I get that question a lot. And then when my response is “I don’t know,” I can see the disappointment on their faces, followed by the judgment of “how come you don’t know?” All the Nigerians silently say, “abomination!” They don’t say it out loud, but our conversation always ends with “you need to find out.” Some people have told me to google it. But Google…
There is a romanticization of America that happens before people migrate to the country. Maybe it’s all the TV shows like The Cosby Show and Family Matters, which we watched growing up. Maybe it’s the notion that America is the land flowing with milk and honey. Many people can attest to envisioning some things differently before they migrated. Research shows that transitions are one of the…
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…
Being an African immigrant in the Western world gives us perspective on cultures. As much as it has its challenges, there's something fascinating about seeing where you come from through different eyes. It is much harder to notice ourselves from the inside but when we take a step outside, we can gain a broader view. This is one of the great things about traveling and being…
Wherever you find yourself today, it's time for the FRESP check in! I wrote about it in this post. Here's a refresher: Food - Eat nourishing food and drink water Relationship - Have restorative connection Exercise - Do physical activity Sleep - Get 7 to 9 hours, could be more or less depending on the person Pray - Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17) And I will…
If you are like me, you've had someone say something like "I'm going to mess this up" before they start trying to say your name. Many people struggle to call our African traditional names. It can be annoying especially when they don't even try or when they ask you if you have a nick name. It's not enough that you've had to adjust every other aspect…
Rest! Oh rest where are you? So simple yet so difficult to find It says God finished his work in 6 days and found you on the 7th God called the 7th day holy because He found you (Genesis 2:1-3) Why are you so hard to find in the 21st century? Netflix, Hulu, Intagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Whatsapp… All call on me pretending to be you…
Do you remember the stories your parents told you when you were a child? I remember the times in Cameroon when the lights went out and we had to entertain ourselves. Sometimes we told African folk tales. I'm sad that I can’t remember the details of many of them, they are vague memories. African storytelling is something cultural that was passed on from generation to generation.…
It was sometime in the afternoon on a sunny day in Yaoundé, Cameroon. I was about 10 years old (maybe younger). My mom was driving, it was just both of us in the car. I don’t think I was supposed to be holding her work papers while sitting close to a half-opened window. All I remember is seeing the papers fly outside of the window. Fortunately,…