Teach us to pray to our ancestors and lead us to the days of glory ahead of us.
Good day, ladies and gentlemen.
For the first time in the history of the African Union, a millennial stands in front of you. I am not only representing generation Y, but generation Z and later generations.
On this podium, I am addressing a generation that is the proverbial dried animal skin. You have seen and experienced so much that you are so set in your ways. You have achieved doctorates and somewhat earned experience through the school of life. From you, we expect wisdom.However, true wisdom comes through legacies and generations. Like our totems, we need the verses in the poetry to continue as we tell the stories of our people. We need to have a legacy of wealth and stories that gives us pride. Sadly, as I look across this room, our elderly have fallen short of the pride of our rich ancestry. Who among you can say that you have resurrected the empires of Kush, Rozvi, or Asante? Which of you are warriors like Queen Amina, or Shaka Zulu, Shango, Ann Nzingha, Yaa Asantewa, or Samouri Toure? I will give you only one second because almost half a century of my generation's time and the future generation's has been wasted.
My address today is to wake you up from your slumber. My generation has always been woke. We have been awake since the day we came into the world and felt the African sun. We have been awake since the time that we could utter words in our mother tongues and even in the languages of foreigners. We have been awake ever since we realised that the only green that we want is that of the motherland. Because in the proverbial experience, the child of an African king is a pauper elsewhere. Despite your perceptions, we are more proud to be African than anyone else. The world continues to appropriate our culture and even loot our resources through you. Yet you blame us for the loss of our very identity. We understand that you had no examples of African predecessors prior to independence. Let us break those chains of divide and rule amongst our kin. Let us return to the leadership, livelihood, and religion of our ancestors. Remember the pre-colonial and slave eras in Africa. That is the Africa that we desire.
I have a dream of an Africa beyond the imagination of Marvel's Wakanda. In an Africa where there is technological advancement through our own resources, Actually, we own our resources. Africa is not a country, but through Ubuntu it could be. We are neighbours and families that raise our children in a communal and respectful environment. We should never ask for donations because we take care of our own. May there never be a hungry man, woman, or child.
I have a dream that our kraals are packed, we have plenty of grain, and our forests are fruitful. May we have foresight like Joseph, who in Egypt helped prepare for the seven years of less. We need to be prepared for any and every disaster. May there never be a stranger who sleeps outside in the dark or in the rain. We ought to build enough shelters and enough rooms for guests.
May there not be blood shed due to xenophobia or crime. We might be different shades of black, but I am still African. My tongue may click or twist differently to yours, but I am still you, African. May our cousins in the diaspora, the descendants of slavery, stamp their passports to return to the motherland. They will be cradled in their mother's arms. They will feel right at home because all they see is themselves—African.
I have a dream that my daughter and my son, in my belly, will inherit pieces of land. that they may contribute to the gross domestic product as well My generation will leave land, possessions, and oral tradition to their great-grandchildren, unto the fourth generation. May their portion be oil wells, diamond mines, dams, and farms. Not just a portion, but their inheritance.
We are inventing every day, like our ancestors in Egypt. Like them, we too write books and tell our stories. Like the San, we are hunters and gatherers, but we call it hustling. We want to make it onto the Forbes billionaire list before 30. Train successors so that we can retire at most at 45. We want to start and build businesses that aren't destroyed by unfair taxes and corrupt policies. Our start-ups deserve room to grow and thrive.
As I stand here, I am more than just a dreamer but an implementer. I am speaking on behalf of 63% of the African youth. This dream that I shared belongs to Dagim, Olumatu, Amarachi, Weza, Xolani, Tendai, Fateema, and Johanne. We call Africa home. We don't want to flee from our home. We want to continue to build and furnish our home. A home that many will visit and feel welcome to. This is our Africa.
Thank you.
P.S. Always write your own love story! Ciao!
Lady E
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