Celebrating Africanness

In the olden days, once a person was white, they were either of two things; missionary, or coloniser. They were never African. The fact that an African-born White can now claim any African country as their adopted home is proof that culture is dynamic, writes Moses Opobo. Yesterday, May 25, the continent marked Africa Day. The day is an opportunity for Africans to acknowledge and reflect upon the achievements of their peoples and governments, and to highlight Africa’s shared history and heritage, its unity and diversity as well as its enormous potential and common destiny. Under the theme, “Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance”, this year’s celebration was special and marked a significant milestone for Africans: Fifty years ago, on May 25, 1963, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) – the present day African Union, (AU) was established. But who is African? The answer to this question seems to be a little more complex than it need be. It seems to raise more questions than answers: Is it a cultural thing? A colour thing? Why do African Americans believe they would feel better at home in Africa despite having no tangible link to the continent, let alone having been born and bred elsewhere? Today, many Black Americans still identify themselves as African first and American later. They want (and expect) acceptance in Africa, especially since their existence in America has been historically difficult. Unfortunately, the bitter reality they soon discover is that skin colour alone is not enough to make them fit in and be considered “African enough”, so to speak. People may sympathise with the fact that you are a child of two worlds who doesn’t quite fit into either one, they may even want to hear your story briefly, but usually that is where it all ends. Africans in the diaspora long for a place where they can just be themselves, but sadly, Africa isn’t necessarily that place. Here you are, American; you have been away for all these years. We do not have the same experiences to bond us, the same languages to help us bridge the gap, the same memories of how things were. Culture transcends skin colour. The ability to speak local languages is just one aspect of it. Even if you made the effort to learn a language, still there are social contexts and slang that one has to deal with. This should explain the rise in popularity of the phenomenon of “White Africans”. In the space of two generations, the term ‘White African’ has become widely acceptable, even fashionable among white people with African heritage. In the olden days, once a person was white, they were either of two things; missionary, or coloniser. They were never African. The fact that an African-born White can now claim any African country as their adopted home is proof that culture is dynamic. In less than a hundred years, White Africans are a legitimate part of the continent. Popular myths about Africa “There’s no snow in Africa!” is just one example of the kinds of things many people think they know about the “dark continent”, but in fact don’t. Africa is a country People often refer to “Africa” as if it is a country rather than a continent. Well, it is a continent and home to 54 independent, unique countries with South Sudan being the latest addition in July 2011. Each country has its own currency, flag, anthem, history, food, music, identity and blend of cultures. In fact more than 2000 languages are spoken in Africa, and its 1 billion inhabitants are made up of over 3000 distinct ethnic groups. Africa is also bigger than most people think it is. If you combine the USA, China, India, Europe and Japan – they all fit into Africa. Africa is dangerous and violent With wars, revolutions, pirates and child soldiers making the news, it’s really no wonder that the myth about Africa being a very dangerous place is a common one. If New York City was judged by reading the New York Post, few tourists would dream of visiting. Of course bad news is news, so you don’t get to hear enough about the good things that happen on the continent. There are countries, some cities and borders that are very dangerous, but given the size of the continent, it is not hard to see that there are many perfectly peaceful and safe places to visit. Africa is poor and disease ridden Poverty is something that will strike you as a visitor to many African countries. But Africans and African countries are not all poor. It’s the distribution of wealth that’s the biggest problem. African politicians are all corrupt Corrupt politicians aren’t exactly unique to Africa, but the continent does seem to have more than its fair share. At least Rwanda’s story has shown the world that corruption can be managed, even eradicated, while political icons like Nelson Mandela demonstrated that Africa is capable of producing an honest leader. It’s always hot in africa If you have only visited West Africa, then how appropriate is it for one to claim that “it’s always hot in Africa”? Actually, it snows in Africa, yes it does. Both northern and southern Africa experience cold winters with frequent frost, as well as hot summers. Mountains, plateaus, cold oceans, warm oceans, rainy and dry seasons - all affect weather patterns in individual countries. Sadly, conversations about the weather in much of Africa tend to focus more on whether its dry or wet, than about the temperature being hot or cold.