Of Bridges and Walls: Finding Common Ground, Rising Above Divisions (1)

OUTSIDE THE BOX By Alex Otti

On a special event like this, it is only appropriate that we begin on a note of profound gratitude, first to the Management team of the University of Northampton led by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Anne-Marie Kilday, for opening its doors to ideas and thoughts that enrich the quality of critical public conversations. I would also like to appreciate the thought leaders and decision-makers at the University’s Centre for the Advancement of Racial Equality (CARE) and the Global Ethnic Majority (GEM) for their untiring commitment to the pursuit of fairness and balance through mindful interactions and engagements across board. I am optimistic that the lessons we shall all go home with at the end of this event will deepen the awareness of our interconnectedness and the place of equality in our exchanges across multiple frontlines.

The world around us continues to evolve as social and economic dynamics change. In this regard, adaptability means coming to terms with the reality of these changes as they affect our classrooms, workstations, communities and other centres of human interactions. The new order of exchange demands openness and a disposition to knowledge-sharing for this is the worst time to function in the exuberance of ignorance. It is for this reason that I am delighted with the theme of this conference: Race in Action: Power, Partnership and Change. The truth is that there can never be an end to these conversations and the more freely we engage respectfully and stay open to learning, the better for our civilisation. May I quickly state that the debate is not exclusively about skin colour or the difference in the environment where we took our first breath, it is all of these and more. In discussing race and racial differences, it may help to look beyond surface-level observations and probe deeper, this time, not to find differences but to establish some level of understanding about the individuality of each person we encounter in the search for our own uniqueness.

To build the sense of clarity that the modern environment requires, it is important to appreciate that for all our powers, many events that tend to define us are entirely outside our sphere of control and that includes where we were born, who we are born to and the general outline of our first contact with the world. None of us chose to be born Black, White, Mongoloid, Australoid, Amerindian or any of the other race variants that researchers continue to identify in the unending push to guide how we interact amongst ourselves as members of one human community. If we accept that none of us had a say in choosing their birthplaces, is it then fair to antagonise anyone or group just because they don’t look like us or speak the language we understand? I would like to streamline this discourse to what happens amongst the major races as already identified but it may also interest us to know that the context of interactions like this are often more nuanced than can be dissected within the limit of time available to us. Be that as it may, our objective shall be firmed on building a common understanding of the dangers of different variants of racial antagonism.

Being members of one human community, it is actually strange how anyone would imagine themselves or their racial group to be superior to others, even after it has been accepted, as the text of the US Declaration of Independence did state, that we are all “created equal and had been endowed with certain inalienable rights by the Creator.” The rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness are clearly listed as non-negotiable. However, beyond the shores of the United States where this declaration was first made, the substance of its meaning applies universally, irrespective of where one was born or where and how their boat sails. To then deny anyone or a group of people any or all of these rights is to live in vehement, often painful, denial of the truth. Every form of racial discrimination, whether expressed explicitly or subtly hinted, is a direct attack on the human conscience and a sore point in our social relationships. To assume that an entire group of humans are inferior on the basis of their skin colour or geographical background puts a certain question mark on the humanity of those who hold such assumptions.

While there is a wide consensus that racism has no place in interpersonal or community relations, the difficult truth, however, is that we cannot wish it away for there will always be individuals in high and low places whose entire worldview revolves around prejudices drawn from basic human features like skin colour, skeletal structure, hair texture and accent. To them, humans are defined entirely by the reports of the basic senses and no more. At times, however, there are others who deep in their hearts, appreciate the limitless potential of the human specie but for reasons of mischief or in pursuit of a hideous agenda, elect to swim in the ocean of racial ignorance, convinced that popular narratives are synonymous with facts. Recall, however, that I had alerted us that racial discrimination at its core, is an exercise in self-torture because it is entirely about lying to oneself that a fellow human is inferior for the singular reason that his physical characteristics are unlike yours. Such mental framework is built on the foundation of delusional ignorance but as we have also learnt overtime, ignorance can quickly morph into extreme behaviours and widespread bigotry leading to wanton destruction and diabolic expressions of hatred. It then holds that matters of racial bias should not be taken casually in the light of its potential to instigate violence against innocent individuals and groups.

At any rate, my view is that the most effective response to the error of racism is enlightenment through education and consistent engagement with different stakeholder groups, especially teachers and persons of influence within the society. It may also help to set up robust race-blind institutional processes in public and private establishments for activities like recruitment, business and scholarship grants and all such events that invite interests from persons of diverse racial origins. The truth is that we cannot shy away from discussing these issues for that is the only way to deepen public awareness on the ills of racism and the mindset that enables it. I am pleased that we are alive to our responsibility in this regard as intellectuals, thought leaders and role models to millions of young people across racial divides.

