By Truth Contributor
Carla Thomas
Although White people make up only 18 percent of the global population—some sources say 16 percent, others even as low as six percent—colonial ideologies have conditioned us to believe in their dominance. This mindset perpetuates inequality and hinders the growth of our community. The exact figure may vary, but the bottom line is this– White people are the global minority, contrary to what these ideologies would have us believe.
Although we as Black people belong to the global majority, we are conditioned to see White people as the ruling force. This didn’t just happen by chance. It’s the result of a carefully crafted colonized mindset, constructed over centuries, that still affects how we see ourselves and each other. It’s time to challenge that narrative and reclaim everything we’ve lost along the way—our sense of identity, unity, and cultural power.
Let’s be real about what colonization truly is: the violent seizure of people’s land, the reshaping of once-familiar homelands into battle zones, and the systematic draining of communities through fear, force and subjugation. Colonizers didn’t stop at stealing physical resources; they introduced their own institutions—like governance, schools and economic structures—to erode indigenous traditions and ways of life. This brutality carved deep scars into our lands and spirits, undermining the dignity and resilience of entire communities. But most of us didn’t hear that version in school. Instead, we got a watered-down version: Pilgrims and Indigenous people sharing a meal for Thanksgiving. There was no mention of the real harm done or how entire peoples were displaced, enslaved and exploited to build someone else’s wealth and power.
So where do we go from here? Decolonization is not some trendy buzzword. It’s a serious, ongoing process that involves undoing the harm inflicted on our minds and communities for centuries. It’s about rediscovering our own traditions and taking back the power that has always been within us. We start by examining how we ended up in a world where an 18 percent (or whatever the real number is) minority is perceived as the majority in power. Through force, propaganda and systemic manipulation, colonial powers pushed the false notion that whiteness equals superiority. They hammered it into our schools, our media and even our religious institutions, until we embraced it as natural and inevitable fact.
Let’s take education. Growing up, the majority of what we heard about Black people’s history revolved around the horrors of slavery. How often did we learn about the grand civilizations of Mali or Great Zimbabwe? And did our textbooks ever celebrate Black innovators, scientists or revolutionaries in the same breath as they hailed European “discoverers”? Rarely.
Instead, our lessons focused on that single sanitized moment—Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech—while leaving out the stories of pioneering aviators like Bessie Coleman (who soared into history long before Amelia Earhart’s fame), and the heroic contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen and the “Six Triple Eight” battalion in WWII. We learned about the Wright Brothers, but not about how Black pilots pushed the boundaries of flight, or how these all-Black units fought for victory abroad while battling discrimination at home.
Media has also played its part, often portraying us as criminals or villains, making it seem like the exception rather than the norm to see positive representations of Black life on television. And when it comes to religion, African spiritual traditions have been systematically demonized, labeled “inferior” or “pagan,” while colonizers elevated Christianity in ways that erased indigenous beliefs.
This is where Antonio Gramsci’s idea of “cultural hegemony” comes in. It’s about how one group’s ideas and values become so dominant that they’re treated like absolute truths. We’ve been conditioned to believe that the colonizer’s institutions and worldview are not only natural, but better. This conditioning has led us to question our own cultural heritage, history and traditions, internalizing the idea that they are backward or irrelevant—while assimilating into the very structures that stripped us of our identity and agency.
As a result, we see neighborhoods starved of resources, schools that fail to teach us our full heritage, and systems designed to keep us divided. We still carry the message that we’re somehow “less than,” and it shows up in both quiet, everyday habits and more obvious behaviors. But these mindsets aren’t carved in stone.
They can—and must— be deconstructed. Decolonization starts with us challenging every story we’ve been told about who we are and where we come from. We demand a more honest look at history, we celebrate the diversity and brilliance of Black culture and we refuse to accept a narrative that places us in a perpetual state of lack.
It won’t happen overnight and it won’t always be easy. But this is our journey—both personal and collective. By unearthing the truth about colonization and exposing how it shaped our world, we give ourselves the chance to rebuild. We reclaim the traditions that kept our ancestors strong and honor the brilliance in our communities today. We stand firm in the knowledge that we are not a minority and that our culture, resilience, and unity have always been the real measure of our worth.
So how do we start the journey of decolonization? We begin by identifying the signs of a colonized mindset. Do we ever feel like we have to apologize for our natural hair in a professional setting? Do we doubt our abilities because we don’t fit into a Eurocentric definition of success? This can show up as code-switching, where we constantly change our language or mannerisms to seem “acceptable.”
It can surface in our appearance choices, like avoiding natural hairstyles in the workplace because they’re not deemed “professional.” Sometimes we fall into self-denigration, making disparaging remarks about our own culture, food, or customs. We might also find ourselves emulating dominant norms, overemphasizing the standards of the dominant class while sidelining our own. Awareness is key.
We can also decolonize our minds through education. Make it a point to learn about the history of colonization and seek out material by Black and Indigenous authors. Read work like Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, or check out Edgar Villanueva’s Decolonizing Wealth—these texts shine a bright light on how colonization affects everything from economics to self-worth.
Beyond learning, it’s crucial to actively celebrate Black culture and identity. Embrace African and Afro-diasporic traditions, support Black-owned businesses, immerse yourself in music, fashion, cuisine, and spirituality that honor our roots. Our collective economic power is real, and when we redirect it to each other, we build stronger foundations for our communities.
Next, we have to be intentional about forming alliances. Whether it’s hosting community gatherings that spark conversations on decolonization, or aligning with groups dedicated to dismantling systemic oppression, we make the greatest strides by working together.
None of this means we ignore the larger systems that still hold us back. We must challenge oppressive structures by voting for policies that address inequality and by speaking out against racism in every space we occupy—workplaces, schools, churches, social media platforms. It’s not always easy but it’s necessary.
Let’s put this into action. Notice each time you code-switch or catch yourself thinking from a colonized mindset—those moments when you alter your words, ideas, or behavior to fit someone else’s standard. Initiate conversations with friends and family about how colonialism seeps into everyday life and support each other in finding solutions. If you’re on social media, share your reflections with #ReclaimBlackPower to inspire others to reflect and act.
At the end of the day, decolonization is a personal commitment—but it thrives when we come together. It’s about reclaiming the parts of ourselves that were stolen, learning the history that was suppressed, and building the future that truly honors our brilliance.
As Fanon put it, “Each generation must discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it.” Our mission is here and now. By dismantling colonial thinking in our own minds, we can begin to transform the world around us. Let’s walk this path together, strengthening our communities and reclaiming our rightful narratives, one step at a time.