I made some typos and grammatical errors. Here a few of them:
(1) Rome and Greece "has" (instead "have")
(2) Than end the conversation (instead of "ends")
Thanks.
Hello readers,
I made some typos and grammatical errors. Here a few of them:
(1) Rome and Greece "has" (instead "have")
(2) Than end the conversation (instead of "ends")
Thanks.
Kontopiaat 10 years ago
A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid wa ... read full comment
A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid was a thief as he stole his knowledge from Africa. In subsequent write-ups, do not forget Ayi Kwei Armah, my clansman from Tdi and Wba. Saaalute.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello Kontopiaate,
I must say that Fela and Ayi Kwei Armah are two of my idols. Fela was unbeatable.
His Afrobeat was not comparable. We are lucky to have Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti.
These guys are like Bob Marley's Z ... read full comment
Hello Kontopiaate,
I must say that Fela and Ayi Kwei Armah are two of my idols. Fela was unbeatable.
His Afrobeat was not comparable. We are lucky to have Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti.
These guys are like Bob Marley's Ziggy, Damian, Stephen, and Ky-Mani. DNA does not lie!
I have used both men, Fela and Armah, in some of my write-ups. I believe Armah has been living in Senegal where he teaches and does research.
I also believe he's a member of a team of Senegalese-based scholars researching and expanding the work of Cheikh Anta Diop.
In fact, Armah's 1995 "Osiris Rising" is a literary outgrowth of Diopian scholarshp.
To top it all, his "The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born" is a classic.
Thanks.
Brother 10 years ago
Elder brother, You have made my afternoon. I am studying for an exam and only come to seek deep knowledge like your writeup here. Somebody last week thoughts you are praising yourself at the commentary because some of us enjo ... read full comment
Elder brother, You have made my afternoon. I am studying for an exam and only come to seek deep knowledge like your writeup here. Somebody last week thoughts you are praising yourself at the commentary because some of us enjoyed reading what you wrote and we said it. It is a pity I have to revisit it because the person could have checked and would have realized I wrote from Africa and others from America. Thanks and I hope to get more direction next week. I was also at Asante's Website. Very insightful.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Dear Brother,
How are you doing, Brother?
The fact that I have good friends on Ghanaweb bothers some people.
You are right, these negative readers want us to praise Westerners and Asians and not praise our men and w ... read full comment
Dear Brother,
How are you doing, Brother?
The fact that I have good friends on Ghanaweb bothers some people.
You are right, these negative readers want us to praise Westerners and Asians and not praise our men and women who are doing great things for Africa.
Don't bother about these negative readers. How can I be in Europe, America, and Africa at the same time.
Initially, a commentator said I was Dr. Michael Bokor, now, I am Media Mogul, Brother, Mr. Figure Out, Mothers Child. I don't know what this person, Wake up People, he/she called him/herself, was thinking.
Anyway, let's forget about this person. I am happy you've visited Dr. Asante's website. Let me know what you think about the information you get there.
Please take care and have fun.
Thanks.
Kontopiaat 10 years ago
A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid wa ... read full comment
A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid was a thief as he stole his knowledge from Africa. In subsequent write-ups, do not forget Ayi Kwei Armah, my clansman from Tdi and Wba. Saaalute.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Kontopiaat,
There is not hard evidence that Euclid even existed.
The West wants to have all to themselves alone. We shan't allow that to happen. Euclid never existed. Fela was right.
Incidentally, this game of false ... read full comment
Kontopiaat,
There is not hard evidence that Euclid even existed.
The West wants to have all to themselves alone. We shan't allow that to happen. Euclid never existed. Fela was right.
Incidentally, this game of false attribution is part of what a Guyanese-American classicist, George James, called his book "Stolen Legacy."
This book has shaken the West to its core. It gave Martin Bernal, the British-American scholar, the intellectual ammunition for his triumvirate volumes, Black Athena, books everyone must read.
It's a Bible for the Afrocentrists.
Thanks.
Kawaanopaado 10 years ago
Kofi Asare Opoku, my Afro-studs Prof at Legon now lives in the USA and is damn good at knowledge on our culture. Get in touch with him to get more stuff on our rich Ghanaian culture.
Kofi Asare Opoku, my Afro-studs Prof at Legon now lives in the USA and is damn good at knowledge on our culture. Get in touch with him to get more stuff on our rich Ghanaian culture.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
I surely will (if your response is for me, not Kontopiaat).