As we may have learnt through the decades, the troubling return of racial disharmony in several parts of the world is fuelled in the main by political actors who have mastered the art of public manipulation and misrepresentation of facts to win votes. I know a few of us can readily point to several notable politicians around the world who have carefully reinvented the art of race-baiting as a tool of political dominance. Unfortunately, that would only be an overly simplistic way of looking at the crisis. The truth is that if public outcry forces one of such tricky characters out of office, more vicious individuals of similar orientation would emerge to continue the chaos. In discussions such as this, we have to carefully look at the environment that gives room for race-driven politicking, the voters who take such bait and the failure of institutions to check exploitation of voters through racial appeals. My position is that the challenge is deeper than many of us acknowledge; perhaps this may be a good time to look at things more holistically.

I have also observed that often times, analysts fail to present a comprehensive view of the challenge and elect rather to go with cheap stereotypes. As the great Nelson Mandela taught, the struggle should be targeted at all designs at racial domination, whether by Whites, Blacks, Asians, Australians or Indigenous Americans. Our campaign should never be targeted at individuals or groups but against structures, institutions and systems that directly or subtly promote interracial suspicion and disharmony. Balance and fairness are the two critical elements that must be brought to the centre of these discussions. The overarching agenda should be to find answers to the very important questions that objective commentators have continued to ask. For example, how does it advance our collective humanity to put down an entire race under whatever guise? How do you balance equality and merit? How do you keep the focus on excellence even in the pursuit of diversity? Do we have to bring down standards as we pursue the ideals of inclusion? Clearly, there are several more questions that can be asked but I remain unyielding in the conviction that no individual should be denied what is due him for primordial considerations. It would be more ideal to set clear standards that everyone, irrespective of their racial identity should aspire to. I do not buy the argument that the standards have to be lowered to accommodate everyone. My view is that the opportunity, tools and resources for adequate preparation should be liberalised such that no one suffers the disadvantage of unpreparedness. From education to sports, recruitment into strategic institutions and agencies, and across all other competitive career fields, merit and objectivity should be at the centre of decision-making, nothing else.

What hurts society in the long run is not the colour mix of the stars we see on television screens, the long-term danger is giving any group the impression, whether expressly or tacitly, that they cannot compete with the best so the standard has to be lowered to let them in. The short-term optics may look good but when a group of children grow up with the mindset that their maths score or performance in sciences need not equal the output of their peers for a chance to get into certain institutions, what follows is a pervasive culture of mediocrity arising from refusal to push oneself as hard as necessary to earn a place at the top. I am not sure this is something anyone should encourage, for while we insist on the right to appear in the frame, it is of equal importance that we spread the truth that there is no limit to the capacity of the human mind to achieve anything it commits to. This brings me to the ongoing FIFA World Cup in North America and the marvel of diligence across multiple frontlines. The central takeaway for me thus far is that excellence has no skin colour for in the final analysis, it is the level of preparation, brilliance of strategy and the unyielding determination to win that count. To address the challenge of racial bias, it would help to keep insisting that every race-based barrier on the road to success be dismantled so that everyone gets the opportunity to pursue and live out the fullest expressions of their dreams, whether it is in sports or sciences, drama or political leadership.

I am particularly glad to observe that we are broadening the scope of the conversation as this conference has done by welcoming speakers and resource persons from different backgrounds to share their stories and perspectives on the evolution and dynamics of the issues. A key lesson for me is the importance of respectful engagements across races. Not much can be achieved by hectoring and proselytising or perhaps assuming that we know better. Pride will only lead to hardening of positions. Therefore, it is important to understand the concerns of our friends with a different skin colour. It is advisable to learn about the fears of the other group, whether they are real or imagined, efforts must be invested in building bridges and breaking walls for those are the principal demands of honest engagements. Neither the victims’ mindset nor the conquerors outlook is required in this regard because whether we accept it immediately or later, the indisputable truth remains that we need one another. The world is made richer when we combine our best traits in pursuit of ideas and values that enrich the human experience; here, the desert walker’s story is as valuable as the knowledge of the ocean diver. In the end, it needs to be made clear that the global war against the menace of hunger and extreme poverty, illiteracy, diseases, war and violence cannot be won by promoting racial divisions and hatred for no one race holds the key to tackling the multitude of existential crises facing our world.

The invitation to all of us at a time like this is to look at the human race as one big family and collectively tackle the universal challenges that steal from our joyful inheritance. Again, let me repeat that we do not suffer any disadvantage for the reason of our skin pigmentation, rather we are limited by the stereotypes we accept or promote. The hard truth, however, is that we are individually and collectively capable of infinitely great accomplishments — if only we put our minds to it. Ultimately, what we need are bridges of understanding and dialogue, not walls of division and hatred.

•This is the first part the keynote address delivered by Dr. Alex Otti, the Governor of Abia State, at the University of Northampton’s Annual Conference on Racial Justice on Thursday, July 2, 2026.