Becoming One Fisherman

Fishermen boats

Today I became still, I became selfless, and became one with a Ghanaian community. We were tired, but keep pulling. My classmates and I stood there pulling the same rope as the Ghanaian fishermen and we all hoped there would be a net full of fresh fish to feed the community. We struggled and became tired. However, we continued to try and find our place in the rope, one after the other. After ten minutes of pulling I began to sweat and my back began to ache. This was different struggle, but I always wanted to become one with a group that had the same lineage as me as far as I know. I stepped back from the rope and noticed my hands started to blister, but I wanted to continue to help. After letting the rope loose, I thought and asked myself if I continue helping I could hurt myself. I stood watching for about a minute or two wondering how could I help them without getting dirty or doing much work. Selfish I knew, but never have I had to address my selfishness at this level. I told myself these fishermen do this everyday to provide for their families and community. So sacrifice my selfishness I did. This is when I knew it was my time to become one with my African brothers and sisters, my time to become selfless and work with them. I took off my shirt and began to wrap it around my hands to protect from the blisters, so I could continue pulling with them. Except one fishermen would not allow me to use my own shirt we urged me to use the cloth from his hands. The look in his eyes made all the difference. I felt as if he understood my eagerness to help. So we pulled and pulled for another 15 minutes before the fishermen transitioned to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Some swam out to help pull the rope in from a closer position. They continued pulling in the rope and we all ran to see how many fish they had caught this early Thursday morning. It was depressing to see that we caught many small fish, but it was interesting to see the women and children from the community show up with their buckets to fill them with fish. They were the cookers and the sellers. And I must mention my friend, Ben. 

Lawrence, Ben, Godson, and me

For the last two years, my friend full of selflessness pulled the whole time with these men. He worked tirelessly with them and I must say this was a man I respected so much. Today he became even more inspirational, encouraging, funny, and caring to me. He did not stop or complain at any point during the struggle. He was one with them as was I. We were speechless over the amount of work those Ghanaian fishermen go through on a regular basis. We even had the ability to fill the hands of one of the men. His palms were rock solid. They literally could be compared to rocks because how rough and hard they were but all due to a hard days work. Besides, his rock hard palms and hands, he was happy with the end result. He was open to us and selfless. And “this was what love meant after all: sacrifice and selflessness. It did not mean hearts and flowers and a happy ending, but the knowledge that another's well-being is more important than one's own.” (1)

(1) Cruz, M. (2011) Lost in Time. New York: Hyperion.

The group after we pulled the fish in

Identity, Art, and Fashion

There I stood looking at a person that I describe as myself. A person, who is dark in skin, wears glasses, stands 5 feet and 8 inches tall, and still feels this lost sense of awareness of his own family’s history and culture. When did my skin become called “black” when it reminded me of the brown crayon I used as a toddler? Why did I feel connected to the hundreds and thousands of people of this “unknown” place many call “uncivilized, poor, the motherland”? I can truly tell you that my experience thus far in Ghana is surprising me continuously.

As we continue speaking and talking to our Ghanaian peers about their culture, lifestyle, and the Pan African movement led by Ghana’s former president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, it becomes all too real for me. This experience is allowing me to learn about the parts of history I have been missing or never taught. It is as if it a mirror was broken from those of African descent for centuries, and never really put back together. That is how I felt as I stood in the mirror this morning, combing my thick rough wavy black hair, trying to figure out what was missing from my life. These last few days have sprouted nothing but seeds that has started the new roots of what it means to be Black in America, African, to have peace, family, sacrifice, and strength. As a result, it is fostering growth in countless ways. I am not only learning the Ghanaian and African culture, but also the untold history of African American culture.  In addition, I am absorbing how I react to working with others, dealing with time in another country, and self-reflection. 

 Secondly, I have learned that real African art and fashion exist. It is diverse, it is elegant, it is creative, it is different, and I call that true art. Sitting in the Annual African Fashion Show was no different. There were designers from all over Africa from Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Angola, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, just to name a few. These fashions were beautiful and exciting. I do not think I have ever left a fashion show that excited before. However, since it was mostly traditional clothing I wondered where would I wear it and when would be the most appropriate time.  That day came a few days later after I purchased my first African linen shirt. I felt great wearing it, so I purchased another African shirt with a different pattern.

