Today, I thought I would share the interview I did on American blog with Alesha Escobar and I thought to share with you.

What inspired you to write a book on the Black Lives Matter movement, and how did your personal background influence your perspective?

The killing of George Floyd was what gave me the inspiration to start writing this book. When I first heard the news on the radio and social media, I was shocked and traumatized. The way George Floyd died is capable enough to make anyone who has a good conscience teary-eyed. I was literally traumatized, overwhelmed and filled with goosebumps. For good one week I kept touching my neck and imagining all the terrible pain George Floyd had to go through before he died. I still remember that evening in 2020 my brother and I were watching the news of George Floyd death on Facebook and I was screaming because of the population. My mom was drawn by our scream and she came out of the kitchen to ask us what the matter was. Then I told her—she asked me to bring her eye-glass for her and I did.  We began watching the video; then she said “this place does not look like Nigeria even if I am seeing Black people on the screen. It looks like London or America. Then I told her it was America and what happened. She was reading through the names of the places the masses were moving with protests (Minnesota, New York, Georgia, Miami etc).

My mom asked what George Floyd did for him to be killed by the police and I explained. Then she asked what the Black people were doing and I told her that the Black people were protesting. As we were watching the video; my mom asked a very thought-provoking question that led me further into investigating the narrative of Black Americans. The question she asked was: “Is this protest going to stop the killing and maltreatment of Black Americans”? She removed her eye-glass, nodded her head in disappointment and sadness and went back to the kitchen. Now to be honest, the protest did not stop the killing of the Black Americans; because even during the protest; many Black Americans were still killed.

I will never forget the cold-blooded killing of a Black American man during New Year. What was his crime? He was shooting the usual shooting of jubilation people normally do in his compound. Other White people were also doing the shooting. The White policeman that confronted him did not even give him a chance to speak and he shot him instantly! That was a very terrible thing to do. My personal background has some influences on my views because back here in Africa we have similar realities to that of Black Americans. Ours here is being perpetuated by the leaders. For example, in Nigeria there is a STRONG disunity and division between the Northern Nigerians and Eastern Nigerians. There is also a STRONG division and disunity between the Western Nigerians and the Eastern Nigerians. The Northern Nigerians do not see other Nigerians from the East and South as Nigerian enough. There is a long, long history behind it. That will be a topic for another day. In fact, we as Black people still have in-house-Black-to-Black racism. I am from Southern Nigeria (Delta State). I will share with you what someone from Northern Nigeria told me. It is the second time someone from Northern Nigeria is saying it. And it is something we have been seeing happening. We were in a group for African Youths. It was a virtual meeting we had with members of the AU (African Union); it was on Friday and we were to carry out some tasks. The Northerners in the group said that the timing for the task would interfere with their worship in the mosque; so we told them that they could go for their worship since there would be a recorded version and they refused. Insisting that the timing for the task MUST be postponed to suit them. All efforts to try to make them understand proved abortive. Here is what someone from the group said—a Northern Nigerian person.  “I commend you for engaging people like them. The average Northern person does not see any bad in a person so long they practice the same religion and does not see any good in anyone so long they are of different religion and tribe. I am from the North but for my sanity I do not engage with them” (the Northerners). Keep in mind that the Northern Nigerians are predominantly Muslims.

How does the movement resonate with people in your home country, and how did you approach bridging the cultural experiences between Africa and African-American communities in your book?

The Black Lives Matter movement resonates with every Africans because it is a call for FREEDOM. But unfortunately, that call has not been heard or answered. There is no much cultural gap between African-American and Africa because the African-Americans are from Africa. The truth of the matter is that Black people do not have freedom yet. You would think that a very illustrious person such as Barack Obama who has been a President of the United States of America would be able to liberate Black Americans from the injustice, maltreatment and racism they are subjected to but unfortunately, he could not achieve that. Over here in Africa, we only have “puppets” as rulers. These puppets DANCE to the tune of their White Masters. If you know the Colossal influence the Caucasian leaders have on Black “leaders” you will be shocked. Suffice to say that the Caucasian leaders have Black “leaders” under their feet (I mean the Black leaders are under the feet of the Caucasian leaders). The wishes of the Caucasian leaders are the COMMAND of the Black “leaders.” We have many Caucasians here in Nigeria. They live as Kings and Queens, gets the Nigerian Visa at a blink of the eye! But for a Nigerian to get an American Visa, Canadian Visa, German, UK, Australian, Singaporean Visa it would take lot of protocols and waiting.

