Where does history come from? Who writes it? Why is it written?
These questions are important because they challenge the reader to reflect on pertinent points about making history.
Making history is traditionally done through oral practice whereby the lived experiences of one generation are passed on to the next generation through stories around the wood fire. In modern times making history is done through written books, audio recordings, and video documentaries. The medium used is generally for the convenience of the moment.
A large amount of history is accounted for by visitors and researchers to a specific place or event of significance to the history maker.
It must be acknowledged that making history is a combination of various mechanisms which include experienced facts, the writer’s perspective, some deductions, various extrapolations, and even a fair amount of hearsay.
It is these different methodologies that often challenge us to question the historical accounts that are captured in our various forms of history making and history capturing efforts.
If one considers the different accounts of two people that were bystanders witnessing a motor vehicle accident, one can easily conclude that much of our documented history is part fact and part perspective. Perspective is usually influenced by attitude, expectations, and internal fears and concerns. Perspective therefore shapes and becomes a major part of making history.
Africa is considered to be one of the largest continents on the planet with more than 3,000 kilometres of the equator, and yet history tells us that most plants, fruit, and flora were imported into the continent from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Basic common sense challenges these historical assertions and suggests that the history making about Africa has been largely perceptions rather than facts.
Political history making is much a matter of informing the next generation with information that should help them navigate through life both economically and socially. Historical accounts of the freedom struggles in Africa have been captured as acts of terrorism and barbarianism until recently when many African countries have demanded a re-write to represent the facts more truthfully. The history books before the release of the Iconic Madiba; Nelson Mandela of South Africa, branded him as a terrorist and trouble maker, but post 1994 historians now refer to him as the shining star of Africa and the light of humanity in the modern world.
Making history is a very important responsibility that will influence and fuel the attitudes of the next generation.
Manipulations and distortions of historical events and accounts can build a fragile, ineffective, and conflict ridden society of the present and future.
It for this reason that making history must be carefully challenged to account for the past as truthfully as possible, and more so, must be accounted for by people of the land in which the history is being made.
Today history plays a big role in decision making on a day-to-day basis. Books and publications are often embraced as fact. The internet has become the most recent reference for many researchers and writers. The visual and oral recordings that are beamed to us through radio and television, program us with perspectives and beliefs that re-model our minds every day.
If the content is biased towards destroying our abilities to develop ourselves then we are no better than drug addicts that are driven by some poisonous fluid in their blood stream and in their minds.
Making history is part of the foundation of economic and social growth. It must be corroborated with other sources, it must be tested against multiple accounts, and where possible, it must be exposed to scientific analysis and evidence.
Today because of biased history, Africans are branded to be lazy, Africans are labeled as corrupt, Africans are criminalized as war mongerers, Africans are considered to be incapable of planning ahead, and Africans are deemed to be under developed.
How can the next generation hope to climb out of poverty and social inequality with all these negative labels that are placed on them? Too often the fight is lost even before it has begun.
Africa’s achievements are mostly physical. Africa has vast mineral resources. Africa has huge tracts of arable lands. Africa has the world’s best long distance runners. Africa has the world’s best climates. Africa has open spaces. Africa has vast bushes and jungles for tourism. Africa is open for investment.
The physical features of Africa are mainly marketed to either indicate the lack of development, or to show case the great opportunities that are available for the developed world. Very little is written about the values of culture and tradition. There are fewer accounts of the mental well being of Africans as evidenced by the lower occurrences of mental diseases on the continent.
Africa must begin to write its own history and take into account the wills and aspirations of the local people that make up the lived history. Africa must account for the negative experiences, but must also shout out the achievements and successes of yesteryears. Africa must recognize that history is the fuel that propels the development engine of tomorrow and therefore must ensure that it does the job right and efficiently.
History is written by intellectuals and idiots alike. There are no restrictions. This brief account on making history is already becoming a part of Zambia’s and Africa’s history. For the writer, it will have already been catalogued and archived for others to refer to even before the text is brought to press.
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