot get that they choose to mistreat or ostracise blacks?
Could it be that the “mark of Cain (Genesis 4:11-16) also commonly referred to as the “Curse of Cain” reigns in them “Caucasians” that they must mistreat or kill their black brother? Why the high level of violence meted against the black people.
Look at what they (“whites”) did in South Africa during the apartheid regime; Australia – whipping out the aborigines through ethnic cleansing missions; in North America – annihilating the native American (who they wrongly called the “Red Indian” & now call “American Indian”) through ethnic cleansing agendas, etc. The “mark” that was placed upon Cain has been heavily speculated.
Most Caucasians believe that the mark was for Cain to have black skin – suggesting that Cain turned black after killing his white brother Abel. This belief led people to think that being black was a curse, but nowhere in the Bible is it stated that Cain’s mark was being black or that Cain and Abel were originally white.
The Bible did not specify the nature of the mark whether it was a scar, an inscription or a body deformation, etc., but being a mark it was bound to be visible by all who met Cain, because its purpose was to protect Cain from being killed (Genesis 4:15). It is therefore erroneous for the Whites to think that being black is a sign of the mark or curse of Cain and that blacks are therefore cursed and of no value. For 200 years, whites justified the slavery of blacks arguing that their black skins was a sign of the mark of Cain.
Over the years, people have used skin colour to determine superiority – thinking that anybody white is superior to anybody with a different shade of skin colour, which is not the case, but forget that everyone is just a different shade of brown.
For many centuries, both blacks and whites have practiced varying religious traditions engrained with superstition and witchcraft, until the advent of Christianity, Islam, and other religions including atheism that they all practice out of choice – so it would be erroneous to use religion as the basis for discrimination against blacks.
When we consider genetics, we discover that essentially whites and blacks share the same genetic code – a reason it is possible for a white to marry a black person and they produce children. If there was no similarity in the genes, such unions would not result in producing offspring.
It is something in the White people that we cannot explain easily at this stage that is responsible for their animosity against black people. It is something they are best positioned to evaluate in themselves and deal with accordingly because such animosity is uncalled for. “Black lives also matter”.
The author is the Executive Director, Water Governance Institute – a non-governmental organisation based in Uganda