Students Leaders Value the Economic Liberation of Africa and Africans in the Diaspora

11/21/2023

A Greater Diversity News exclusive (GDN)
Part I of a multi-part series

By Peter Grear  

Recently, GDN had the privilege and opportunity to interview Emeka Ogbatue. He is a Junior at CAL pursuing his communications degree, with an emphasis in journalism, and minoring in African American studies.

For nearly a year, GDN has been gauging public opinions and attitudes on the issue of the economic liberation of Africa and Africans of the diaspora (ELA). GDN discussed this issue with students and members of the Youth and College Division of the NAACP. The essence of the question is, “Why does the richest continent in the world have the poorest and most disrespected people in the world?”

The ELA is a project of the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), a pan-African organization founded by former African Union Ambassador Arikana Chihombori-Quao, MD. Dr. Arikana is recognized as the most consequential Black leader since Kwame Nkrumah of Africa and Dr. Martin Luther King of America.

GDN has posed the issue to students from the West Coast to the East Coast, including California, North Carolina (NC), Washington, DC, and Maryland. In addition to NC schools, Howard University, the University of California, Fullerton (CAL), and the University of Towson (UT) were questioned.

Emeka is the American-born son of Nigerian parents. He had a good feel for the issue and has made multiple visits to Nigera. In describing himself as an active student, he told GDN quite a bit about Black organizations and activities on his campus. He is a student writer for the Daily Titan, his school’s newspaper. He is President of Afro-Ethnic Student Association, which he runs with the support of an executive board. When assessing the issue, he said, “I think it should be relevant, whether or not it is their (other Black organizations) primary focus, that is to each organization and whoever runs them, but I do think that where people place their impacts, especially on economic liberation of Africa or black liberation, that is something that they should be mindful of and pursue.”

Ogbatue explained to GDN that the “Black Titan Experience” is a campus community gathering hosted by the Black Student Union and supported by 8-9 other Black organizations, his, the Nigerian Student Association, the National Society of Black Engineers, the National Association of Black Journalists, Sister Talk, the Alliance of African Preservation of Consciousness, and others. He suggested that I interview a representative of the Institute of Black Intelligence and Innovation. This initiative supports the inclusion of Black people, culture, and creativity, and provides a platform for students to engage in various activities such as writing or editing journals, developing creative arts, and deepening their understanding of African-American culture.

Emeka was knowledgeable about the historical colonization, economic exploitation of Africa, and the enslavement of Black people, as well as the current neo-colonialism pursued by the United States, European countries, and multinational corporations. This awareness was pivotal in his strong support for ELA. He indicated he would be honored to write an article for GDN addressing the issue and establishing a collaboration.

GDN questioned his knowledge and opinion regarding CAL’s African Studies curricula as it would impact educating students on issues that would prepare them to promote ELA. He opined that he wasn’t aware of anything substantial about the ELA issue. GDN believes that Black Studies should include subjects that educate students on the ins and outs of the ELA.
Further, he noted that he is very aware of the need to spend his money and that of his organization with Black businesses.

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s was successful in changing many unfair laws in the United States, but it failed to address the economic exploitation of Black people effectively. Similarly, protests in both the 1950s and 60s in the United States and Africa appeared successful in helping most African Colonies achieve independence from their many European colonizers. Today, however, more than 60 years later, in Africa and the diaspora, Black people continue to suffer from relentless economic exploitation.

Black college students were instrumental in the successes of the Civil Rights Movement and African independence movement. Their activism will be critical in the ELA movement today. GDN is happy to report that TU students are contacting Black Student Unions and asking them to join the global effort supporting the ELA.

To follow GDN’s ongoing coverage of the ELA, please sign up for its free three times weekly eNews publication @ www.greaterdiversity.com

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