The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination

We are first Humans before attaching any tribal differences to our personalities. 

Why do we deceive ourselves with our clamour for peace and unity when we are not ready to embrace each other as the humans that we are, from different tribes and regions? 

Author: David Oletu (DCM)

In Africa, whenever we hear of discrimination, what comes to mind is major racial discrimination between countries. 

Without the need for any soothsayers, our understanding of discrimination stems from the literature we read in school.

And those books on discrimination are primarily centred on the discrimination between whites and blacks. 

We analyse those kinds of literature so passionately to show how scholarly we are,

even if that form of discrimination is no longer completely seen in our present age,

as presently, the kind of discrimination that exists primarily in Africa is the discrimination within ourselves.

What if we begin to take cognizance of how we discriminate against each other, largely within ourselves in Africa, without first looking outside?

What if we first cleaned up our mess before looking far away?

The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination

In Africa today, we barely see how we discriminate against ourselves with our tribal differences,

gender wars and preferences, stigma against the physically challenged, and superstitious beliefs. 

I remember one fateful day at the University of Benin, when myself and my very good female friend, Ejiro, were discussing life generally.

Ejiro is from the Uhrobo tribe in Delta State, while I am from the Isoko tribe in Delta State.

So, I jokingly told her that I would visit her home one day to see her parents.

Then she said her mother doesn’t like the Isoko men.

They have a generalised negative view of Isoko men.

Ejiro also keyed into her mother’s view of Isoko men and said that she wouldn’t even think of marrying any of them. 

I laughed over it and asked Ejiro, “If you say you don’t like Isoko men, how then did we become so close that you’ve grown to like me so much?”

Ejiro responded that I was different.

Then I sarcastically asked her what makes me different, since I have Isoko blood flowing through my veins. 

Ejiro couldn’t give a logical answer. 

I think, to an extent, I had changed her view of Isoko men. 

Our conversation surrounding our tribal differences, however, taught me a lesson:

we most often define our character based on the tribe to which we belong,

forgetting that we are first humans before attaching any tribal differences to our personalities.

The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination 

Some nations in Africa seek unity but, ironically, won’t want to see a particular tribe involved in their business or with their family.

Tribal discrimination also exists in the workplace, where positions are given based on where you come from.

Have we also looked into the university systems in some African countries?

The state you come from is a determining factor for your easy entry into a particular university of your choice.

Why do we deceive ourselves with our clamour for peace and unity when we are not ready to embrace each other as the humans that we are, from different tribes and regions? 

We should be careful about the way we view each other.

Often, We may be wrong with our negative view of others from other tribes,

for it is not our tribe but human character and psychology that cause our insecurities. 

It is also possible that you get hurt or painted badly by people who are from your tribe. 

So, rather than view each other based on tribal differences,

let us work on building our attitude towards life and people for our peace and security. 

Additionally, gender discrimination exists largely among us.

But, consciously or unconsciously, we don’t take cognizance of it. 

It is appalling how, till present, some men won’t rest until they have a male child.

They believe that the male child will sustain their name and legacy, while the female child will change their identity once they get married.

So many homes have been destroyed as a result of such gender preferences.

It is even more baffling to see that in this present age, some people don’t take the formal education of the female child seriously—

they believe that the female child should be trained at home to prepare them for marriage and to become a full-time wife in their early stages.

As a result of those discriminatory issues, such as abuse, social stigma, etc., surrounding the girl child,

so many activists have risen to advocate for and create numerous platforms to empower the girl child.

But then again, I ask myself, as much as those girlchild initiatives are good,

what happens to the boychild who will also grow to marry the girl child who is now heavily groomed for the future?

The discrimination against both genders seems like a cycle.

It revolves around both.

While one stone is thrown at one, the other also receives his fair share of the stone, perhaps silently. 

Why can’t we amplify our voices on the protection and good development of both children rather than on one? 

As a matter of urgency, society should kick against every toxic culture that raises children to tamper negatively with each other’s self-esteem and identity.

If we can do that, we are a step closer to resolving our differences.

The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination 

Moreover, let me briefly share my service (NYSC) experience.

When I was posted to my primary place of assignment, everyone was concerned about my health.

Will I be able to cope with the stress that comes with teaching so many students in a public school?

I didn’t just teach any subject; I taught English, a general subject.

One day, when I was about to leave the school, the principal of the school stated that the first time he saw me, he thought I wouldn’t be able to perform due to my small stature.

He thought I would have felt intimidated by the senior secondary school students,

get frustrated, and probably lose interest along the line. 

But, to his surprise, I performed way beyond their expectations,

to the point where the teachers and students didn’t want me to leave their school. 

The head of the language department further stated that if he had the power to write to the government to retain me, they would have done that,

but unfortunately, they can’t, and besides, I didn’t study education. 

Nevertheless, on a lighter note, with my newly discovered skill in the teaching line, I hope to start lecturing school students officially someday.

The principal’s first impression of me by merely looking at my small stature speaks a lot;

about how we define people’s capabilities based on their physical appearance or challenges.

That’s a form of discrimination we practice within ourselves, but we don’t see it as an issue.

And that’s how we lose quality people in our lives and businesses because of how they appear physically. 

If only we can see beyond the physical appearance or challenges of people, we will do well in helping each other grow,

building self-esteem for more innovations to thrive from those we look down on, and encouraging love and appreciation for each other.

The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination 

Equally important, there still seems to be some superstitious belief that ravages our minds and the views of certain innocent humans. 

I was born in the digital and enlightenment ages,

and I read about how some children are seen as witches and, hence, abandoned by the parents who gave birth to them.

Some children are equally tagged as an ‘abomination, mistake, or shame’ if they are born out of wedlock.

I never knew such a thing still existed in this era until I came across Anja Ringgren Lovén’s Land of Hope initiative.

Anja revealed how she encountered a malnourished 2-year-old boy in Nigeria,

one of an estimated 20,000 children who are accused of being witches, who were cast off by the village and left to fend for themselves. 

Anja discovered many more of them in Africa and has committed herself to caring for those children at Land of Hope. (www.landofhope.global )

Discrimination is a bane of society that should be tackled from all angles of life.

If God had decided to handle us naturally based on the sins we commit each day, life would have been hell for us.

But God loves us, regardless, and sees us as His own.

If God can show this magnitude of love to us, who are we to speak or reason badly about God’s creatures?

We, on our own, have our differences and weaknesses.

Let’s think about this!

Also Read: Shackles Of The Physically Challenged Child – Diademng (thediademng.org)

The Overlooked Forms of Discrimination