On the other hand, I have discussed Dr. Kofi Asare Opoku and his work on African religion with Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, I think in 2010 or so, in Philade ... read full comment
Hello,
I surely will (if your response is for me, not Kontopiaat).
On the other hand, I have discussed Dr. Kofi Asare Opoku and his work on African religion with Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, I think in 2010 or so, in Philadelphia.
It does appear that Dr. Opoku contributed a chapter(s) to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, edited by Dr. Ama Mazama and Dr. Molefi Kete Asante.
Anyway, thanks for sharing. I shall try to get in touch with him.
Thanks.
Nii Ashitey 10 years ago
Economic development is a goal of all nation-states especially for developing economies. Strategies for economic development must therefore stress the importance of science and technology in accomplishing such goals. With the ... read full comment
Economic development is a goal of all nation-states especially for developing economies. Strategies for economic development must therefore stress the importance of science and technology in accomplishing such goals. With the pace that the world keeps and the speed with which technology advances, an understanding of science is a crucial part of a rounded education. Moreover, Ghana and for that matter Africa needs more scientists and more people skilled in science and technology in order to compete in the global arena.
While it is necessary to build and enhance strong scientific and technological capacity in all regions of the world, this need is particularly pressing in developing countries. Developing countries must therefore address this problem and enhance significantly investment in higher education and Science and Technology capacity.
Science discovers fundamental information about how the universe works. Technology is the practical application of that information, or knowledge. A computer is an example of technology, in order to invent one, it is necessary to know a lot of fundamental science.
Science sets the stage for technology, which produces useful devices. There would be no laptops without the fundamental discoveries of science. That is why Francis' call to appreciate the role of science and technology at this stage of our development, is a welcome one. The scientist must be given a heroic status in-order to motivate him into giving in his best even if the financial incentive isn’t very much. His patriotism is what we need at this stage of our development.
Nkrumah realized this several years ago with the founding of the University of science and technology to train Ghanains to meet the challenges of modern progress. The duty of the Ghanaian leadership is to harness their expertise for national development. Names like Dr Victor Lawrence, Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu and the many Ghanaian names excelling all over the world must be proof that Ghana abound in talents in this area of science and technology. It is up to government to make the best use of them for our developmental goals.For us the non scientist, we look forward to our scientist to live up to the challenges of our time.
Atsu 10 years ago
you know your stuff..
you know your stuff..
ELINAM 10 years ago
To develop and move away from the feel-good mediocrity, we need to take the bull by the horn which requires a great deal of paradigm shift. Or else we'll be moving in circles going no where.
To develop and move away from the feel-good mediocrity, we need to take the bull by the horn which requires a great deal of paradigm shift. Or else we'll be moving in circles going no where.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
You crisp statement indicates that you have the bull by the horn. In fact, your position is exactly what African needs to do
Thanks.
Hello,
You crisp statement indicates that you have the bull by the horn. In fact, your position is exactly what African needs to do
Thanks.
Osei Yao 10 years ago
A thesis for a degree? What is in it for the general reader?
A thesis for a degree? What is in it for the general reader?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Hello,
Since when did Ghanaweb start granting degrees?
General readers like Nii Ashitey, Atsu, Elinam, Kontopiaat don't have a problem?
Are you a member of the general readership?
Waste for you? How sad! Well, y ... read full comment
Hello,
Since when did Ghanaweb start granting degrees?
General readers like Nii Ashitey, Atsu, Elinam, Kontopiaat don't have a problem?
Are you a member of the general readership?
Waste for you? How sad! Well, you can't write to please everyone.
In fact, I hardly write for people like you.
Why did you read it in the first place?
Which school accepts a three-page feature articles as thesis?
Oh Ghana! We are in deep trouble.
Look for other pieces to read.
Thanks.
