Scott Reeves – History 122 Final Exam
Stop Pulling “a LeBron James” and Stay Home The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa said, “The emigration of African professionals to the West is one of the greatest obstacles to Africa’s development.” Colonialism was a major influence on the development in Africa. Since there were so many setbacks in multiple African countries, such as Belgium in the Congo, France in West Africa, and the British in places all over the continent, it has caused countries to have trouble economically and politically. Whether or not there are greener pastures in foreign lands, the people of Africa are hurting the continent’s growth by leaving, even if they come back years later. The continent needs workers, intellectuals, and professionals to stay at home in order to help Africa develop and become industrialized. Africa has to figure out a plan to avoid pushing their own people away, since there are multiple factors that are pulling them away to distant areas. If Africa was able to have similar incentives as foreign places, fewer people would leave, and that would help Africa develop. People who leave negatively affect their own families, as well as all of the people in their homeland. Difficulty supporting those who are left behind, and the overall idea of staying united as a country, are problems that Africans face. The consequences of “brain drain” threaten to stunt the overall development of the continent. People should not be leaving their country because it does not help solve the issues that are going on within their homeland. The living conditions that Africans struggle with include poverty, low salaries, poor educational systems, religious conflicts, violence, and a lack of freedom. These conditions account for many of the issues that exist in many African countries. The depressed economic condition of many