Reflections on activism in the quest for a better life and society
Over the weekend, I watched Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, the biopic about the Late Olufunmilayo Ransome-Kuti. I must say that I am still in awe of the force that she was. The film depicts her life journey from getting into secondary school, travelling abroad for school and work, returning to Nigeria, teaching and finally becoming a women leader and activist. I must commend Kehinde Bankole, the actress who played a major part of her life. She brought the character to life so convincingly that I am sure Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti would be proud if she were alive. Kudos must also go to other cast members, the scriptwriters and the entire production crew. That film elicited every emotion it was supposed to get from me.
I had heard quite a bit about her life over the years, information which I am sure most people had also heard before. She was the first female student at Abeokuta Grammar School, the first Nigerian woman to drive a car, and the one who fought against the unfair taxation of Abeokuta women. She was also the mother of Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, and Beko Ransome-Kuti, three very important personalities who stamped their presence in the annals of Nigerian history. What I, however, hadn’t realised was the cost of her activism: what it took her to fight against oppression and what it also took from her.
When Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti found out that Abeokuta market women were being inordinately taxed, she just knew that she had to do something about it. She made attempts to speak with the Awujale of Ijebuland, which came to nought. She galvanised support from the upper society women, forming the Abeokuta Women’s Society, which eventually became Abeokuta Women’s Union. She also had to integrate these posh Abeokuta ladies with the market women which was no mean feat as both groups expressed a bit of resistance. She faced so many challenges but in the end, she and the women won their cause. Sadly, she had spent so much time fighting for the Abeokuta women that she had not noticed the battle being fought at home, which sadly was lost.
Throughout the film, I couldn’t help thinking about the impact of her work on the larger Nigerian society. Funmilayo was not the first woman to lead other women in fighting for their rights but her actions certainly contributed significantly to the emancipation of women. I am sure that her actions not only inspired women but also men. She had four children, all of whom are also noted to have contributed in many ways to Nigeria’s development, not just through their political activism but also directly through their work. Dolupo, her first child was a Nurse and mother of Frances Kuboye, a jazz musician. Olikoye is credited with creating the Nigerian primary healthcare system whilst serving as Minister of Health. Fela was a world-acclaimed musician who pioneered the Afrobeat genre and used his music as a tool for social activism. Beko, a physician, also used his influence to fight for social causes. For one social activist to influence her children and grandchildren so much so that they also became activists says something about Funmilayo’s impact.
The life of an activist is a lonely, painful, and sacrificial one. Activists take on causes that may not even affect them directly, channelled by a desire to see a change in society. They have to die to themselves to fight for causes and they give up so much, often not even winning either. They may not be able to live normal lives and are sometimes vilified even by the same people they fight for especially when the struggles appear to have no end. One wonders what drives such people to keep pursuing whatever goal they are fighting for because there has to be a motivation greater than their very lives.
Why do some people become activists? What motivates them to focus on addressing contemporary issues at the expense of their personal goals? I am tempted to say that some people just have that gene embedded in them but I know that isn’t true. I guess one just needs to feel enraged enough about something to want to do something about it. Perhaps it takes an issue hitting one right in the face to make one want to do something about it. Perhaps the environment also helps as we see with the Ransome-Kuti siblings who were clearly influenced by their mother. Whatever it is, it is certainly never a light responsibility.
Many people who grew up during Nigeria’s military era would have heard of and experienced activism in some form, whether through media reports or in any of the many higher institution campuses across the country. I remember many of the student union activists back when I was in university and constantly wondering, what’s in it for them? Some were found to have ulterior motives but some were truly altruistic in their activism.
As we all know, not all activists are in it for the greater good. Some people use activism as a platform to further their interests and aspirations. That may not have been their initial plan but I guess, as they weigh what they have given up with what they could get out of it, their choice is clear. There are people who have fought vehemently against people in power and then turned around to join forces with them, either covertly or overtly. One begins to wonder if they were really activists in the first place. Isn’t aligning with the forces one is fighting with supposed to happen only when both parties are on the same side of the fence?
I recall people like Gani Fawehinmi who fought for so many causes and the rights of people who couldn’t fight for themselves. Also, Ken Saro-Wiwa, a poet turned environmental activist, fought for the Ogoni people. Leading a protest one day and getting arrested the next day was a lifestyle for people like this. Ultimately, Ken Saro-Wiwa paid with his life, probably the height of sacrifice for activism. How many of us are prepared to pay that ultimate sacrifice? Nowadays, people just want to get on with their lives, grinning and bearing whatever issue they are troubled by.
Have you ever fought for something you believed in at the expense of your comfort? Have you ever had to champion the rights of people who couldn’t speak up for themselves for whatever reason? Do you ever see a need to protest a status quo that doesn’t work for everyone you know? Many of us may have a nudge in our heart to stand up for something no matter how seemingly trivial it is but then we remember those who have gone ahead of us. What did they gain and lose? Are we prepared for everything that comes with taking the road less travelled? The answers to these questions are why I believe activists are not ordinary people.
Is there a benefit to activism? Certainly but these benefits may not be immediately obvious. At the very least, activists influence the few who can carry on the fight for whatever cause and hopefully continue from where others before them have stopped. We all have a moral right to stand up for those who cannot do so but we need to be powered by total conviction if we want to fight for the change we desire. You can, I can, we all can, and this is the way I see things today.