In proto-feudal African societies, central to the teachings of spirituality is filial piety. Respect for parents and elders is not a given; it is a requisite because they represented a class of ‘nourishers,’ ‘archivists’ of patterns and modes of cultural progression. They were the primary transmitters of ecophilosophy.
In fact, the etymology of the word ‘Elder’ goes back to the Proto-Indo-European word ‘al-‘ meaning ‘to grow, to nourish’. In Proto-Germanic, this evolved into ‘alpiz’. As such, in earliest times, old age was understood to translate to wisdom and understanding of the world. However, there is a generally misconstrued understanding of this form of respect today.
A conventional view, highly popular, is that respecting an elder means being ‘unprovoking, subservient, and obedient.’ This simplistic interpretation is far removed from the complexity accompanying the reality of elders within Afrikan cosmologies. In fact, the overt and covert simplicity of this concept in postcolonial Afrika is intentional. This illusion has legitimized dictatorial and authoritarian tendencies under the erroneous conception of ‘Afrikan culture’.
Respect basically implies a deep feeling of admiration based on one’s qualities and achievements. Politeness is not the same as respect; the former exists within the latter. Respect takes two forms: obedience and subservience on one hand, and courtesy and kindness on the other. Relevantly, in proto-feudal Afrika, despite the emphasis on personhood and obedience/subservience as emblems of respect, our spirituality presented an antithetical approach. Ifa spirituality stresses acquiring respect through honor, not compulsion.
“The Yoruba proverb ‘Àgbà kìí wà lọja kórí ọmọ tuntun wọ’ [An elder cannot be present in the market and let the head of a young baby twist to one side] serves as a strong charge to elders to clearly understand their transactional role in society. Nothing in Ifa spirituality preaches the existence of elders with immutable authority that disallows accountability, questioning, and independence of thought in others. Yoruba spirituality, in fact, frowns upon ‘assertive possessiveness’ among elders. Of all the renditions of Ifa verses that speak to this fact, Òbàràbogbè is perhaps the most instructive. Without going into details, this verse begins by saying:
Ọwọ ọmọdé ò tó pẹpẹ
Tàgbà ò wọ kèègbè
A díá fún tẹgbọn tàbúrò
Nijọ tí wọn ń loko Ejí….
Translation
The hand of a child cannot reach the shelf Nor can the hand of the adult enter a gourd Thus divination was undertaken for two brothers
On their way to seek refuge in Ejí…
A cursory look at the Yoruba concept of Ori reveals that the people were not so concerned with this assumed culture of instant gratification at the detriment of the young. Ori Inu, the inner head, stresses the essence of human personality and treatment of others, demystifying the idea of absent individual differences. The point to be made is that the elders of our society today cannot be rigid or conservative. Colonialism, and now the forces of capitalism, have eroded the proto-feudal era where age was synonymous with social power. Obedience and subservience are no longer yardsticks for respect. Respect today is governed by mutual courtesy and kindness. This is a dialectical process, inherent in the capitalist social order. The refusal to internalize this natural process has sparked intergenerational conflicts and tension. We have witnessed this intergenerational tension on our academic platforms.
It is impossible to forget that a senior colleague once infantilized the entirety of younger colleagues by describing them as members of a ‘computer age’ who are supposedly ‘not academic enough.’ The intervention that followed was in defense of ASUU. As far as this clear-headed union is concerned, intergenerational tension or conflict is counterproductive and should be eschewed.
The union preaches class solidarity amongst colleagues regardless of status or position. Some of the best elders one can encounter are in ASUU – emeritus professors, professors, and doctors of high repute who engage in positive, intellectual polemics with younger colleagues without imposing etiquette expectations. ASUU frowns upon blind loyalty or an unprincipled state of unquestionable obedience to superiors, often implying elders. The academy is not a military barracks. The union, if I may say, encourages polite and respectful conversation while acknowledging that it is unacceptable for an oppressor or misguided, compromised elder to mistreat someone and then dictate the victim’s response
ASUU leaders at different negotiating tables have faced state propaganda of all sorts, claiming rudeness and bluntness in their presentation of union matters. ASUU advocates for discourse without resorting to gaslighting, personal attacks, or trivialization due to unmet etiquette expectations. This is the essence of true camaraderie – recognizing and respecting inherent differences in everyone. The moment you deny someone (regardless of age) the right to express themselves due to failed etiquette expectations, you deny them the right to be different.