“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.” (Acts 17:26-27 NIV)It’s encouraging to know that God is…
Today is Juneteenth! If you are like me who didn't grow up in the U.S., you probably didn't hear about Juneteenth till you lived in the U.S. for a few years. Actually, many who were born and raised in the U.S. don't know about Juneteenth. "Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it…
As I reflect on Black history, I recognize several aspects that have kept Black people moving despite all the ills of colonization, slavery, discrimination, living in a world where brown skin has historically not been celebrated. Our sense of humor. We have a way of making difficult situations humorous. Our sense of community. We love to come together for everything and anything, to share good food,…
You can't talk about Black history without talking about dance. But first, if you didn't read my earlier post on African musicians' influence on Black history, go ahead and do so. Right now, let's talk about dance. Dancing is something that all people have done from generation to generation. However, Black people have played a major role in influencing dance worldwide and continue to do so…
In honor of Black History Month, I want to take you on a short journey of five African musicians that have influenced history.February is Black History Month, which began in the early 1900s in the U.S. to promote achievements by Black Americans and other people from African descent. The 2021 theme is “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”Black people and their families have been portrayed in…
For Black history month, we've been talking about the effects of colonization on Black people. You can read all four posts here. Although it's the last day of February, we don't have to stop here, let's continue the conversation with friends and family.Since we've talked about the problem, it makes sense to discuss what we can do about it. As I stated in my last post,“I…
Between the years of 1997 to 2002, I went to an all-girls boarding school in Cameroon made up of 98% black girls, I mean brown-skinned-Wakanda-looking African girls. We had a few girls of mixed raced (a white and a black parent) similar complexion to Trevor Noah, hence the 98% instead of a 100%. Every year, we would have what is comparable to what Americans call their…
Have you heard of the Bobo doll experiment? When kids of various races and ethnicities were asked which doll was the nice or pretty doll versus the bad or ugly doll, most chose the good qualities for the white doll and the bad qualities for the black doll. This was the case even if they identified themselves as looking like the black doll. In some cases,…
February is black history month in the U.S. Sounds like a good month to examine African history and its effects on us today. When I say "us" I mean black people, not just Africans, but all descendants of Africa. In addition to our genetics, we are products of our history and our environment in more ways than we are aware of. During the month of February,…
I often hear African immigrants say that they have never had a reason to seek professional counseling. (Read this post for common reasons they give). I believe counseling is even more important for African immigrants because traditional practices geared toward mental health in many parts of Africa are no longer common and are definitely not available in the U.S. African history lesson First off, I am not…