This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On May 25, 2020, the world witnessed the brutal murder of George Floyd, an unarmed African-American, by a white policeman in the US. The incident sparked widespread protests, but the initial absence of African protestors was heart-wrenching.
The African Union's statement on May 29, 2020, condemning Floyd's murder and reiterating the AU's rejection of discriminatory practices against Black citizens of the US, brought much-needed relief. The statement also highlighted the Organisation of African Unity's 1964 resolution on Racial Discrimination in America, passed at the First Assembly Meeting of African Heads of State and Government in Cairo, Egypt.
According to an independent autopsy, Floyd's death was a homicide, caused by asphyxiation from sustained pressure leading to a lack of blood flow in his brain. The policeman knelt on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, and continued to kneel on him two minutes and 53 seconds after he became unresponsive.
Despite the progress made in African and African-American relations, thanks in part to Ghana's Year of Return events, relationships between the two groups are often strained due to misperceptions based on stereotypes. This is rooted in a common ancestry, genetic link, and shared struggle against slavery and colonialism.
For centuries, African and African-Americans were denied access to education, deemed to have low cognitive ability. Africans do not fully appreciate the destructive impact of slavery on African-Americans, who encounter daily racism based on their skin color. In contrast, Africans are born into cultures where being black is the norm.
The Eurocentric approach to education in Africa means that many schools do not teach the full extent of what African slaves and their descendants went through. For example, few Africans know about the brown paper bag test in America, which was used to determine access to privileges based on skin color.
Malcolm X emphasized the importance of understanding African history and culture in enhancing the self-esteem of African-Americans and their identities as Africans. To mourn Floyd's death, we must demand justice for him and all victims of extra-judicial killings, learn African history, and condemn racial and ethnic discrimination in all its forms.