MR ODI ASEMPA 10 years ago
your last two articles are more incisive and more educative.The first two were simply pitching your favourites against one another.Why on earth didn"t you mention the contribution of k appiah"s mother contribution towards gha ... read full comment
your last two articles are more incisive and more educative.The first two were simply pitching your favourites against one another.Why on earth didn"t you mention the contribution of k appiah"s mother contribution towards ghana"s literary and oral culture? You were more concerned about his sexual proclivities,why? The only point i agree with you is this"Middle East" ,An artificial construct of eurocentric nineteenth century geographers who.who,willing to go any length to avoid the unpleasant admission that Africans built the pyramids,found a way of "STEALING" EGYPT from the continent in which any map clearly shows it belongs.You could have pitched him against his own mother"s contribution to Ghana.Three questions,were there any ARABS in africa when the pyramids were built? How do you revive a dead language in modern Africa,from tangier to cape of good hope?lastly, what is the official language of usa? pls do not tell me it is english.
Wakoyako 10 years ago
We have indeed come a long way. We have a lot of dreamers and illusionists, buried in the glories of the past. European have dream that are easily transform into realities to better up their lives. We are blessed with people ... read full comment
We have indeed come a long way. We have a lot of dreamers and illusionists, buried in the glories of the past. European have dream that are easily transform into realities to better up their lives. We are blessed with people who are capable of great ideas but that is where it all stop.
Here we are concocting up a beautiful past, filled with glories to make up for our failures of today. We all hope for a better future but how do we get this better future when the myths of the past, remain our pride? The spirit of YES, WE CAN is not just about the success of our past ancestors. What we are doing today is far important than the long story of the past. The purpose of the past is only good enough if it can transform the present in shaping the future. I only got confused by the long article.
English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Dutch and Swahili, Ya'santoa, Shaik Anta Diop and so what? We do not even make common pin but import every crap. All our intellectuals do is to write long confusing stories while blackmailing their female student into bed for exams favors. All we do is write endless "confusion" and have some wannabees pretending it is great. How does this long article add anything to the size of a ball of kenkey? How is this stopping Mahama and his insensitive opportunists from delivering us to the World Bank and the IMF creditors? How do we get Mahama and his boys to know that the TUC is our voice? How do we get Mahama to know that no body voted for the PURC?
Why this long story about Egyptians and what have you got to do with how Ghanaians should deal with utility prices increases we are facing?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
Did you read this part:
"We are, in fact, following the Diopian assertion that ancient Nubia and Egypt must play the same transformative role in the intellectual renaissance of Africa as Rome and Greece have done for the ... read full comment
Did you read this part:
"We are, in fact, following the Diopian assertion that ancient Nubia and Egypt must play the same transformative role in the intellectual renaissance of Africa as Rome and Greece have done for the West."
This does not necessarily mean w should go back to the Egypt of 10, 000 years. Make deductions based on the article in its entirety.
I don't know if you are a science student or got any education at my friend.
Read my response to MR. ODI ASEMPA for the sources and you will learn to appreciate how ancient wisdom has survived today. Calculus, mensuration, physics, chemistry, biology, etc., came from the ancients (See Cheikh Anta Diop's "Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology). Some of today's medical knowledge have been in existence for more than 5000 years.
Scientists are still studying the Pyramidalogical mathematics of ancient Egypt to understand today's universe better (cosmology, cosmogony, astrophysics, etc). Do you know where pi (22/7) came from?
These studies, if successful, have great repercussions for improving space technologies (phones, etc).
Do you know how much resources the Japanese and others have spend trying to understand ancient Egyptian mathematics, architecture, and cosmology?
Do you how much research the American astrophysicist, Dr. Thomas Brophy, has done for NASA?
And are you aware why the American government would contract him to do such research, studying and writing about 10,000-year ideas of the ancient Egyptians?
Google him, Dr. Brophy, to find out how many books he had written for the American public. Some of us Africans don't think.
Have you asked yourself why a 5000-year pyramid has survived the brutality of the elements into modernity while our advanced technologies can't do half as much? Of course, Africans like you have no value for history.
The West, on the other hand does, because, for one, A Western civil engineer and architect may want to know if there is something useful he/she can learn about the durability of Egyptian pyramids to improve his/her word.
Another example: Western science is investigating why ancient Egyptians (and ancient Native Americans, Mayans, for instance) are able to preserve bodies for thousands of years while modern medical technologies can't.
Those Western scientists who work in the area of cloning want to understand such answers. We Africans don't plumb history for meaningful answers which may help us medically, economically, etc.
Jews, for instance, have been using techniques they have used for thousands of years to help them survive in anti-Semitic environments. Do you wonder why they are so successful? hey so much on the progressive past. People like you don't because you think myopically that all the answers are in modernity.
