MY SON attended a science exhibition somewhere in the United States last month and randomly came across a newspaper clipping from a newspaper called ‘The Crowley Post-Signal’ dated October 7, 1901.

What struck us all in the face was the article in there, on page 2, titled ‘CIVILIZATION IN UGANDA’.

Even though we understand that this was 120 years ago when Africa was still referred to as ‘The Dark Continent’, the anger that builds up in your mind as you read the entry can tilt you over in your seat.

“Civilization is progressing with rapid strides in the African kingdom of Uganda, where a little while ago all was barbarism.”

That’s the first sentence.

The other parts have a mix of condescending derision whisked together with sheer ridicule by the strength of plain ignorance. 

On one level, a just person today will excuse that ignorance on their part back then because they were blinded by their feeling of superiority.

The article speaks of how the prime minister of “this black kingdom” had taken up plain sewing and “is now industriously engaged in cultivating the more advanced forms of needlework under the instruction of the wife of one of the missionaries, and will doubtless in a short time be able to do ‘herring-bone’ and other fancy stitches.”

Those clever foreigners got an adult man with a family and responsibilities and taught him how to sew up clothing – then applauded him.

No jokes: “The little King Daudi (Chwa) recently gave a dinner to celebrate his fourth birthday, and the napkins used were all hemmed by the prime minister…”

It is almost embarrassing to learn this today. 

The history we were taught indicated that people were doing important things, not sewing napkins. Yet…

The banquet, reads the article, “was intended to illustrate to the British commissioner and the other white men of the country the advances which have been made in civilization in Uganda.”

The proof included the fact that the banquet, “got up in English fashion…was produced by natives entirely without assistance…”

That was back in 1901 but there are some days today when you get the feeling that these people have not changed at all – and that neither have some of us. 

Too many of them are still blinded by a feeling of superiority based on either their skin colour or ours. Sadly, some can claim they are justified because of the way we behave over some issues.

To many of us are still mesmerised by trinkets and offers of vast wealth taken from our compatriots and re-distributed for our personal use – also known as corruption.

To be honest, if I also managed to get an adult head of a family to put a halt to centuries of proud history and focus on sewing napkins and showing off a brand new accent I had introduced, I’d question their intelligence.

I’d question their intelligence in the same way I question the intelligence of fellows who sell their national pride in exchange for material wealth.

On a sadly serious note, there are still characters out there who casually view Africans and African countries as their ancestors did back in 1901.

During the recent New York Mayoral campaigns by Zohran Mamdani, very many ugly views shot up in a mix of condescending derision whisked together with sheer ridicule by the strength of plain ignorance. 

One fellow, a House Representative in the US, tweeted with the confidence of a white man who had no idea that people in the Dark Continent had access to the internet and Twitter.

His tweet attracted a massive counter-offensive from not only Ugandans, but other Africans who felt affronted by his tweet.

Other commentators over there also attacked Mamdani on the basis of his African links making him an unviable candidate for leadership of the great New York City.

Over here, especially during political campaigns, some of us are doing even more to position ourselves as those barbaric Africans in urgent need of civilization.

This is why we are still being given lectures about the concept of ‘democracy’ as the world sees it today, in spite of our not having enough of the structures – mental and physical – that make it so much more viable in the western world than in ours.

It is also why we are here engaging in political battles where false narratives and silly comedies so casually rule the an atmosphere in which too many protagonists simply refuse to Be Serious.

If we do not correct the course we are on and act like we are sensible and serious, then I fear that my son’s grand children will bump into an article one hundred years from now reading: “Democracy is progressing with rapid strides in the African republic of Uganda, where a little while ago all was barbarism.”