Mashujaa Day: Time to Wake Up from the Post-Colonial Fever

Today we honor our Mashujaa — heroes who resisted, fought, and sacrificed so we could stand free. But true freedom is not just about political independence; it’s about the mind. What still pains me is this: so many of us still carry the post-colonial fever. We inherited habits, ideas, and labels planted by colonizers, and we continue to practice them, even teaching them to our children. They told us our healing methods were witchcraft, while our herbs and remedies were dismissed as “unscientific.” Yet our ancestors knew dosage, preparation, and context — just like cassava, a poisonous root made safe by African knowledge. That is science. They told us our languages were primitive. But how can a language full of proverbs, tones, and layered meaning be primitive? If anything, it’s advanced — only dismissed because they could not comprehend it. They told us our appearance was rebellious. Locks, for example, were demonized, labeled “dread,” not because of hair itself, but because it symbolized refusal to bow, refusal to be docile. A free mind is dangerous to those who want control. They even discredited our history. Africans built pyramids, studied the stars, practiced medicine, governed kingdoms. But because that truth doesn’t fit their script, they say aliens did it. They’d rather believe in outer space than African excellence. This is why resistance was branded violence. If someone comes to take your home and you fight back, is that savagery? No. That’s dignity. But the oppressor flipped the script: obedience became “civilized,” and resistance became “violent.” Mashujaa Day is not just about remembering warriors of the past. It’s a call for us today: To reclaim our languages and stop calling them inferior. To value our remedies, foods, and traditions without shame. To teach our children pride, not self-doubt. To see that freedom of mind is the final battlefield. Our ancestors left us tools, wisdom, and resilience. But if we keep carrying the colonial lens, we dishonor their struggle. It’s time to wake up. This Mashujaa Day, let’s remember: real heroes are not only those who fought with machetes and rifles — but also those who fought to keep our knowledge, our languages, our dignity alive. ✊🏾 Happy Mashujaa Day.