What themes in the book do you feel are universal, and which ones speak specifically to the Black experience in relation to social justice?

The theme of Racism, Slavery and Injustice being faced by the Blacks. It is so shameful, sad and disappointing that Black people all over the world are synonymous to racism and maltreatment. For example, when a Black American woman traveled to Barcelona Spain. As she was exchanging greetings with the Spanish woman the Spanish woman asked her where in Africa she was from and the Black American replied that she was American. You would not believe what the Spanish woman told her. I quote: “You are not American enough.” This was what the Spanish woman told her. That statement is very deep. It is a reminder to the Black American woman on her origin and root. It is also a reminder on how her forefathers were shipped from Africa in shackles and slaves to work in the plantations of United States of America. Akila Davis a Black American woman who works in the media in North Carolina has never been allowed to wear her original African dreadlocks because the White people did not see it as something beautiful. Only on the Juneteenth day was she able to have the freedom to wear her original African dreadlocks.

Something happened in a classroom in Illinois between a White teacher and her students. The White teacher was teaching and the students were making noise in the classroom; instead of calming the students she told the Black students that “they (the Black students) would have been her ‘Field Slaves’ if it wasn’t for the Constitution, they would be her slaves.”

In Kansas City, a Black American man Jon “Mike” Rone Jr. was stabbed to death by a White man whom he was engaged in an altercation. The police arrested the White man who killed the Black man on the reason that he (the White man) was disturbing the peace of the environment. Not that he killed a person. That clearly shows that the Black Lives Matter movement has not achieved its aim and the Black Lives has not mattered.

We have seen Black people in America face all kinds of killings and injustices. From Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Florida, Wisconsin Kansas, etc. unfortunately the Black people have not been able to rise above this maltreatment, stigma and label—both in Africa and outside Africa. If you notice the Asians in America do not live in the same reality as the Black Americans do because the Asians have unity, love and respect among themselves. The Asians knows their roots and as a matter of fact, the Asians were not brought into America as slaves.

Going back to Africa: South Africa is a country that is famous for Apartheid. A very terrible trend that has stuck with South Africans. Even if Nelson Mandela sacrificed his life for 27 years in prison fighting against apartheid—I am sad to say that Nelson Mandela did not win the battle to end Apartheid. One would think that a very visionary and luminary person as Nelson Mandela would be able to stop Apartheid in South Africa and give his Black people a total liberation but unfortunately that could not be possible as the White minority in South Africa are the ones who still drives the economy and are in control. South Africa enjoyed a little Golden Age during the reign of Nelson Mandela as president. There are places that are referred to as “Whites only” in South Africa. In 2016, a White South African woman Penny Sparrow labelled all the Black South Africans as monkeys.

If I tell you that South Africa was built by the Whites I am being honest because I talk with evidence not with emotions. Johannesburg, Witwatersrand, Waterfront, Pretoria, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Transvaal, Durban East London, Port Elizabeth, King Williams Town, King James Town, Elandsfontein, Bloemfontein, Sun City, to mention but a few these are not African names. These are all beautiful places in South Africa built by the White people. I will not forget the beautiful Krugersdorp-Kruger National Park in South Africa. It was built by the Whites. Till today apartheid continues to exist in South Africa. For example, of recent, Black South Africans students are seen being auctioned off as slaves in a school in Cape Town, South Africa by their fellow White students.

The same thing has happened in Illinois, USA where a White teenage was auctioning his Black friend in craigslist as a slave. The White teenage posted a picture of his Black friend with the title “Slave for Sale.”

An American woman Elizabeth Billingsley said: “If we are White people, it is as a result of the choices made by our forefathers. If we are Black people, it is also a choice made by our forefathers.”

To further explain what Elizabeth said; I will quote a Nigerian singer Cynthia Morgan

“Until Black Lives Matter to Blacks—Nobody Cares.” Cynthia Morgan

“It all goes back to when it all started. White people bought slaves from who? BLACK people, and who are these slaves? Black people. We sold ourselves out and lost our respect the day this trade took place. A White man cannot have respect for a race that sold their own race to other race not for marriage or better life but for slavery. White people being smart enough then they thought superior and gained it.

