Page 10 - TheMoralOfYourStory

10 CHILDART THE MORAL OF YOUR STORY APR-JUN 2021 11
LADY NGOZI AKANDE

DEPUTY DIRECTOR
NIGERIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ARTS & CULTURE
ICAF REPRESENTATIVE IN NIGERIA
ABUJA, NIGERIA

Morality refers to principles concerning the distinction world: the Nigerian Civil War in 1967 and the religious
between right and wrong or good and bad behavior. crises in Jos, Plateau State in 2001. These two events
But simply put, morality can be said to be the ability were extremely impactful because instead of accepting,
to discern between what is right to do and what is not. celebrating, and appreciating people’s differences, several
Several personal stories have come to define my personal communities chose to attack, malign, and marginalize
moral compass. other communities just because of these differences.
Rather than looking at the potential value and goodness
In Nigeria, we have a saying that goes: “What an elder of individuals and rationally solving problems, they viewed
can see sitting on the ground, a child cannot see sitting others as enemies.
on a tree.” This saying can be interpreted to show the
importance of the adults in our community. They are These experiences helped me evolve my morality to more
the first stop on your moral journey that influences how than just the distinction between right and wrong. To me,
you view the world and the concepts of right and wrong. morality is action: it involves tolerance, learning, listening,
The next most important influence for me was religion. growing, and most importantly, practice. Morality is also
Growing up Catholic, a lot of my sense of right and wrong a state of being where you are constantly challenging
was defined by the teachings in the church, which could yourself to not just be right, but to stand firmly against
SEEING THE be summarized as: do unto others as you would like them wrongdoing to ensure humane treatment of mankind.
to do unto you. Family and religion were two of the most
From my childhood growing up with religion and family,
to my lived experiences and my thirst for knowledge, I
distinguishing factors in my concept of morality.
also believe that morality is an endless journey from your
GOODNESS What an elder can see first day to your last.

sitting on the ground, a There are several situations where I still struggle with
morality. These situations are the result of unhealthy
child cannot see sitting stereotypes and judgements that have been perpetuated
by negative media coverage of specific groups of people.
on a tree. This is extremely rampant with the portrayal of African
Americans, Muslims, and other minority groups in the
media. In Africa, there is reduced exposure to a diverse
populace, however upon many visits to the United States,
As I grew older, in a more diverse, smaller, and more I caught myself buying into several negative connotations.
connected world, I quickly came to realize that there By seeing how people dressed and how they lived, I would
were several shortcomings in specific scenarios that were infer that they were doing wrong. However, when I caught
never covered by my elders or in church. However, these myself doing this, I took a step back and questioned why
situations required me to grow by listening, learning, and I felt that way to ensure that this sense of right and wrong
trying to understand diverse viewpoints in my community. was mine rather than a projection of negative stereotypes.
I was taught how to relate with family and friends and We do not live in a vacuum; hence our point of view is
how to relate with other Christians, but my knowledge influenced, but thinking critically allows us to evaluate the
fell short. How do I act when people are different from potential value and goodness of human beings.
me? By expanding the confines of my early learnings, I
adopted humanism, which stresses the potential value A phrase I live my life by is: “Success is not measured
and goodness of human beings, emphasizes common by wealth; it is measured by how many people are better
human needs, and seeks solely rational ways of solving off because you lived.” And that is why my advice to you
human problems. Rather than looking at people as is this: prioritize humans over ideals, dogma, and laws
different from me, I viewed them just as I was taught–as because without humanity, there is no beauty in the world.
people that should be treated as I would like to be treated. And without beauty, we end up being alive, but never
Nigeria is home to a diverse range of people, cultures, truly living. Patience and tolerance should guide your
and languages. My morality was severely affected by two thoughts and actions. Continuously practice kindness
events that really came to define the way I viewed the to everyone around you.

ARTWORK ELIOTT FRANK AGE 12 USA https://icaf.org