Someone has written “the world needs to know the true story of Africa and the black the world, because knowledge of the past opens wider doors of racial respect and increases the continent’s internationalism”.
Although, Africa stands as one continent, diversified yet claimed to be unified. In East and North Africa, we have Caucasians while in the west and south we have Negroes usually referred as” Black Africa”- this fathers third world countries. These make African continent rich in human and natural resources.
Unfortunately, the continent has in many quarters gone through a lot of turmoil in history, ranging from military dictatorships, bad leadership year unto year, social ills, embezzlement of public funds. It is now being subjected to life entrenched by political instability, abject poverty, hunger, killings, terrorism, injustices, kidnaping, war and violence, to mention but a few.
It is no secret that the Africa of yester-years, the Africa of our ancestors is not the same with our contemporarily African society. That Africa of the yester-years had a remarkable youthful vigor and the a continent with a high cultural heritage, social structure, and variety of languages, moral standards and different religions. Virginity, dialogue community living and respect for elders and laws, customs adherence.
“Disciplining a child was a responsibility which every adult must carry out. Respect for elders had no compromise”
The traditional African society refers to how the African people lived before the colonial imperialist who met in the Berlin conference of 1884-85 to divide the African continent. There have been many changes in the continent since colonialism started but the question that comes to mind is whether these changes were positive or negative? We shall attempt an answer, reason being that the Africa’s story is one that involves the life and culture of the continents not leaving the lives and history of the people. Mohammad Gadafi attempted to reiterate the true essence of the African culture and people but was ignored and he was killed.
The sense of communal living and mutual understanding prevailed in the traditional African societies before the advent of colonial masters. In Nigeria, southern and Eastern part of the country lived in communities and usually decisions making are done communally by elders representing families. Usually, conglomeration of homes results in larger political units which are either tribal or ethnic which could as well give birth to a state in our modern day.
The home is the first school where morals and other customs are transferred to the younger generation usually at night time whenever they tell moonlight stories. Traditional African education was taken very seriously. Africa had a great sense of morality though there may have been some loopholes in some of their acts; virginity and purity were held in high esteem. In some parts of Africa especially in west Africa, girls who defiled themselves before marriage were disciplined and some communities executed. Young girls were tested before marriage to ascertain their virginity. Therefore, most girls preserved their virginity for their would be husbands, it was a taboo for young people to have premarital sex although most of them were betrothed at a very tender age, still they kept their virginity and it was a mark of fidelity and pride.
Patriotism, gallantry and heroism were the marks of any good traditional African society. People defended their territories, protected their lives against foreign attackers and wild animals. It took colonial masters great a while to overpower African natives during colonialism. There was the need for the common good, common properties such as farmlands. There were annual festivals or ceremonies that made the people appreciate their culture and oneness as a people. There were spiritual messengers or priest that warns the leadership or people when they do what are wrong or when disaster approaches.
To be continued…………..
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