Anywho, we are now on our way to Cape Coast for the rest of the week to the slave dungeons. I am overwhelmed with excitement already, but I hope I can keep myself together as my classmates and I reflect over the history lost at sea.  

The Alarm in Africa

Dr. Nkrumah reminding Ghanaians to look forward

 Beep! Beep! Beep! The sound from my alarm clock awakes me, but like many other college students I ignore it and hit the snooze button. I sleep for another hour before realizing I will not get to eat breakfast since I decided to shower instead. Boomer. The time is now 9:30 in the morning and we began a new day of learning. Today I would like to call it Pan Africanism Day since we learned about the great Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana after gaining independence from the UK in 1957. Many Ghanaians also knew this day as traditional wear day as well. They wore their traditional African clothing with many patterns and colors and expressed the importance of this day every Friday.  We also went to go visit the Kwame Nkrumah Museum, which was beautiful and peaceful. We learned about his aspirations and dreams for Africa in the late 1950s, early 1960s, to unite and take ownership over their own natural resources so they could one day have the chance to be a powerful continent.  I can see now how this could be seen as a threat to the Great 8 (United States of America, Russia, Italy, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Canada) economic systems at that time. Meanwhile, we happen to run into some school children too. Incredible I must say. They were very timid at first, but once we showed interest in talking and interacting with them they were welcoming. My classmates and I captured many photos with the children and fell in love with them instantly. 

It reminded me of my family and the way my cousins run to me after not seeing me for months. The children’s teacher later came to the bus to thank my classmates and I for coming to Ghana and he addressed all of us as “whites”. As shocking as this may sound anyone who is not from Africa was considered to be a “bruni” or “obruni bibi”. As the day went on we continued to discuss Pan Africanism and ended up touring W.E.B. Dubois’s home he lived in while in Ghana in 1961 through 1963, which was given to him after arriving in Ghana to assist Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah believed they both had an aligned dream of African unity. Dubois researched, wrote, and created the African Encyclopedia.  It impresses me how such two men could create and embrace such a strong movement. This movement was moving positively until W.E.B. Dubois death in 1963 and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s death in 1972. Now I wonder would there be this great African continent if they continued to encourage and educate the African people about unity and liberty from other countries during the 1950s and 60s. Or is it too late because the African people of today ignore it and hit the snooze button even though they are awaken in their poverty lifestyles day after day? It is alarm that some notice, but many wake up to. Keeping true to one’s values and beliefs is hard enough especially when they are oppressed and systemized by these “great” countries to think they are right and African countries are “uncivilized” to know the difference. The time spent today made me understand that there is an alarm in Africa; we just need the African nations to wake up because if they continue to snooze they will continue to sleep in poverty.

The Wall of W.E.B Dubois and African Leaders

Understanding the Soil I Walk On

The University of Ghana

We landed and I was ready. Ready to embark upon this journey one day at a time. I dreamt it would happen, but never this early in my life. I am truly thankful to have this opportunity to travel and experience this excursion during this time of my life. Ghanaian people were said to be a people of peace. This aligns with my state in mind at the moment of wanting peace in my life. It will be interesting to see how this experience will play a role in my life from here on out and I am glad to share it with all of you.

“Thank you for flying with us today” were the last words I remember hearing before stepping foot into this new chapter in my life. I was in Ghana and there was no turning back (at least right now). It was around eight at night when we landed in Ghana. We were in Accra- the capital of Ghana. My classmates and I immediately got off the plane and into buses to be transferred to their custom services. It was interesting to see the Ghanaian workers and how they interpreted our presence in their country. We stood happily in a line that was understood to be citizens of “Other Nations,” however; we saw another line that read “ECOWAS Nations” as well. What does that mean? I was unsure, but I definitely was going to find time to research the meaning behind it. Since ECOWAS was not part of my vocabulary, I believed it had meaning. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was the answer I later found. This group of nations “is a regional group of fifteen countries, founded in 1975. Its mission is to promote economic integration in "all fields of
 economic activity, particularly industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, monetary and financial questions, social and cultural matters...” (1).  Furthermore, shortly after we entered the streets loaded in a 20+-passenger van. Note that you may be thinking shuttles or school buses when you read van with that many passengers, but it was the complete opposite. We were tight in space because of our luggage took up some of the seats, yet it was very efficient. I supposed Ghanaian do not like to waste space so they make it work. We soon arrived at the hotel and were given our room assignments. The rooms were spacious and clean with central air and cooling systems, which was nice because it was very humid even at 10 o’clock at night. I was not expecting the air conditioning, but I must say it was a great addition.

