Province d - The Service Mag

FEATURE
Why
should Blacks remain
ignorant?
By Sandra Idossou
The best way to hide something
from black people is to put it
in a book. We now live in the
information age. They have gained
the opportunity to read any book
on any subject through the efforts of
their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to
read. There are numerous books readily
available, but few read consistently, if at
all”.
This is an extract of a long letter read
on a New York radio station some time
ago by a Caucasian. The title was “Blacks
don’t read: They are still our slaves”. The
first time I read this, I was infuriated by
the discriminatory opinions of the writer
but on second thought, I realized that he
had a valid point. This is because many
people, especially people of the black
race, are ignorant of many topical issues
because they do not read. This is pathetic
but sadly true.
Let us be frank with one another.
When was the last time you read a book?
How many of us currently read at least
one book a month? Do you have a budget
for books or any other reading material?
The last time I talked to a friend
about an interesting article in one of
the newspapers in town, her answer
shocked me. She said, “you know what
Sandra, when I receive the newspaper, I
just glance through the titles and look for
interesting tenders, and that’s about it”.
In our countries where we often have
to wait for long hours for people, in buses,
at functions, at reception lounges or even
at hair saloons, I find it extremely strange
10 | The SERVICEMAG October - December 2011
that we most often never have a book to
read while waiting.
We would all acknowledge that the
general message in the above sarcastic
description of the black community is
thought-provoking as reading is merely
considered, in most cases, as a primary
leisure activity. As an African, I know that
our culture dictates that we primarily
communicate orally. We rather place
value on what people say or on what
we hear rather than what we discover
through print. As a result, we lose sight
of the value of reading and obtaining our
own information.
The tragedy today is that many people,
especially Africans, have no passion to
read. In today’s world we receive so much
information via radio, television and
other media platforms yet none of these
avenues has the ability to educate as does
the fundamental skill of reading.
Reading has many advantages. It
helps readers to ‘travel’ to distant lands,
and introduces whole new cultures.
Thanks to technology, today we can
read and travel a lot through reading via
Internet. Today, just a small click and
one’s curiosity is satisfied. The internet
has made information available free-ofcharge
to anyone who can log on. With the
advent of websites and e-books, reading
should also become an easy and simple
activity and we have no excuse to be
ignorant.
Even in these days of multimedia,
reading is the most essential skill with
which to acquire knowledge. Reading
.”.. many people,
especially those of
the black race, are
ignorant of many
topical issues because
they do not read”.
helps in mental development and is
known to stimulate the brain. It is often
advisable to indulge in at least half an
hour of reading a day to keep abreast of
information.
For instance, it is observed that
children who read have comparatively a
higher level of intelligence. They are more
creative and do better in school. For this
reason it is recommended that parents
inculcate the culture of reading in their
children during their early years.
One of the basic tenets of power in
business lies in obtaining information
and controlling it. Develop today the habit
of reading. Resolve to never let a day
go by without reading something. If you
don’t read you are definitely missing out
on a great way of learning as well as a
wonderful way of improving your life and
business. Books, newspapers, magazines
and the internet can instruct, inform,
entertain, motivate and inspire.
Remember, knowledge is power! TSM
sidossou@theservicemag.com