We Are All Africans
On Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Two Frech doctors. Jean-Paul Mira and Camille Locht insinuated that Africans be used as guinea pigs to test coronavirus vaccines. Dr Mira would later apologise for his remarks but not without strong condemnation from eminent Africans, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and a number of interest groups. This inspirational message reminds the world that Africans are as human as the rest of humanity. Whatever happens to Africa happens to the world.
We are all Africans: The Poem
The streets have become ghost towns
The enemy has come to town
The city is on lockdown
Invaders have come downtown
Tens of thousands are down already
The wounded in hundreds of thousands and counting
Many wounded are contained in remote places
Many victims displaced by this foe that rages
Bellies groan in hunger
Stockpiles going under
The siren from a distance
The soldiers of resistance
Two kinds of soldiers – some to combat the invaders
Some to enforce the resistance
Whichever kind you see
The sight leaves dread on the streets
Everyone is locked in no one is going out
How long will this fight be; no one can voice out
With caution some sneak out to scavenge the stores
With abandon many troop out to loot the stock
Chaos on the streets
Anarchy in the cities
Many fear the hordes of hell
They wonder if they’ll live to tell
Where on earth is this battle raging?
Where in the world is this foe pillaging?
Is this an African war-torn country?
Sudan, Congo, Chad, or Burundi?
Am I narrating the Rwandan genocide?
Am I retelling the Somalian fratricide?
Are these the concentration camps in Libya?
Are these the IDP camps of Nigeria?
No! They’re not!
This story is set in Rome just as much as it is in Khartoum
Its plot is carved in Madrid just as much as it is in Mali
It’s set in New York, Paris, Berlin and London
Just as much as in Lagos, Cairo and Joburg
It’s the story of a world reshaped by a virus
Our common humanity the times remind us
That no matter where you come from
And the passport you have your name on
No matter the colour of your skin
No matter your class or your skill
No matter the shape of your nose
No matter the accent of your tone
No matter the size of your economy
No matter the strength of your armoury
No matter the flag you salute
No matter the banner you uphold
When all is said and done
We are all Africans
We are all Africans
We reach for life as much as we can
We want food on our tables
To feed our families we want the staples
We want a place to lay our heads
From the scorching sun above the earth
We want clothes on our skin
To keep our bodies warm and clean
We are all Africans
We long for peace on our streets
We seek safety in our cities
We want moments of joy and laughter
Between Fathers and mothers, sons and daughters
We want love and happy families
We want respect in our communities
We have hopes and aspirations
To reach greats heights of actualization
To live in our world without fear and agitation
To leave a better world for the next generation
It’s the universality of humanity
Notwithstanding nationality
After all is said and done
We are all Africans
We are all Africans
It’s why we come together at such times of crisis
To resist the foes that thrive in the divisive
We are all Africans
It’s why our hearts yearn beyond the quarantine
To the hearts of those whose love is guaranteed
We are all Africans
It’s why social media can’t bridge the social distance
And why isolation feels like incarceration
We are all Africans
It’s why we pause and think of more than ourselves
To the poor and vulnerable who can’t survive by themselves
We are all Africans
It’s why caregivers put their lives on the line
Fighting day and night to rescue the dying
We are all Africans
It’s why we accept our humanity
And ascribe to God His divinity
For when complex situations overwhelm our ability
We cry out to God in corporate humility
knowing He’ll come through in our vulnerability
To save our nations and our communities
That’s what makes us human, that’s what makes us African
To be African is to hope
To be African is to love
To be African is to sacrifice
To be African is to survive
To be African is to thrive
To be African is to be real
To be African is to believe
To believe that we will survive no matter how dark the days become
To believe that we will thrive no matter how long the night stays on
We believe because we always remember
We’ve been through this before, but we never surrendered
These are the battles that define our daily experience
These are the struggles that shape our usual resilience
it’s why we stay strong at heart
Because we know that these too shall pass
Tell these words to every home
Let it ring on from every phone
Say it out in every street
Sing it loud in every city
Play the tune in every country
Raise the tone on every continent
From New York to Beijing
From Jo’burg to Berlin
For after all is said and done
We are all Africans.
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