The next day we traveled to the University of Ghana and were introduced to our five Ghanaian peers. You could tell we were all excited to see each other, but we did not know how to act towards one another. They were different, we were different, and we all were aware of the differences we were about to encounter. They later explained the cultural and social norms with us and we became acquainted with one another. Before the orientation was over we were given names that were determined depending on the day of the week you were born. I really had no clue what day of the week I came into this world, but I said Wednesday so my name was Kwaku. It was moving to be given a name. It had meaning and history, which was something I never felt with my American name. As the day drew to a close we became more familiar with our Ghanaian peers calling them by name and asking the plenty of questions about their culture, education systems, and opinions on certain topics concerning mostly Africa’s development.

Thus, I began to realize this was only the beginning and I have so much to learn about Ghana and its people. Continue to learn and educate yourselves with me as I walk and talk with Ghanaian and African people.

(1) http://www.comm.ecowas.int/sec/index.php?id=about_a&lang=en

The IDEA

As my days to Ghana continue to get closer and closer to my departure I thought about what I think Ghana really would be like. I have to get out of this idea of poor, uncivilized, uneducated Ghanaian people. This is a very European way of viewing Africa and to know that their ways have affected my thoughts about the mother continent. Africa is a place full of resources and riches and the Europeans definitely took complete control over it. They dehumanized most African people and made them think there was no way out. I spoke on a panel a week ago about stereotypes of Black people and I concluded that the way we saw ourselves since our freedom in the mid 1800s was fascinating because it was an idea or mentality. Free African people had to realize they were human and not property after freedom was won. This idea of feeling less than continues to spring from institutionalized racism and it is not just whites that created racism, but also Blacks as well. We give ourselves names to describe the inequalities within our own race and fail to realize what we use to have. We use to be family orientated, hard working, and a collective unit, but with this Western idea pushing and encouraging us to pride ourselves in individuality we are forgetting what we can do as a whole. I am not meaning that ALL black people are like this, but in my opinion, most of us are in some way. Thus, I believe Ghana will give me this idea of family, growth, and the idea of uplifting a community. It will be interesting to see how my ideas change over the next two months. I have become more open with the idea of Africa as being a place of peace, joy, self-educated citizens, and this collective unit I have always hoped for my family and I grasp. So, I think I am ready for the adventures and experiences Ghana and Africa has to offer. This will be an experience I will love and cherish the rest of my life.

The Family with the Hook'em sign

Who Am I vs. White Privilege

Who am I and what does that mean? These are questions that I think about more then I should, I believe. But living in America encourages me to recognize who I am, so I can stay in my "place". I am aware that I am a young educated Black, African American male with a bright future, which I was told after I became a part of the Advanced Placement program in high school. And it has not changed since I have been attending the University of Texas at Austin, however, after hearing about the injustice killing of Trayvon Martin something changed. That something reminded me of what it means to be me in a society that has much racial tension in its 236 years of existence. This society recognizes my blackness and has minimized it many times through acts such as taking away Ethnic and Cultural Studies in Arizona, opting out of material that discuss important minority leaders in U.S. History, acts of discrimination and racial profiling, and the list goes on. Yet, because of where I am today I have experienced and understand more of these issues. I am well aware that when I walk down the street the first thing someone will recognize is the color of my skin and all stereotypes that come with it. These stereotypes range from working class, low-income, single mother, broken household, drugs, the use of improper English, lazy, government assistance, anything else that could be considered negative. These are mostly comments I will live with until the day that I die. Nevertheless, when things happen surrounding race and justice its something we, as Americans, want to keep quiet about. We do this because we do not know how to talk about race or deal with these stereotypes. Some say it's the reality, but I strongly have to disagree. Look at our institutions; it's the reality for those who are in power, but not the people as a whole, which leads me to the discussion of white privilege.


