I'm too stupid for politics

« Connecting to our past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful » Beyoncé.

I’ve been questioning the ability of my country to ever find stability, autonomy, success and peace. I’m from DR Congo, according to wikipedia, 78.74 millions people, ,2’345’000 km2, independence June 30th 1960. Fancy words for a harsh reality.

I’ve heard and witnessed so much hatred between my people, brainless, selfish and unwise decisions that I stopped believing. Believing that we could make it. That we, as a country could attain greatness. Then I looked in the past, way back in the past. Did you know that Kongo Kingdom was one the most prosperous and successful in Africa ? Did you know that before Portuguese arrived, we thrived and organized an efficient way of living for centuries? Portuguese arrived and applauded our organization that was very similar, if not more innovative than theirs. They fought for 400 years until they could colonize Angola, and Belgium got the rest of the kingdom, DR Congo. Why is it do you think they took so long to control the kingdom?

Britains said: Kongolese people are way too smart to be colonized. Portuguese negotiated, exchanged as equals for centuries until they could take full control.

You know what got us down? What was the weakness? They divided us. We divided ourselves. That’s how we lost.

I went in school in DR Congo from 4 to 18 (took a 2 year trip abroad but still), never was I taught this story. Never was I told that my ancestors were smart, brave and good people. I was taught about Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, and Diogo Cao. How could I not think little of my people? How could I not think little of myself? Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about where we come from because I’m having trouble seeing where we're going.

I think we have it all wrong. We’re applying, no, we’re copying a white system that wasn’t meant for us. We’re copying rules, structures and organization that is simply not meant for our minds and ways. We need to find ourselves again. Africa needs to find itself. It is not our job to adapt, it’s people who come in our continent that have to adapt and accept our values and ways. It’s only when every african understand that we set the rules on our territory that Africa can thrive. That my country can thrive. We are not stupid, we are not incompetent. We’re simply not using our knowledge properly. We are not true to who we are. We believe that the white way is the way, that’s why we stand where we stand.

I believe that the second teachers start teaching kids about their ancestors, about their origins, about who they were before being thrown apart, we will have valuable soldiers, we will have intelligent people that will set the rules and get us back on track for greatness. We were never meant to be less, we were never meant to be followers, we have our history, our minds, our story.

We can do better than our ancestors, we can be pioneers for the next generation. If and only if we understand our story and have a clear authentic vision of our future.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Kongo-historical-kingdom-Africa

https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/kingdom-kongo-1390-1914

http://www.rightforeducation.org/all-topics/culture/kongo-kingdom/

https://kwekudee-tripdownmemorylane.blogspot.com/2013/05/pre-colonial-african-kingdom-of-kongo.html

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/angola/kongo.htm

* I do not own the rights to this painting