I have often wondered about how different the world would be if more people of colour (POC) were involved in its progress.
And every so often, I see examples that support my belief.
My thinking goes like this: All over the world, people of colour and indigenous peoples were subjugated and treated as intellectually inferior.
For centuries, they were used as slave labour and support staff to prop up industrialists, as a resource for corporations and to help entrepreneurs realise their dreams.
In fact, there are recent examples of people questioning whether POC have made any valuable contributions to the progress of the world at all.
As proof, they will argue things like: “None of the major industrial, technological, engineering or social advances that have ever been made, were made by POC.”
It is of course a very shallow observation that ignores the fact that historically, much of the foundational work that made those advances possible, were thought up by POC.
Modern maths, including Algebra, that made big construction projects possible, is a very good case in point.
But it also ignores the fact that in modern times, POC were seldom given opportunities to explore their intellectual capabilities and put their innovative minds on display.
Entire socio-political systems made sure that this never happened.
Ideas were either stolen and claimed by others, or ridiculed.
And if there was a good idea that could’ve advanced an industry, there was no financial support system to nurture that idea.
As a POC, your social circle was as poor as you, so they couldn’t invest in your idea, and there was no way a bank was going to loan you enough money to kickstart such an idea.
So I have always wondered how far the human race would’ve been today, if we explored, exploited and rewarded the potential of all people, irrespective of their skin colour.
Now as the corporate and political world opens up a little more, black excellence is thriving as we see the diverse creative capacity of people of colour coming to the fore.
Whether it’s because corporations see the revenue possibilities, or their conscience is forcing them to soothe their historical guilt, or whether out of genuine altruism, the collective effect is an overwhelming mental shift.
Whether it is thanks to the prolific screenwriters Ryan Coogler and Shonda Rhimes, Tyler Perry’s media empire, or just about anyone you can name at the top of sports like tennis, rugby, soccer and F1.
They are all ruled by POC at the moment.
By contrast, we have squandered the potential of countless billions of POC over many hundreds of years.
Imagine how many Maya Angelous, Tyler Perrys, Oprah Winfreys, Trevor Noahs and Mae Jemisons have lived and died in obscurity.
But it’s not just these big names that cause this to hit home for me.
Recent articles about Dr Chanell Marthinussen and Ashley Uys have also reinforced this sad thought.
Chanell from Bonteheuwel is passionate about women’s reproductive health.
She started a company that aims to highlight a life-changing innovation for women, called the menstrual cup.
Ashley is a biotechnologist from Belhar, who started a company that has just produced the first Covid testing kit to come out of Africa.
He plans to share it with the rest of the continent, and he still has an easy-to-use, home testing kit coming.
Tell me your chest isn’t swelling with pride right now.
Two young, professional POC from the Cape Flats are busy revolutionising their industries.
There are dozens more all over the country, like Hector Danisa, the boy who grew up in a mud hut in rural KZN and now heads the company that is building the high-tech new trains that we see in Cape Town.
Just imagine a Hector, Chanell or Ashley a hundred years ago with financial backing, in a society that treated them as equals.
It strikes me that we weren’t subjugated because we were intellectually inferior.
We were subjugated because we threatened the supposed intellectual superiority of others. And maybe we still do.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za