Comic: When white people can’t imagine a world without colonization
They tell us to be grateful for this country that was built on our oppression.
by JeCorey Holder
White people, doused in all of their societal advantages, will tell us to imagine a world where Africa was never touched by colonialism. They ask, “Where would we be?” They say, “None of this would be here! YOU wouldn’t be here!”
Bold of them to assume this is a bad thing.
RELATED: Comic: White people love to claim indigeneity so they can feel oppressed
Even bolder of them make this argument in a time where most of us have Marvel’s Black Panther on our shelves or in our digital queue. They tell us to be grateful for this country that was built on our oppression, even as we have a creative (albeit fictional) taste of what could have been.
Even before I was introduced to Wakanda, I found myself wondering what could have been. Often, I romanticise how things would be if our ancestral spirituality wasnt literally beaten and bred out of us. I think about churches and altars devoted to various African deities and the growth of their religious philosophies. I think about modern twists to ceremonial rituals and sacred garments. I think about how much of a boon it could have been if white people had stayed their asses in Europe.
It’s very telling how Black peoples’ wistful hypotheticals are white peoples’ woeful “what ifs”.
RELATED: Welcome to Wakanda: ‘Black Panther’ is a love letter between the African Diaspora and the continent
Gamer, geek, and social activist. JeCorey Holder has been weaving tapestries of shade and fury since the early 2000’s. Pro-LGBTQ, pro-black, and pro intersectional feminism, he is full of feelings and opinions that try to call out and tear down the oppressive status quo.