The Rats Had Never Left
Conquering Colonists & Systemic Racism
by Abdusamaad (Sam) Karani

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Systemic racism underlies post-colonial societies, due in part to the undeniable legacy of historical racism. The conquering colonist (often mistakenly referred to as the “settler-colonist”) dominated the colonized, especially their minds. Overcoming destructive colonialism and systemic racism requires the decolonization of the mind—the mutually embedded mindsets of the conqueror and the colonized. Eliminating this legacy requires that we know who we are and admit to and rectify past mistakes. The Rats Had Never Left draws on the lived experiences of Abdusamaad (Sam) Karani in Apartheid South Africa, including his personal advocacy for mental health and psychology in society, and the cost he paid in the process. Having lived abroad in London, UK, and now Canada, Karani shares his experiences with the destructive legacy of systemic racism. Liberal democracies need to overcome the legacy of systemic racism. So how do we move forward? How do we keep ourselves from being stuck in the destructiveness of the blame game? Enhancing tolerance is the way forward. The racialized must not be reluctant to take the initiative. Society’s institutions—police, the justice system, etc.—need to self-reflect for long-term change, keeping in mind that power has traditionally never been shared, as a natural process, with society’s disadvantaged.

samkarani.com

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"A South African psychologist surveys the lasting legacies of systemic racism in this debut book. This work is particularly adept at condensing longue durée history across multiple periods and continents, as well as complex colonial and post-colonial theories, into an accessible, well-written narrative accompanied by textbox vignettes and charts. An engaging analysis of the persistent vestiges of colonialism." ─Kirkus Reviews

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Abdusamaad (Sam) Karani grew up in Apartheid South Africa, and still carries painful lived experiences with him today. He advocates for individual and collective advocacy as the way forward in the multigenerational process to end systemic racism. He has dedicated his life to advocacy at great personal cost, fighting against social Darwinism and eugenics in the disciplines of psychology and mental health. His advocacy has contributed to political change in society. A trained clinical psychologist in South Africa, Karani was a Professor and Head of the Department of Medical Psychology (Medunsa University) prior to emigrating to Canada. A philatelist who also has an extensive collection of books, Karani has studied Sufism and served in many professional associations. He has also been a cricket, soccer, tennis, and table tennis player and has been involved in the administration of the same. Karani is retired and lives in Ontario, Canada, with his wife. His elder son lives with him. His younger son is an internal medicine specialist whose wife is a family physician.

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Abdusamaad (Sam) Karani

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