Our ancestors lived longer than we do, but have you asked yourself why we don't, despite the fact that we have modern technologies, powerful medicines, better buildings, etc., than our ancients?
Have you asked yourself why children respected their elders in the past than today? Have you asked yourself why Arab writes were shocked to learn that ancient Africans put valuable properties outside their building and yet no one stole them?
Do you wonder why they said this good behavior of Africans were hardly found in Arabia and Europe at the same time? Today people break doors and windows to steal. Don't you think we can learn something of value from these ancient Africans?
I don't know how good you read but you have taken the caveat above into consideration.
Come to American classrooms and see how the Greek and Roman pasts are glorified.
Even the white British-American scholar Dr. Martin Bernal once said White America used the Greek and Roman past to elevate the ego of White American children at the expense of non-White Americans.
The Chinese use use the Confucius past to move forward. The basis of Chinese culture is Confucian. So is Japanese Shintoism. Hebrews on their 5000-year Biblical history to move forward. Study Israeli's politics and society. America relies on their Founding Fathers and Enlightenment thinking to move forward.
Ethiopian Immigrants (Felasha, now Beta Israel) were forced to change their ancient Jewish practiced before finally accepted into mainstream Israeli society.
And unless you are not a student of the classics, Egyptology, archeology,literature, Biblical studies and archeology, comparative linguistics, evolution, anthropology, etc., you will come up with your misguided statements. These are facts, not concoctions.
Moreover, you didn't cite one evidence for your claim. Therefore, I will not take you as a serious person. It's the same in Europe.
Like I said before, I don't know how good you are with reading, because I didn't say anywhere that we should neglect modernism (IMF/World Bank, unemployment, corruption, utility prices, HIV/AIDS, etc.).
I merely advanced the theory that here so many useful things from our immediate past which may be beneficial to our modernity. Anyway, while I, at least, advanced some solutions, you didn't offer any.
How do we resolve utility prices? I have discuss the issue of the IMF/World Bank and may of the things you are discussing here. So what is your ignorance about? Many other columnists have addressed the issues you raise here. Have you read any of my more than 30 articles published on Ghanaweb alone? All you say here are there.
And how is that our educational institutions can rain men and women to address the issues you raise here? This is one of the major questions my two articles chose to raise.
I am not asking ancient Egyptians to come and help us solve our modern problems You probably didn't get the political, economic, social, and cultural import of the two articles).
Finally, my question to you is this: Why can't our institutions train men and women to deal with the mess created by utility prices, unemployment, the World Bank/IMF, etc.? This is what my two articles are asking you.
Give me intelligent answers and stop talking about the trash you are talking here. If you have a problem getting the bigger picture as regards my articles, let me know.
Look at how beautifully both Media Mogul (in Part l) and Nii Ashitey (here in Part ll) read the same article and based on that raised pertinent questions concerning our plight in today's Ghana.
They are using the articles to discuss today and you are using the same article to talk about yesterday, when, in fact, the two articles have social, economic, and political repercussions for today's Ghana and Africa?
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
First, Appiah's mother didn't contribute anything significant to Ghana's literary and oral culture?
We had our oral and lierary cultures firmly in place before she appeared on the scene. You mean those proverbs she wrote? ... read full comment
First, Appiah's mother didn't contribute anything significant to Ghana's literary and oral culture?
We had our oral and lierary cultures firmly in place before she appeared on the scene. You mean those proverbs she wrote? That's "nothing."
Her collection of Akan proverbs did nothing to Ghana's literary or oral landscape.
Many of these proverbs were in existence in literary English and oral forms before she moved into Ghana with her husband, Joe Appiah.
I could have given you many more powerful references than hers (maybe next time).
Kofi Awoonor, Ama Ata Aidoo, Nadine Gordima (South Africa), Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Kofi Anyidoho, Efua Sutherland, Kofi Asare Opoku, etc., have done more in advancing literary English and oral culture than Appiah's mother.
In fact, there were so many things Appiah's mother didn't understand about our oral culture. Therefore, she could not have been an expert on oral culture. I don't think she was an expert on Shakespeare either! Did she contribute to oral culture and literary English in Britain? Tell me.
I don't personally see her contributions as significant. Moreover, African literary (particularly those in Ghana) scholars hardly see her contributions as impacting English literary in Ghana or Africa in any significant way, if at all.
