The Capitalist Nigger (The Road to Success – A Spider Web Doctrine) By Dr. Chika Onyeani

The Capitalist Nigger is one of the most controversial books

to have ever been published. Firstly, the title is scandalous.

And secondly, the content therein is scathing.

The book is directed at the African Black Man. 

It is an economic tongue-lashing,

chastising the black population for its dependency on the (White Man).

The author, Dr. Chika Onyeani, is angry with the black man’s inability to take responsibility for his inadequacies.  He has had enough of the black man’s victim mentality.  Dr. Onyeani, who was the African Sun Times publisher/editor-in-chief at the time of this writing, points out that Africans are at the tail-end of the economic prosperity, largely because they are excellent at consumption, but pathetic at producing the goods they consume.

He compares African people’s economic habits to what he terms “The Spider Web Doctrine” employed by other races, including the Japanese, Jews and Indians.  Under the spider web doctrine, when a dollar comes into the Indian community, for example, that dollar does not leave the Indian community.  It circulates among the several business owners in that community.  They reinvest that dollar by buying from other Indians in their community.

In Dr. Onyeani’s opinion, The Black Race is an economic slave.  He laments that blacks consume everything other races produce, and produce nothing that other races could consume.

Dr. Onyeani concedes that the Caucasians or Europeans are economically superior to the Africans.  He warns the Africans against hating the Europeans and calling them names.  Instead, he suggests that the Black nation embrace the Caucasian mindset and learn the secrets of their extraordinary successes in life.  By so doing, the black man gives himself a chance to be a “Capitalist Nigger”.

 “A Capitalist Nigger is an economic warrior who loves making money as much as he loves himself, his wife and his children.”

The good Doctor claims that the Capitalist Nigger’s greatest asset

is his absolute belief in himself, and his unflinching desire to succeed. 

“Failure is never an option for a Capitalist Nigger because he knows that every problem has a solution. The Capitalist Nigger demands what is due to him.  He has the resolve to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals.” The Capitalist Nigger is wary of the black mans’ PHD

(Pull Him Down) Syndrome.  He never succumbs to negative utterances from friends, family and other associates who are not hungry enough to do something about their lack of financial stability.  The Capitalist Nigger understands that knowledge is power.   He understands that when you know better, you can do better.  And, he ruthlessly pursues the knowledge that will help him build a successful business and a successful life.

Unfortunately, the above is not common in South African communities, and that is just the short-sightedness this book aims to address.

The author lashes out that the black people, especially in America where he resides, are highly qualified academically, in most cases, even more qualified than the other immigrant nations in the United States.  He grieves that these qualifications are not used to benefit the black communities. 

Dr Onyeani weeps that blacks are always playing second-fiddle to the white man.  He bemoans the black man’s lack of ambition – his lack of loyalty to his own people.  Dr. Onyeani says, “If you are a nation that claims to be independent you should be able to feed yourself, cure yourself, defend yourself, and provide essential services to yourself.”  How many African countries can sincerely claim to be independent in accordance with the above definition?

The Capitalist Nigger was first published in the 2000.  It’s been 24 years since then, yet nothing much has changed.  The political landscape is still very much the same, so is the economic landscape.  What has the African man learnt in all these years?

I remember a quote I heard from J.T Foxx in one seminar I attended.

He said, "Everyone can see that Africa has the best potential for wealth creation. Everyone, except Africans themselves."

It is a scathing indictment, but it's true. All these nations are taking mineral resources from Africa and making fortunes, but we Africans still live in desperate poverty. We would rather fight among ourselves than to confront the real situation. We're so good at pointing fingers, and so bad at conjuring, let alone implementing solutions. Why is this?

Is Africa too dumb to learn?

Now is the time to start supporting fellow African businesses instead of sending money back to the white folks as soon as it comes in.  Now is the time for us as Africans to create our own “Economic Spider Web” in order to develop the communities we occupy.  Let Africans build their own thriving businesses and create jobs for their own people.

Black people claim to be free, but they still depend on their former conquerors to provide for their survival.  This is not freedom, it is economic slavery.  Dr Onyeani hates that every cent the black man makes will eventually find its way back to the white man’s pocket.

“Sure enough, Africa was colonised by the French, Portuguese and The British.  These colonisers robbed Africa of its most precious resources and its intellect.  The black man has been a slave in his own land.  But this is no excuse.  What we are seeing now is the black man suffering at the hands of another black man.  The current crop of politicians has merely replaced the white supremacy at the totem pole.   These African leaders are not pushing to create better living conditions for their people.  They are only concerned about feeding themselves and their immediate families.”

Dr. Onyeani says “The leaders of Africa who benefited from the handout of independence to African countries had no concept of the ideals of rulership they were inheriting, other than their desire to displace the Europeans in their oppression of the masses of people and their opulent lifestyles with the resources of the people.”

Complaining and blaming are the two things Africans do best. 

They can’t even build their own nuclear weapons to protect their people.  Scores of child soldiers lose their lives annually in civil wars,

yet these countries don’t even have factories to manufacture the weapons they use to kill each other.

The white colonists may have left our land,

but are they still colonising our minds?

The premise of The Capitalist Nigger is that Africans are a bunch of beggars who are content to play victim and then blame past circumstances for their lack of progress. 

Why are we still the poorest continent even after decades of our so-called freedom? Are we incapable, inadequate or simply unwilling? When is it going to be time to rise up and claim back what is rightfully ours?

Do you share the sentiments espoused by Dr. Chika Onyeani?

Do you have a different outlook on the matter?

Share your thoughts in the comments below…