Purple Diary
[February 10 2017]
An escape from America to Ghana
In wake of the current U.S. Trump tragedy, I, a Black American woman, have been in search of a place where I am truly free. A peaceful place. A place where there isn’t a dark cloud over my head as soon as I leave the sanctuary that I’ve managed to build for myself, called home. I am on the mission that many Americans of color are contemplating, and I found refuge alongside my boyfriend Aku Orraca Tetteh and his twin brother Akwetey as we explored Ghana.
“Go back to Africa!” they say.
The way that Africa the continent has been marketed in America is downright ignorant. This isn’t to say there aren’t communities in desperate need of philanthropic aid, but let’s not get it twisted, there are also communities on the mother continent that are bathing in beauty with young, energetic, creative energy and a budding economy. This was proven in our travels to Osu, Tema and Aburi.
It felt as if the entire country had been awaiting our arrival, as if every face was a familiar face, and as if every door was an open door. As long as we respectfully knocked and greeted everyone in the room starting from the right and ending at the last person to the left, using proper etiquette — every soul shared wisdom.
As the feeling of privilege permeated my spirit, I began to feel a sense of self-awareness and confidence. I couldn’t help but think, “Is this how white men in America feel every day?” I had never felt that way and had never been that at ease.
So I just smiled, as big as the smiles on the land, sat back and enjoyed!
Text and photo Nikki Kynard