Have you ever thought it could have been the other way round? Like the Whites could have been in this position right now? But one race was just smarter at that point in time. Now our forefathers already made that mistake. Can we correct it? Yes. How? By gaining our respect and equality and its not by fighting these White people, its about knowing ourselves and finding our respect and in doing so, regrets and blames won’t help us.

White people have every right to be proud and do whatever pleases them. Its only natural, that’s how people act when they see all your comfort and life depends on them. What we are fighting is more than just color thing. It’s more of mentality problems. The only reason why white cops don’t and wouldn’t kill a white man is because they respect themselves and they know what they have put into building their nation. It’s hard before you see a white man pull a white man down intentionally.

You all can’t even come back to Africa because Africa is not ready for ya’ll. Most of you forgot your roots and stayed angry that they sold your forefathers out but somehow you still prefer it there in America. Black people might no longer be in chains of a white man physically but somehow they still are mentally. We need to build our own so we can earn our own respect back. Put some respect in you as a Black man, else we are always going to be 2nd choice.”

Can you share some of the challenges you faced in crafting a narrative around such a complex and emotionally charged topic?

I did not face any challenge because it is a reality happening to Black people all over the world and even here in Africa. The only thing was I had to make up my mind to write this book. It took discipline, courage, time and dedication.

What kind of research did you conduct, and were there any specific events or individuals that deeply shaped the story you told?

I conducted a very extensive and in-depth online research from actual life stories. I made sure that all information are from real people and real life experiences with no sugarcoating, assumptions and hypocrisy. That is why for every story or topic I mention or write about in this issue of Black Lives Matter; there is a source to that information as it is. Yes, the event of George Floyd and other events of the horrible and gory events that happened to Black people in Kansas City, North Carolina, Louisiana, etc and the reality we as Black people are experiencing back home in Africa were what shaped the story in this book. It was a lot of sacrifice! I had to painstakingly read through every actual life stories—accuracy and authenticity was my watchword before, during and after my writing this book on Black Lives Matter.

How do you hope your readers—especially those outside of the Black community—will respond to the message in your book?

The people who are outside of Black community find it difficult to relate to the reality of Black people. Because they do not live in the same reality that Black people are living in. The Forefathers of non-Black people were wise enough to not sell their own out to slavery. The forefathers of non-Black people have laid a very good foundation for their posterity. This is something that Black people have missed out on! Remember I mentioned what the Oklahoman woman (Elizabeth Billingsley) said. I am sure that non-Black people will understand the message in my book and respond to it positively because the message in my book carries TRUTH with it.

I have a deep compassion for Black Americans and Black people. For every Black person; there is inside trauma and negative patterns they are living with. This is something passed down from the Black ancestors. Only very few Black people have been to liberate themselves out of these negative patterns and invisible cords. I watched a Black American man saying “our brothers in Africa hate us so much that is why they sold us out into slavery.” That was during the killing of a Black man in Wisconsin USA.

Black Americans do not like associating with Africa because there is no good connection existing between them and Africa. It is not their fault that they are being treated the way are being treated today. It is a foundation the Black forefathers laid and it will require a miracle to break this (evil) chain and pattern. I encourage every Black person to always do a meditation and personal liberation from negative Ancestral patterns that have been following Black people.  Whether you believe it or not, the things our forefathers have done affects us—until we awaken to a consciousness of it and breaks that covenant or the chain. It takes a LOT of spiritual muscles. That is why even in the Old Testament it was said the sins of the forefathers will continue to visit the children up to the third and fourth generations. This is what is affecting Black people.

Another part of the problem is that Black lives have not mattered to Blacks so you cannot expect other races to give you what your own kind are not giving to you. If the African Union (AU) knows what it is doing it would seek to pave way for the protection, liberation and betterment of the Black people.  There is a lot of work to be done on the issue of Black people.

When Lazaris came to South Africa some years ago he tapped into the energy of the land and made a very profound observation about Africa. I will quote him: “Africa has a unique relationship with pain and suffering and this is evidenced by the genocide, starving and poverty in Africa. Africa needs healing. Africa also has a unique gift to heal the pain and suffering. It is in the form of a unique magic but it is lost in the land, in the minerals and in the animals that make up this land.  It is hidden in the corruption, and in the pain and in the suffering in Africa.”

To get a copy of my book on Black Lives Matter visit the my online ebook store.