The United States of an African

This post was originally written in January 2016

I have been living in America for about eight years now. For the majority of that, I have been disconnected to black American culture. Why? Because I’m not a black American neither am I an African American. I am just an African that happens to live in America. However, when I moved to Mobile, AL, the deep south of this country, was the first time I was thrust into the lives of African/Black Americans. I made friends with a group of culturally responsible blacks, and through this friendship, I became curious about their culture. As an African, sometimes we tend to snob black Americans because, to be honest, they don’t really have the best image portrayed in media. And thus a lot of Africans tend to be quite ignorant about blacks in America. But that is essentially what we Africans in America are…blacks in America. Purely based on our skin color, we are therefore, even though we’d rather not be, associated with African American culture and consequently, their stereotypes. So in an effort to rid myself of my African ignorance, I try to involve myself in activities that are of importance to black Americans. This year was the first time I ever celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Let’s just say if it weren’t for him, I may not even have this privilege. These pictures I took are from the time I walked in the MLK Day Parade in Mobile, Alabama.