Why do we hate, nay, loathe each other so much these days?

        Every time we meet and talk it is the same old moaning.

“We blacks do not like each other...”

Same old topic.

“Why do we blame everything on colonialism and slavery?”

Same old blaming.

Blame, blame, blame.

Thirty years ago, if you were to visit in London, you would see blacks nodding to each other on the street. Acknowledgment. Black power salute with fists. We loved each other, even if on the surface.

Not now. Not now.

Today?

Pure malice. Apathy. Distaste even.

You see another black coming, you look away. No recognition. Try and stare too long it is like...

“What are you looking at?”

WE LOATHE EACH OTHER.

Is that why, perhaps, we have all these continuous conflicts across the mother continent?

Maybe.

Try thinking about what would have happened if you had actually fully expressed the internal traffic jam in your intestines.

Imaginary dialogue.

“Do, I know you?”

“No.”

“Get lost, then”

“You, too.”

Unspoken massacre. Inward slaughter. Laughter. Slaughter.

Internal butcher.

I remember in the 1970s, the phrase Brothers and Sisters was sooo, common. Popular.

“My brother, please help me...”

“Are you new in town?”

“Yes. Know where the huge market is?”

“Don’t worry my brother. You are actually not far from it.

Let me direct you.”

“Thank you so much, brother.”

“Thank you so much, sister...”

Both sides respectfully, acknowledging.

Speaking of sisters, what happened to the natural Afro hair? If famous black women like Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama are using superficial, relaxed, permed, chemicalised hair, sisal, twigs and wigs – where will our little girls go? The African American comedian Chris Rock did a documentary in 2010. Watch “Good Hair” on YouTube.

Anyway, it used to be brothers and sisters. Back then. Not now. Not now.

NOT NOOW!

That would be say, 1977, 1973, 1981.

“Brother Bob Marley just died.”

May 1981.

“Brother Bob just died.”

“Tragic.”

“Do you like reggae?”

“Ganja music?”

“Whaaa- t?”

“Yes Bob Marley smoked marijuana. Reggae means drugs.”

“Not really. It is revolutionary music. Bob Marley and Wailers played during Zimbabwe independence celebrations in Harare in April 1980. Revolutionary music.”

“Revolutionary?”

“Yes, conscious music.”

Yes. Consciousness. Every generation, epoch, time frame has a catch phrase, a metaphor, a period concept. Forty years ago, it was “consciousness.”

“He is not conscious!”

“Who?”

“Him. Her. They just eat, sleep, eat, fornicate, defecate, operate.”

“What is wrong with that? It is called living.”

“Living blindly. Lacking consciousness and awareness.”

“Eat, sleep, eat, fornicate, defecate, operate. Pretty boring.”

That word “consciousness” was very significant.

1974.

It is similar to today’s common phrases. Likes. Followers. 2018. Likes. Like me on Facebook. Can you please like my video on You Tube? Like me? LIKE ME. ME. ME. MEEEEEEEE!!!

“Or, what?”

“If you don’t like me I will UNLIKE YOU. Unfollow you.”

“Why?”

“I have a million Instagram followers.”

Those words display what we are today. Back then it was being aware of the struggle for freedom, identity, social progress.

“Consciousness” meant you were willing to participate intellectually too. “What is going on?” 1971. That was a song by late Motown singer, Marvin Gaye. 1971.

“Mother, mother

There’s too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There’s far too many of you dying

You know we’ve got to find a way

To bring some loving’ here today

Father, father

We don’t need to escalate

You see, war is not the answer

For only love can conquer hate...”

That was.

1971. 1972. 1977. 1980. 1983.

January 2018 is not about social responsibility. Not about : let us liberate Africa, the motherland from corruption and lies and laziness, or like it was....for our brothers and sisters in Angola, Haiti, Libya, Palestine. Not that. It is about me, me, me. You are black, I am black.

So what?

“Come on let us take a selfie.”

“I don’t like selfies!”

“What is wrong with you ?”

“Nothing wrong, I just believe in feelings. Touching. IAM NOT SELFISH!”

“When you take a picture you are being sensitive, you are sharing a moment with your friends. Mingling. Interacting. We will SHARE this!”

“I do not understand social media. Too intrusive. Too narcissistic.”

“Narcissistic?”

“Yes. Narcissistic.”

“What does Narcissistic mean?”

“Narcissism. Self worship. Self love. Excessive self glorification.”

LIKE MEEEEE!!!

Laughter.

Laughter the best medicine.

Laughing is healthy.

We blacks laugh a lot. We adore cracking up. WE talk a lot.

WE TALK ALOT.

BLAH! BLAH! BLAH!

“Then how come WE do not like each other?”

“What do you mean we do not LIKE each other?”

“WE kill each other. Black on black crime. Youth join gangs. Juju on you. Juju on me.”

WATCH OUT I WILL JUJU YOU!!!

“Such stupid generalisations.”

“Some of it is true though.”

“Some...”

“We despise each other. No aknowledg-”

“Aw, shut up!”

“Truth hurts.”

“That is hearsay.”

“It is happening...”