The Spiritual Battle for Liberation: Decolonisation and Inclusion Are Not Failing—Or Are They?

Written: Adéọlá Naomi Adérèmí

Is it decolonisation or liberation that we’re really after? For what feels like centuries, eons, even a lifetime, the African soul has sought emancipation. Freedom; Belonging; Most often, it looks like a desperate need for acceptance or an acceptance of the status quo, validation of our humanity in a world that daily berates and dehumanises us.

But here’s the question we keep avoiding: can there ever be true liberation without full spiritual emancipation?

In my 37 years, I’ve been inducted into a club of highly educated, cultured, and what some might call “privileged” Africans. The “lucky ones.” Those whose lineage, we’re told, remained relatively “untouched” by the raging machine of imperialist capitalism. But can any African truly claim to be unimpacted? In a world steeped in imperialist militarism and globalised capitalism, is anyone truly exempt? Writing this essay in English alone is proof that none of us are untouched. All of us are socialised, indoctrinated, even to perform the values of white imperialism and capitalism.

I ask again, what of our liberation?

Awakening is a choice. But it’s a hard one. Liberation demands we unlearn these values, rip them out from ourselves, our communities, and the world we inhabit. At the very least, this is what the sacrifices of our Pan-African ancestors fought for; a world where Africans see themselves truly, fiercely, as they were before colonialists arrived with their dehumanisation, their greed, and their relentless imperialist capitalism.

In the last 20 years, countless movements have risen to address the position of African descendants in 'default white' spaces, the structures never designed for us, much less with us in mind. Yet, in my work with clients who are deeply invested in liberation for themselves, their organisations, and the collective; I notice a tension. A hesitation. They desire freedom, but they struggle to embrace their full Africanness and spiritual being.

Why?

Here’s the thing: white supremacy isn’t just a system. It’s a belief, an ideology. The idea that whiteness, its people, culture, values are inherently superior isn’t exclusive to white individuals. Through the violent interruption of African, Asian, and other civilisations, whiteness has seeped into all global consciousness. It is embedded in colonial education, social frameworks, and everyday norms. This means that anyone, yes, anyone can act as an agent of white supremacy, knowingly or unknowingly.

So, back to the question: are we ready for full liberation? Are we willing to unshackle ourselves, spiritually, from white capitalist supremacy?

Because here’s the truth: decolonisation,diversity and inclusion as we’re taught to pursue it, often feels like trying to squeeze into a mould that was never meant for us. A mould that was designed to suffocate our spirits. How can you “decolonise” the coloniser? The institutions we’re trying to reform exist to uphold imperialist white supremacist ideologies. They were built on the principles that divided our continents, enslaved our people, and exploited our resources. To sit at the table of these institutions is not liberation. It is a distraction. It is a wasted lifeforce.

Let’s be clear: white supremacy is more than a system, it’s a spiritual domination. Its rituals such as slavery, colonialism, police brutality, capitalism, genocide, ecocide are spiritual acts. If we are serious about decolonisation and liberation, we must begin at the spiritual core of our African spiritual essence.

What does that look like? Let’s explore that together next time in the second part of this series of essays. For now, listen to this conversation I had with Timil on the topic [here].