The Discriminatory Mindset

It takes a certain mindset to be able to tell someone that he or she cannot be a member of a club because it is reserved only for Caucasians.

The human mind is a very interesting and malleable creation. It is a bit like a computer. Basically what one allows in, determines what will come out. Basically, Garbage in, Garbage out. Every human being is born with the mental equivalent of a clean slate. As we grow, our mindsets are gradually moulded by our interaction with the outside world. Our parents, our peers, our society, our culture, our education and especially our experiences all come together to give each of us a unique mindset to call our own.

Mental garbage can be acquired gradually over a long period of time or quickly after an intensive session of garbage acquisition. It could very well be that the fishmonger was not racist. But I am quite certain that his mindset contained some discriminatory garbage. It could very well be, that it was acquired well before he entered this country and married his Ghanaian wife. It could also be that he acquired it via the fast track route. This could have been through lavish doses of the typically subservient behavior that the majority of Ghanaians tend to exhibit towards our Caucasian brothers. He could also have acquired it just by sitting back and observing how we Ghanaians go about our daily life and the task of building our country.

Well the restaurant has been shut down. Shockwaves will hopefully have been sent through similar establishments and service providers throughout the capital and the country. It is time to turn the lens introspectively on ourselves as a society and examine whether similar mindsets, exist in minds throughout the country, black or white.

Amongst us Ghanaians, similar discriminatory mental garbage can be acquired gradually, culturally and traditionally. It is a common to observe tradesmen, folks from the village and employees, leave their shoes and sandals at the door and enter the house barefoot. In the unlikely event that one forgets to do this, he or she is quickly reminded to leave their shoes outside.

It is also a common Ghanaian practice not to allow our drivers or employees into our houses or living rooms for a second longer than it is absolutely necessary. It is anathema to find a driver or house help, in their Masters living room, watching TV with them. It is very rare to find house helps, imported from the rural areas, eating the same food and enjoying the same treatment or privileges as their employers children. Don’t be fooled for a second. It is the same discriminatory mindset at work here.

Subconsciously to the perpetrator, the driver or house help is simply not a member of the household even though he or she might be a part of it in so many ways. Thus they do not qualify. It might not be white against black, it is black on black but that does not make it any less reprehensible. Countless other examples of the discriminatory mindset but it is pointless to enumerate them all. We can however, safely conclude that the discriminatory mindset doesn’t discriminate when it comes to which type of mind to inhabit. It could be Italian but it could also very well be Ghanaian.

It came as quite a shock when we discovered that the discriminatory statement was not a criminal offence. It is thus imperative to discuss legislation that can be passed to ensure the discriminatory mindset is expunged from all minds, African, Middle Eastern, Asian or Caucasian.

We need to draw our legislators eyes to the South African Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000 .It is a comprehensive anti-discrimination law enacted by the Parliament of South Africa. It expands on the anti-discrimination provisions of the equality clause (section 9) of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa, prohibiting unfair discrimination by the government, private organizations and individuals. It also forbids hate speech and harassment. The act specifically lists race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth as "prohibited grounds" for discrimination, but also provides that discrimination on other grounds can be unfair if it has similar effects on dignity or equality. I would however recommend that the sexual orientation bit be removed from our implementation of such a law.

I would suggest that our legislators go one step further and criminalise any contravention of the above law with stiff penalties. We should then implement it with the same vigour with which we argue on radio stations every day about housing for ex Presidents.

And to those visiting our shores from far yonder, who hide that discriminatory mindset behind condescending smiles. Don’t think for one second, that this article seeks to absolve or play down the reprehensibility of that sort of mindset or behavior. It is reprehensible and will not be tolerated. When it comes to matters like this, we will unite together as Ghanaians and Blacks and deal with you accordingly and legally.

I rest my case