White privilege is definitely not a topic we talk about everyday, but we see it. We walk into our classrooms and see the professors (majority of them being white), we look at the student demographics at the university, we look at the achievement gaps in our public education system and see that whites are at the top, etc. To define white privilege Robert Jensen’s (1998) essay titled “White Privilege Shapes the U.S.” provides a clear example of what white privilege is and how it impacts others. In his essay Jensen is having a conversation with a student and states,

“I am sitting in my University of Texas office, talking to a very bright and very conservative white student about affirmative action in college admissions, which he opposes and I support. The student says he wants a level playing field with no unearned advantages for anyone. I ask him whether he thinks that in the United States being white has advantages. Have either of us, I ask, ever benefited from being white in a world run mostly by white people? Yes, he concedes, there is something real and tangible we could call white privilege. So, if we live in a world of white privilege--unearned white privilege--how does that affect your notion of a level playing field? I ask. He paused for a moment and said, "That really doesn't matter." That statement, I suggested to him, reveals the ultimate white privilege: the privilege to acknowledge you have unearned privilege but ignore what it means.”

In conclusion, before coming to college, students (like myself) do not know white privilege exist, and are shocked when it is mentioned and its impact effects me greatly. I am a person who strives to have perfection in all that I do, but I feel like I always fall short. I work hard and still feel average, yet my white peers make it seem so easy to do many things or to have such means because of the resources granted to them before arriving to college. Even being a part of an organization that has a majority of white members can sometimes bother me. So, as a member of a racially mixed group going to Ghana, I must say it will be interesting. Interesting because we all go for different reasons and most times do not take the time to ask why another person decided to apply to this program. With that being said, I am sure there will be times when emotions are high for the black students or anyone for that matter, which some may not understand. In addition, I will do my best to keep an open mind and understanding that other members from our group may not have high emotions at times or feel guilty about what happen in history. In my opinion, I believe this will be an interesting learning experience for all of us and we will all capture something greater beyond belief from studying abroad in Ghana. I am excited to see my classmates and I grow together in this experience and I hope to see my questions of Africa and Ghana be answered.

Resources:

http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~rjensen/freelance/whiteprivilege.htm -Robert Jensen

http://wewritewhatwelike.com/2011/08/31/in-the-interest-of-justice-let’s-dismantle-the-solidarity-industry/- Picture

Standard of living in Ghana through History and Culture

In my third point of discussion of the standard of living in Ghana I must post this question. A question that everyone may ask Ghana’s government, “how did Ghana get into a deficit?” As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Ghana was once owned by the United Kingdom, but gained independence in 1957 about 55 years ago (CIA 2012). Since their independence there has been strengthening in their economy, but not enough. “Oil production at Ghana's offshore Jubilee field began in mid-December, 2010, and is expected to boost economic growth. President Mills faces challenges in managing new oil revenue while maintaining fiscal discipline and resisting debt accumulation. Estimated oil reserves have jumped to almost 700 million barrels. Ghana signed a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in 2006, which aims to assist in transforming Ghana's agricultural sector. Ghana opted for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program in 2002, and is also benefiting from the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative that took effect in 2006. In 2009 Ghana signed a three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility with the IMF to improve macroeconomic stability, private sector competitiveness, human resource development, and good governance and civic responsibility. Sound macro-economic management along with high prices for gold and cocoa helped sustain GDP growth in 2008-11” (CIA 2012).

Lastly, culture plays a significant part in the country means and where the country can go in the future. Ghana does not have a set religion, but it is understood that 68.8% of the population identify as Christians. However, from the data collected from CIA I can interpret that there may be a language disparity due to lack in education and transportation, but English is the official language with only 36.6% speaking the language in the 2000 census. And with globalization on the rise this could explain the reason for English as the official language for economic purposes and to survive in this fast growing world economy. As a result, Ghanaians must learn how to stay connected with the world and adopt new standards of living because of the globalization of the Western world philosophies. Thus indicating, that as time travels forward we most likely will begin to see Ghana standard of living adapted to the way we live our lives in today here in America. 

http://todaygh.com/2010/08/30/youth-urged-to-embrace-african-culture/