Even her son, Kwame Anthony Appiah, has not contributed to Ghanaian or African scholarship in any significant way. Yet he has written more than his mother.
It's the same in America. Appaih's mother is not mentioned as part of those whose literary scholarship influenced Ghana's in any significant ways, again, if at ll.
In fact, there are many powerful African literary giants who don't even know Appiah's mother, let alone talk about her literary contributions to Ghana's or Africa's oral culture. Read "Africa's 100 Best Books of the 20th Century" if you will find her name.
We studied Ama Ata Aidoo, Achebe, Armah, Awoonor, Thiong'o, etc., we didn't study Appiah's mother. She had nothing to offer as far as English literacy and oral culture was concerned. I don't know if things have changed now.
Many others have collected Ghanaian proverbs before her appearance. Therefore, whether she contributed or not is a non-issue. Appiah's mother's family didn't like Joe Appiah, anyway.
Second, evidence from both physical and cultural anthropology, comparative linguistics, archaeology, Darwinian evolution,etc., point to the evidence of the African (the so-called Sub-Saharan type) in ancient type. I don't see why I should go over this.
The evidence is overwhelming and is all over the place. Arab came to Egypt in 7 C.E. I think you have not studied the history of Islam and how it spread.
Please see the works of Cheikh Anta Diop, Ivan Van Sertima, Theophile Obenga, Molefi Kete Asante, Martin Bernal, Yosef Ben-Jochannan, Herodotus, Homer, Robert Bauval, (and all the nearly all the ancient Greeks, etc.).
Please read also Robert Bauval's "Breaking The Mirror of Heaven: The Conspiracy to Suppress the Voice of Ancient Egypt" and Bauval's and Brophy's "Black Genesis: The Prehistoric Origins of Ancient Egypt." Both authors are white and well-respected in the world for their meticulous scholarship.
Finally, the 2011 international conference "Decolonizing Our Universities," held in Malaysia, indicated that it's wrong to attribute Babylonian (Iraq) civilization to Arabs, as Arabs were not in that region when Babylonian civilization was in existence.
Yet the ancient Greeks and others had "Ethiopia" as creators of some of the powerful civilizations in Asia: Sumeria, Mesopotamia, and some important and powerful Indian civilizations (See Sertima's "Africans Presence in Early Asia).
Bernal's three-volume books will tell you nearly everything you need to know about the politics of Egyptology and why/how Europe changed scholarship around ancient Egypt to favor the West.
For instance, everyone (from the ancient Greeks) knew Ethiopia was black. Yet Ethiopia's brother is Egypt, Nubia (Sudan), and Canaan. Moreover, pre-Arabia was black before Arabic colonization (See Ivan Van Sertima's "African Presence in Early Asia").
Question: How come Nubia and Ethiopia are black but there appears to be controversies over Egypt?
Almost every ancient Greek who went to Egypt to study said the Egyptians were black and had wooly hair.
I have not seen any European who is black and have wooly hair. Except of Southern Europeans (some Italians, Sicilians) but even that has an explanation.
Arabs and black Africans ruled Southern Europe for nearly 800 years (See Ivan Van Sertima's "Golden Age of the Moors," "African Presence in Early Europe," and Stanley Lane-Poole' "The Moors In Spain).
The secret of Arabs and Black Africans ruling Southern Europe for nearly 800 years is one fact Western scholarship doesn't want to talk about.
Third, I am surprised to ask about America. There are as many languages spoken in the America as in the world. Studies have shown that about 20% of Americans who graduate from University have reading abilities as middle schoolers.
There are millions of Americans who don't speak English. I know many Americans who don't speak English. Talk to your friends and relatives in America. If you are in America already, then you must have known this fact.
There are Native American languages, Spanish, African languages, European Languages, Hebrew, Russian, Asians, etc.
Probably more than 1000 languages are spoken in America. And do you know the surprise? Most Americans I have been in school with don't write or speak English well at all. Many had to pay English-speaking Africans to write their essays for them. Spelling is another problem for many.
Remember that Africans are multilingual and English is supposed to be their "first" language. There are many Americans with degrees who can barely write as educated people.
Jews have revived Hebrew and teach their children in Europe, America, and Asia. Ethiopians have revived Ge'ez and teach them in many Ethiopian schools.
I have worked in many places in America where Chinese-Americans teach their children in Mandarin, not English.
