So I’ve been in Ghana for exactly 3 weeks, which make my opinions simply that, because in no way have I been here long enough to make any particular judgments BUT being here has proven to be extremely WONDERFUL and extremely COMPLICATED. Wonderful in this sense: EVERYTHING that I’ve seen (thus far) is run by only black people—from the professor who teaches me about the African Diaspora from a W. African perspective, to the fine brothers who I can admire 24/7. It is a BEAUTIFUL & EMPOWERING thing for a person (who loves their blackness) to be able to experience and important for anyone in general. I love it here.
It’s complicated in too many ways to be able to explain but I will try and speak on some things that I’ve noticed. The one disheartening thing that I’ve experienced so far (disheartening but simultaneously encouraging) is that anyone who is not dark enough is considered white. It was explained to me like this. Where you’re from, White is the powerful majority, therefore one drop of anything else (hence the 1 drop rule back home) makes you othered/non-white. Here in Ghana, Black is the rulemaking majority, and one drop of anything else (any lighter ethnicity no matter which) makes you White. It’s a very interesting dynamic and something I’m still trying to adjust to, because someone calling me White at home is a mistake a non-Black person would ever make. Also, WHERE ARE ALL MY NATURAL SISTERS AT?? I haven’t seen one yet!
Despite all of the adjusting, I couldn’t imagine myself in any other place. I’m learning more here than I could possibly describe.
- Christina B.
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