Marginalised perspectives
Feeling marginalised has a lot to do with the stories a person hears within. On a visit to Lagos many years ago, I was taken to a Church service. Hearing the praise and worship music, it was immediately clear to me that the fellowship was led by folks of Congolese extraction.
It is likely that individuals who regularly attended that Church might have felt marginalised, since they were living in a city far away from the land of their forebears. Looking at the people before I heard any sounds, I formed no opinion about their ethnicity, or how this feature could make any difference to me.
As much as some politicians, power mongers and social engineers would like to control the mindsets of others, there are limits to the extent that this can be done, realistically.
When a dark skinned person publicly expresses an opinion about feeling excluded, many folks are quick to take umbrage about it, without considering issues such as the callowness of youth, for example.
Is it possible that the triggered responses in such situations are indications of inner work that needs to be done, by all of us?
First published on www.juwonogungbe.com on December 26th 2019
