Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: World Bank Progress of House Negro?
Nominations for President of the World Bank were submitted today. Leading contenders include Nigerian born Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Korean born Jim Yong Kim. One of the questions for black people around the world is; will the ascension of Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to the coveted World Bank presidency really promote the cause of black people or just extend the policies and lead African countries into deeper debt because we will trust a black face? Will she be Condoleeza Rice aspiring to the levels of power for vain ambition and trampling on the masses for self-gratification? This remains to the seen, only time will tell what the future holds.
The widely celebrated Condoleeza Rice, former US Secretary of State was notorious for taking positions that were detrimental to blacks and women just to fit in the old white boys club. During her tenure at Sanford University as Provost she removed Affirmative Action which had given access to women and minority racial groups. During her Washington years she brought only one minority to the halls of power and was silent on the issues that affect women and minorities.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been at the World Bank for more than twenty years which means she knows the organization in and out and she is very qualified in terms of her educational credentials and work experience. She has the Harvard and MIT educational credentials and the experience in developmental economics. However, we don’t know yet whether she has that seal of approval in terms of doing things that benefit black people. We would like to see an African with African interests at heart!
In black American history there was a term known to as House Negro. This person despite the fact that they were a black slave was allowed to live in the basement of the master’s plantation house. They worked in the house away from the scorching American heat which can reach temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius/ 45 degrees. The house Negroes thought themselves better than the field Negroes who tilled the land and often identified more with the interests of the slave masters than their fellow black people. While we wish her success in her nomination we also hope that she will not be another Kofi Annan.