African Heritage
For the longest time, I knew nothing about black culture. I was largely unaware of the influence black people, particularly black women, had across the world and the heritage they left behind for us to enjoy and draw wisdom from. In my quest to understand more about black culture, I came across a wealth of beauty, resilience, and determination.
Let’s start with the arts. When I think about singers and songwriters, a personal favorite is Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the acclaimed “Princess of Africa”. Apart from her musical talent and demonstrated ability to cross musical boundaries from pop, gospel, and mbaqanga (a style of South African music), she is also actively involved in humanitarian work. She worked to improve access to health care and limit the spread of diseases such as HIV/ TB and Malaria in South Africa. Similarly, singer Angela Chibalonza is another example of a talented African artist who used her privilege to make a positive impact in her community. As a practicing Christian, she worked to spread the Word of Jesus Christ to communities across Kenya through gospel music and worship leading.
My appreciation for the African also culture grew as I discovered the literary works of African authors and the challenges they overcame to serve their people. Through their storytelling books, Barbra Kimenye and Ama Ata Aidoo helped improve literacy rates in Eastern and Western Africa. It’s mesmerizing to think about the determination and resilience that informed these writers’ craft given their limited access to resources. They often relied on each other, built community, collaborated, and, in their common struggle, encrypted an African heritage for generations to come.
The African identity is also manifested in our sense of community reflected in the strong ties between the 50 countries within the African continent, each with its own ethnic groups, culture, and heritage. We recognize these diverse identities and celebrate the interconnectedness of the varying traditions, languages, and experiences.
Our ethnic clothing also reflects our identity and our appreciation of it is often manifested in wearing attires such as Kente, Isidwaba, Toghu, Boubou at home but also abroad, without any sense of shame or awkwardness. The dazzling colors of our clothing, the vivid yellow, the green prints, and the red shukas are there to tell stories of who we are and where we came from.
On a social policy level, to many, the African heritage consists in advocating for policies and beliefs that prioritize human life as we see that as a gift of infinite value. It is a bold stance, at odds with the current policies of progressive countries, but we are unafraid to stand firm on our beliefs and speak up against efforts to undermine the worth of unborn life.
