As an ever learning student with appetite for statistics, I came to an ageless conclusion: ‘thank God for what statistics teach and show, but equally important,  what they do not reveal.’  Using terms such as ‘Frequency,’ ‘Mode,’ ‘Median, ‘’Mean,’ ‘Average,’ and ‘ Standard Deviation,’ that are typically used to derive conclusions from large samples or data, one is prompted to wonder what is holding Africans and their worldwide cousins in perpetual bondage.

In US America, we are reminded that 45 million of us, about 13% of the US population, live below the poverty line. This is similar to what is said about Africans who live on a Dollar a day. Imagine the insult and yet the so called men of timber and caliber just keep quiet and walk away, with their flashing PhDs and all other accolades. A doormat should blame itself for being stepped on. My mom taught me that ageless lesson.

Black folks portray poverty as a way to attract stipends and hand-outs, which others reluctantly or willingly give. The handouts lower our standing and make us look like leeches and parasites. If 13% of the US population is represented by us Black folks, help me understand: Are we all POOR?

No! We have unwittingly and inadvertently accepted the label for some odd reasons. Flip over to the world stage, there are more poor folks in India and China than all poor peoples of Africa. However, Africa is seen and treated as the poor continent and her leadership given to running after former colonial masters to BEG.

There are 8 million Jews in US compared to 45 million blacks. For every one Jew, we have about 5.625 blacks. If the saying ‘two good heads are better than one’ holds, help me understand how and why one Jewish head is superior and better than that of 5.625 black folks!

On education, statistics show that 9% of Americans have actual 4-year college degree but 22% have college education which they did not complete. Using statistical inference, there are about 720,000 Jews with degrees (0.09 x 8,000,000 versus 0.09 x 45,000,000) 4,050,000m blacks - using Averages across board as no differentiation is made based on ethnicity. Even if all the Jews were to have college education, that still stands at 8 million of them which anyone familiar with statistics and use of samples, knows is highly improbable, even though it is possible. Concluding, 22% of 45 million is a whopping number of 9,900,000. Therefore, on this scale of analysis, there are more 1.9 million black folks with college education, even if all the 8 million Jews were to have one. 

Folks, wait no more or seek no more validation from anyone, just be a Nike – Just Do It. The numbers are that, and it shows but again, it does not reveal what is hidden.

Now, go take on the day and make it count. No one gets to the traffic light when it is GREEN and deliberately and literally waits for the other driver to go. If they do, they get a higher chance of being run over, and the accident report will show it is their fault. At a traffic light that is GREEN, just keep going because you have right of way. Only yield to avoid danger but never yield due to timidity and turning over the other cheek. Heck no, not this African by way of Igbo-Nigerian and a Texan and proud naturalized American.

By Ejike Okpa II
Dallas, Texas.