My private conversations with some of them have shown that sometimes their children understand mathematical and scientific complexities in Mandarin than in English.
I have personally seen Chinese-American parents help their children do their homework in Mandarin even while their children speak English with their friends.
It's not that these parents don't speak English. I spoke English with them. I know many Ghanian-American parents who do the same. I know some Kenyan-American and Nigeria-Americans who do the same.
In fact, some studies have tried to show why many African parents want to have their children educated in Africa (secondary education).
In fact, African children who receive some form of preparatory education in Africa tend to go on to have advanced degrees (master's, doctorates, etc) than African children born and raised in America. There are many factors to explain this. Let's discuss this some other time.
Ethiopian educators combine Ge'ez with English in schools. It helps their children do better in school. Even some of us have to learn to explain things in Twi and Ga to each in order to have a better grasp of scientific and mathematical concepts.
We do this in America all the time. This is because some American textbooks are poorly written (in English).
And who says these scripts and tongues are dead? Many are still used.
I hope I have said enough. The Rosetta Stone helped us read ancient and understand the classical world.
For instance, We have problems around the pace of Ethiopia in world history partly because we have not been able to translate the Meroitic script. There is nothing powerful than studying in your own language. The rest of the world does except Africa. American Jews, Chinese, Japanese, Latinos, Native Americas, etc., have all seen the power of using one's native tongue.
Read more about Ebonics (and the work of the late Nigerian-America educator, Dr. John Ogbu). And try to understand that some of my proposals are merely theoretical. We could try other methods beyond what I have mentioned in my article.
Thanks.
FACTS 10 years ago
what is the gist of this idiotic rambling?
was this a write up to honor Dr Lawrence or you just felt like rambling about historical African achievements..... What Dr Lawrence engages in is modern day science which has an imp ... read full comment
what is the gist of this idiotic rambling?
was this a write up to honor Dr Lawrence or you just felt like rambling about historical African achievements..... What Dr Lawrence engages in is modern day science which has an impact in all spheres of our lives .....the environment that enables him to achieve this feet is that created by the USA.
The rest of the world will continue to leave us in the dust whilst we keep thumping our chest about what we may have achieved in history.
francis kwarteng 10 years ago
The USA is made up of so many people who have contributed to it. The USA has many nationalities, ethnicity, and races.
It's part of the reasons the American government came up with the visa lottery. The American people re ... read full comment
The USA is made up of so many people who have contributed to it. The USA has many nationalities, ethnicity, and races.
It's part of the reasons the American government came up with the visa lottery. The American people realize the transformative contributions immigrants make to its society. Africans are part of the creative contributors to American society.
Go to Silicon Valley and see how non-Americans have nearly taken over the tech industry. Many of these were not educated in America. Microsoft, for instance, relies on Indian and Chinese software developers to develop its software technologies. So is Wall Street.
If not partly for racism, non-White folks will form a significant portion of thinkers on Wall Street and Silicon Valley.
Just this year, the Justice Department has asked Wall Street to pay a group African Americans analysts ($104,000,000) economists, and mathematicians who train White employees only to have the Whites promoted over them.
In fact, America is as mush White as it's African. Are you blind to see how African culture (via slavery and contemporary African immigration) is impacting America?
Do you know Akon and several other Africans who are impacting Africa? People like Akon have created lucrative jobs for white folks.
Have you bothered to find out the connection between one of America's best-selling female musicians, Lady Gaga, and Akon? Have you explored Africa's contribution to Jazz (via Africans in New Orleans)? Enslaved Africans in America invented gospel music, among other things.
Do you know how many African Americans (Babyface, Quincy Jones, Randy Jackson, etc)write as well produce songs for some of America's best white musicians, from Elvis Presley, Bob Dilan, Sting, Eric Clapton, the Beatles, etc?
In fact, Africans are included in America's "melting pot," just as Europeans, Russians, Asians, etc. Dr. Lawrence has in turn paved the way for many Americans to do better in telecommunications, etc.
I mentioned John Ogbu, the Nigerian-American educator,one of the giant of the 20th century, who had part of his education in Nigeria. He was later educated in America but he ending up impacting America in many ways.
So, my friend, don't let your shortsighted ignorance make you think Africans have not contributed to and continue to make America what it is today.
What is your ignorance about?
Wash off the ignorance to see well.
