This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
Published on June 18, 2020, by Wairimu Nderitu, author of Beyond Ethnicism, Mukami Kimathi, Mau Mau Freedom Fighter, and Kenya: Bridging Ethnic Divides.
As the world grapples with the aftermath of George Floyd's death, it's striking to see how Africans have rallied behind the anti-racism protests. However, it's equally striking to see how quickly we forget our own history of ethnic divisions and colonialism, which perpetuate systemic racism and ethnicism.
Take, for instance, the case of 21-year-old Mercy Cherono, who was tied to a motorcycle by a policeman in Kenya and dragged across the streets on her stomach. The officer accused her of stealing from him, but the public intervened, and she was released. Cherono suffered a broken leg and other injuries.
It's not hard to imagine a Kenyan policeman sharing videos of George Floyd's death, outraged at the cruelty of the white policeman. But why do we care more about putting ourselves in Floyd's shoes than in Cherono's? And what are the consequences of this lack of imagination?
Colonialism may be a distant memory for some, but its effects are still felt today. In Africa, many people prefer ethnic over national identities, which can be particularly dangerous when it permeates public policies, institutional practices, and cultural representations.
As I wrote in a series of articles last year, racism manifests in the hospitality industry in Africa. Many Africans responded, but some saw racism as a historical phenomenon or as violence against African-Americans by white policemen. However, it's clear that both structural racism and ethnicism allocate social privileges, with those on the lower end of the privilege scale and socioeconomically disadvantaged inevitably being black.
Part of this comes from the divide and rule strategy, a British colonial method that segregated ethnic groups and ruled indirectly through chiefs. This strategy disrupted pre-colonial inter-ethnic cooperation and cemented a clear line between ethnic identity and access to resources.
Today, leaders using ethnicity to divide people have perfected the original divisive racist script. These divisions deepen concurrently with competition by ethnic blocs, mobilized against each other, for political control.
As we identify with protests against racism on African-Americans, we need to recognize current manifestations of ethnic divisions in Africa. We need to understand colonial treatment of ethnic groups to appreciate the perpetuation of systemic racism and ethnicism.
It's time for us to forge a partnership to find a meaningful solution to these issues. We need to recognize the consequences of our lack of imagination and work towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
