BY CANUTE TANGWA (published on October 17, 2005)
Hurricane Katrina flattened New Orleans and left 1000 persons mostly African Americans dead. Hurricane Rita swept through the Gulf Coast and wreaked comparatively less havoc. Katrina damaged property worth 30 billion US dollars. Though there were lapses here and there on early warning, relief effort and overall management of the catastrophe, the United States would definitely come out stronger as it did during a similar catastrophe that almost wiped off Texas from planet earth in the early 20s.
There is something distinctively American worth emulating: the resilience of its diverse peoples and the ability to pick up the pieces and build from scratch. The feeling of being American first; the love of country such as the late Robert Kennedy sought to instil in his eldest son when he learnt of the assassination of his brother-president John Kennedy. “You are the oldest of all the male grandchildren,” he wrote. “You have a special and particular responsibility now which I know you will fulfil. Remember all things that Jack (John Kennedy) started… be kind to others that are less fortunate than we… and love our country.” (in Sons of Camelot by L. Leamier).
Indeed there were cracks on the American legendary solidarity when Katrina struck. The victims were mostly African-Americans. There was and still talk of racial discrimination from a Republican presidency. It exposed the inner belly of American capitalism: rank poverty. At one point I thought I was reliving a scene in the innards of New Bell or Fence in Douala and Kumba respectively. Katrina provided a field day for American bashers. Unlike September 11, Katrina laid bare the dysfunctions of the American system.
However, when President George Bush admitted responsibility for the poor management of the catastrophe, the American spirit was enlivened; a spirit forged in the days of the Pilgrim Fathers and fired by African-Americans who toiled in the cotton plantations in the South.
It is symptomatic that where the Martin Luther Kings, Malcolm Xs, John H. Johnsons, Thurgood Marshalls, Andrew Youngs, Jesse Jacksons, Muhammed Alis and so on painfully unshackled themselves from the stigma of slavery by dint of hardwork and luck, Katrina struck mercilessly and exposed the near slave plantation lifestyle of African Americans!
Apparently, the plight of the African American is not different from the African. But America is not Africa. In America anybody can dream if he/she has the will. Thousands and even millions of African Americans have realized their dream: beating poverty. However, a majority of them are still wallowing in poverty; though far away from the klieg lights. I have watched Oprah Winfrey’s Talk Show sometimes but I do not seem to see how she projects or talks about the plight of the downtrodden African American.
I listened keenly to the brouhaha after Katrina and tried to situate the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples, NAACP (founded in 1909 “to work on behalf of black people”). Its immediate past President Kweisi Mfume whose Ghanaian name means “conquering son of kings” seemingly salvaged the NAACP from the brink of financial collapse. Looking at the agenda of the new NAACP president, Mfume did not entirely conquer mismanagement and financial impropriety bogging the NAACP. He like his predecessors lacked the charisma to fire their kith and kin to shun drugs, the easy things in life, violence, prostitution and rather dream the dream of kings.
Inept and corrupt leadership has been the bane of the NAACP in the past decade. The Reverend Benjamin Chavis was allegedly booted out for underhand dealings. His successor Wilson Gibson did not do better: he was sacked for alleged mismanagement.
Katrina has shown the leadership deficit in the African American community. There is too much talk but little action. The late Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X led African Americans almost to the mountain top but subsequent African American leaders have not been able to give an extra push.
The consequence: African Americans have lost the gains they made in the 60s and 70s. Luther King Jr and Malcolm X appealed to young African Americans; they were powerful communicators and led their people to battle albeit through different approaches. This explains the far less enthusiastic appeal the NAACP now has on African Americans. It has a membership of 500.000 out of 20 million and above African Americans with an endowment fund of a paltry 20 million US dollars. Probably, the Jewish community that financed the NAACP at its inception and subsequently is no longer enthusiastic following the NAACP’s management style.
Under these circumstances, how did the NAACP respond to the Katrina catastrophe? Normally President Bush and republicans came under fire. Later, the NAACP under Bruce S. Gordon set up a disaster relief fund to aid those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Mr Adora Obi Nweze was appointed “to serve as the NAAACP National Disaster Relief Director to manage the extensive disaster relief plan in coordination with all 38 NAACP State Conferences, command and distribution centers, disaster relief coordinators and disaster relief team leaders.” Donations to the Fund range from 25 to 5.000 US dollars. Mr Gordon has promised a transparent management of funds collected. Let’s wait and see.
There are certain things about natural catastrophes that surpass human reasoning. Mostly the poor are hard hit. In the wake of these disasters, certain symbols remain untouched: in the case of Katrina/Rita a church building remained standing; when the Tsunami struck, the angry waves did not pull down a mosque; somewhere in the Gulf Coast area, a black cow grazed nonchalantly on a deserted area surrounded by water; when Lake Nyos belched its putrid and deadly gas everything died except a chicken!
Some Christian fundamentalists liken the picture of the hurricane’s eye to that of a foetus. New Orleans has more than two abortion clinics. So, they maintain it is the wrath of God. Some years back, a friend of mine showed me the picture of a hurricane moving towards the Gulf Coast: it looked like a huge serpent (anaconda) that has been cornered! Take the devilish murmuring of the wind that blew at the foot of Mount Fako on the first night of the most recent mountain eruption; we ran indoors in fear for we thought it was the devil himself!
Probably, nature has a way of speaking to mortals. Apparently, the biblical flood epitomized by Noah’s Ark is definitely not the figment of the imagination of a lunatic. Seemingly, nature’s anger is more than all the nuclear weapons mankind has manufactured!
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