They are not many fathers who teach their children that they are African, and what that fully entails; that is to say, teach the child directly about what living as an African is, or is not, and what it can be. It is true, though, that some of them are raised hearing from adults around them what the Sesotho word botho means – that is, what being human entails, as they learn how to behave towards others, how to think of themselves as members of a community of individuals who respect and take care of each other – and what it is not. But how many parents do actually teach their children directly about being African? For that matter, who has received direct and comprehensive instruction in what it means to be black? Not many, not directly, and not in any classroom in the course of their basic schooling or university education.

The first lesson involved in teaching African psychology is thus to teach Africa. Perhaps all courses about African psychology are essentially directed at learning and teaching about Africa in the world. The world from Africa. And yet, once again, the best of African psychology courses are those that can manage to teach Africa and being African in the world well, without mentioning the words ‘Africa’ and ‘African’.

I suspect that not many normal white parents, in Africa, America, Europe or elsewhere, teach their children that they are white. By normal, I mean those individuals who do not consider themselves racist. I do not suppose they tell their children to enjoy their white privilege.

This is what puts me in mind to ask, in the context of working to realise African-centred psychology: what do we teach the young and each other about being African in today's world? How can we not teach Africa in psychology, in today's world? Given Africa's economic position relative to North America, Western Europe, Australia and China, the assumption I make is that it is a virtuous thing to teach Africa, to learn about being African in the world, so as to withstand the arrows of global apartheid and racism, and the subtle and overt valuing of whiteness or the privileges that come with a US or EU passport when compared to African ones.