In moments of quiet reflection, I find myself wondering what life would be like if things were different. If I could reset our very existence or rewrite history, what would I change or do differently? It always comes back to one thing. Equality for all humans and much as I‘d like to believe the famous declaration that all men are created equal, of which I’m deeply skeptical by the way because I don’t believe Thomas Jefferson and Scholars had women in mind when drafting the proclamation, but nevertheless, the truth is that we’re not equal and that is why we continue to deal with racial and gender biases. Imagine if we were all the same and nobody considered themselves superior. I reckon life would be a lot easier. There’s beauty in diversity but a lot of our problems also stem from this very diversity. Two former allies just met Pope Francis for a two-day Peace Retreat and while we’re all hoping for a positive outcome and lasting peace, millions of South Sudanese wouldn’t be living in refugee camps with little to no food and other basic services if it weren’t for ethnic and tribal tensions. In Libya, it appears they got rid of one problem but are on the verge of being declared yet another failed state with more factions, terrorist hotspots and unprecented cases of human trafficking and abuse. Down South, there’ve been numerous attacks on Malawian, Nigerian, Ethiopian and other African Migrants and Expatriates when just years ago, South Africans fleeing the brutal Apartheid Regime sought refuge in the very countries whose nationals are now targets of xenophobic attacks. And then there’s Brexit. Britain tearing itself apart just so they can leave or stay in the European Union. There was a time when there were no borders. So who split Europe up in the first place that they would then need to come together to form the European Union which now more than ever risks breaking up as more countries are contemplating Referendums of their own on whether to stay or quit the Union even as some other countries like Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine seek to join! And the irony of Black Sportsmen and women subjected to racial abuse sometimes from rival clubs from their own native countries but usually when they travel for international games. It’s 2019 and while racial profiling is not as rife as it was right up to the 70s, minorities are still denied certain services and admission into certain schools, hospitals, hotels and other institutions. Reserve your judgment the next time you see someone reaching for a skin-lightening cream or choosing to undergo a risky and costly procedure just so they can look a certain way. And as someone who has endured all kinds of chemicals and hours under a hot dryer in an attempt to straighten my natural hair before spending a substantial amount of my hard-earned money on Wigs and Hair Extensions, I totally relate. Nobody forces us to undergo these extreme treatments but inferiority complex is real, especially for people of colour. Take ethnic and gender stereotypes out of the picture and then we can truly achieve equality.
