Basani Writes

Today’s excerpt is as follows: “Since we’re asking good questions, here’s one: since the man and a woman are both human, and presumably the man is older, because God forbid she’s older than him, does the woman get the same courtesy of getting a complete partner? It seems not, she has to raise a fully grown man that she didn’t give birth to and bear his children, and raise them alone. Which doesn’t make sense, since the man is older, logic would have the man more emotionally intelligent, and better prepared for a relationship or marriage to lead the young bride, but no she has to mature for him in the harshest way possible, because again God forbid he does the work; as if that isn’t enough, that part of a woman’s evolution is repressed so she doesn’t outshine a man’s slow adaptation to this so called union.” The Illusion of Leadership and the Architecture of Exhaustion What begins as a simple, almost naïve question— “Does the woman get the same courtesy of a complete partner?” —unravels...

  The Religious Indoctrination of Black Men: When "Tradition" is a Colonial Weapon The image captures this systemic distortion through several symbolic elements: The Weaponized Crown of Tradition : A Black man is shown kneeling, being "crowned" with a heavy, rusted iron halo inscribed with the word "TRADITION." This crown doubles as a set of shackles, symbolizing how cultural concepts can be repurposed for control. The Colonial Architect : Behind him, a shadowy figure in 19th-century colonial military attire holds a massive religious book, using it as a shield and a tool to direct the man's gaze and identity. The Space of Indoctrination : The setting is a hybrid of a cathedral and a colonial courtroom, illustrating the institutional forces that codify and enforce these "traditions." Obscured Heritage : In the background, traditional African symbols and artifacts are being covered by heavy, grey religious tapestries, representing the systemati...