Social Racism and Discrimination: The Osu Cultural Practice in Igboland

Abstract

In some parts of Igboland, people are segregated by the many social discriminatory practices prevalent therein. The Osu cultural practice is one of such social discriminatory practices under discourse. It is an ancient practice that discourages social interaction, marriage, and title-taking by a group of people referred to as Osu. The system has been extant among the Igbos since the pre-colonial era when these people were offered to deities to cleanse the land from abomination, while others dedicated themselves to the deity for protection. These Osu people were thus seen as inferior to the “free- bornâ€, in fact, it was a taboo to interact with or visit them. However, with the changing trends in the society, such as the spread of Christianity, western education, urbanization, and the rise of city- centers in Igboland, the level of observance of the practice seems to be abating, as people interact without questioning the identity of each other. As much as marriage and title-taking, amongst other socio-political functions are concerned, the Osu practice holds sway as the maltreatment meted on the Osu has forced many of them to migrate to other countries, abandon marriages, and commit crimes against humanity in Igboland. The paper, therefore, seeks to assess the changes and continuities that have been obtainable in the Osu system over time. It adopts the qualitative methodology and chronological presentation which include the descriptive and analytic methods of writing history. Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources of data were also used.