Kwarteng against Kwarteng 10 years ago
Relax Francis. You don't have to go to this extent to prove your intellect. You have what it takes, so just put your ideas out there and let Ghanaweb readers have a field day discussing what they think of what you write. This ... read full comment
Relax Francis. You don't have to go to this extent to prove your intellect. You have what it takes, so just put your ideas out there and let Ghanaweb readers have a field day discussing what they think of what you write. This back and forth exchanges between you and your readers does hurt your image, in case nobody told you. One article, 19 rejoinders and 8 from the author of the article. Not a good sign---a sign of somebody desperately seeking recognition. Have faith in yourself---just write and let the chips fall where they may and you will do just fine. That is what all great writers do.
Hello readers,
I made some typos and grammatical errors. Here a few of them:
(1) Rome and Greece "has" (instead "have")
(2) Than end the conversation (instead of "ends")
Thanks.
A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid wa ...
read full comment
Hello Kontopiaate,
I must say that Fela and Ayi Kwei Armah are two of my idols. Fela was unbeatable.
His Afrobeat was not comparable. We are lucky to have Femi Kuti and Seun Kuti.
These guys are like Bob Marley's Z ...
read full comment
Elder brother, You have made my afternoon. I am studying for an exam and only come to seek deep knowledge like your writeup here. Somebody last week thoughts you are praising yourself at the commentary because some of us enjo ...
read full comment
Dear Brother,
How are you doing, Brother?
The fact that I have good friends on Ghanaweb bothers some people.
You are right, these negative readers want us to praise Westerners and Asians and not praise our men and w ...
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A great expose of Afroican intellectual prowess. However, your title did not match the contents. I read Part 1 but what about those who did not? A nice one though. Fela came to Legon to perfor?m in 1977 and ttold us Euclid wa ...
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Kontopiaat,
There is not hard evidence that Euclid even existed.
The West wants to have all to themselves alone. We shan't allow that to happen. Euclid never existed. Fela was right.
Incidentally, this game of false ...
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Kofi Asare Opoku, my Afro-studs Prof at Legon now lives in the USA and is damn good at knowledge on our culture. Get in touch with him to get more stuff on our rich Ghanaian culture.
Hello,
I surely will (if your response is for me, not Kontopiaat).
On the other hand, I have discussed Dr. Kofi Asare Opoku and his work on African religion with Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, I think in 2010 or so, in Philade ...
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Economic development is a goal of all nation-states especially for developing economies. Strategies for economic development must therefore stress the importance of science and technology in accomplishing such goals. With the ...
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you know your stuff..
To develop and move away from the feel-good mediocrity, we need to take the bull by the horn which requires a great deal of paradigm shift. Or else we'll be moving in circles going no where.
Hello,
You crisp statement indicates that you have the bull by the horn. In fact, your position is exactly what African needs to do
Thanks.
A thesis for a degree? What is in it for the general reader?
Hello,
Since when did Ghanaweb start granting degrees?
General readers like Nii Ashitey, Atsu, Elinam, Kontopiaat don't have a problem?
Are you a member of the general readership?
Waste for you? How sad! Well, y ...
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your last two articles are more incisive and more educative.The first two were simply pitching your favourites against one another.Why on earth didn"t you mention the contribution of k appiah"s mother contribution towards gha ...
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We have indeed come a long way. We have a lot of dreamers and illusionists, buried in the glories of the past. European have dream that are easily transform into realities to better up their lives. We are blessed with people ...
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Did you read this part:
"We are, in fact, following the Diopian assertion that ancient Nubia and Egypt must play the same transformative role in the intellectual renaissance of Africa as Rome and Greece have done for the ...
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First, Appiah's mother didn't contribute anything significant to Ghana's literary and oral culture?
We had our oral and lierary cultures firmly in place before she appeared on the scene. You mean those proverbs she wrote? ...
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what is the gist of this idiotic rambling?
was this a write up to honor Dr Lawrence or you just felt like rambling about historical African achievements..... What Dr Lawrence engages in is modern day science which has an imp ...
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The USA is made up of so many people who have contributed to it. The USA has many nationalities, ethnicity, and races.
It's part of the reasons the American government came up with the visa lottery. The American people re ...
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Relax Francis. You don't have to go to this extent to prove your intellect. You have what it takes, so just put your ideas out there and let Ghanaweb readers have a field day discussing what they think of what you write. This ...
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