Europeans Put Borders In Africa | One54 Africa Podcast

[00:00:00]The problem with the African continent too is that they boarded, you know, Europeans boarded off the African continent where you need a passport to go to the next country. But in Europe, you could take a train from Italy to there. It's border-free. But they purposely kept Africans away from each other to carve up, you know, they had that big conference in the 50s to carve up Africa. And and once we un take these borders that they put down there, Africa coming together, it's a wrap. it's over and they know that it's a wrap. you get us together whether it's and you know what I love that Iraham Chiior is being they had in Jamaica they had big celebrations for Ibraham Chriior in Jamaica and all of the Caribbean everybody's cuz they I think the reason why there's division with Africans and Caribbean is because there's a fear everybody's afraid they want to see an example of [clears throat] oh we actually can stick together so with Ibraham he's so dope with it right now and he has military backing him up so he's like nah I ain't afraid of this you getting out of our country we're going to put all people to work. Now everybody's starting to go, hey, oh, so now Oh, it's it was fear. I think it's more fear.

[00:01:08]>> Fear of what though?

[00:01:09]>> Fear of not it not working.

[00:01:12]>> It not working. Because they always used to say like um JM Ghouver who ran the CIA said the biggest threat to American security is a black messiah.

[00:01:22]>> We can't have a black messiah. We can't have a black We got to shut it down. CIA purposely did that. Malcolm X's family is suing the CIA right now for about a hundred million dollars for the assassination of their father. They knew it wasn't black people, it was CI. So, I think that to see somebody doing something and really thoroughly going through the plan is bringing black people giving black people hope.

[00:01:46]>> You know, what he's doing is so major.

[00:01:48]>> So, once we get those bar those those barriers down and and all Africans from different it's a wrap and they know it.

[00:01:56]>> Yeah. you know, >> I want to take a a turn because my my mind went to something as you were talking about, you know, like the African countries taking it back and I was going kind of going back to adoption um about there's so many people out there who've been adopted and maybe not have anyone to speak life into them if they're feeling like maybe otherred or feeling like they don't belong or don't know their origin story because they haven't had the fortune uh to the fortune to find their, you know, their biological family. What would you say, you know, to a kid who doesn't feel like they're wanted?

[00:02:33]>> So, I used to run an adoption affinity group >> actually at the Oakwood School and um all the students we would come together and have conversations and we would it was amazing. It was kind of like this incredible support group and often sometimes I would bring in an adoption therapist to talk to them and to their parents who was a professional in the field. Um but also it's what I also share with people who are adopted and especially young people sometimes we're there are we don't know the circumstances of our birth parents >> and my birth mother had health issues and her if she hadn't placed me in adoption I would have been without a mother at a very young age. So, it's it's really interesting. We we get so hurt and feel unwanted and so on.

[00:03:28]Sometimes it's >> they're violent situations. Everyone has a different story about why they're placed in adoption >> and it it's I I read a letter from and I told my students this.

[00:03:39]>> Um >> I read a letter from my birth mother and my birth name was Esther Elizabeth and she said, "I want Esther Elizabeth to know that placing a child in adoption is one of the hardest things in the world to do."

[00:03:52]>> Sure. And she said, "I do I want her to know that I love her and I hope to meet her in heaven one day."

[00:03:59]>> And when I one of the parents of one of the adopted students said, "You always share about your father's side, but could you share about that letter from your mother?" She said, "Because I feel like sometimes our kids don't know that what the birth families might be going through." So I think it that's what I would share with young people and and adults for that matter. We don't know this is when I come back to what people have been through >> and and reading that like as a as adopted folks we tend to feel unwanted and and we need to prove ourselves.

[00:04:34]>> We usually adopted kids when talking to an adoption therapist she shared this we either become overachievers or we act out so much.

[00:04:42]>> I'm going to be so great so you love me and you won't want to replace me. I'm gonna act out so much to see how much you really love me.

[00:04:48]>> Yeah.

[00:04:48]>> So, there's like a a thing that we do.

[00:04:52]Yeah. Yeah. So, um what I'd say is like be great to yourself, be patient with yourself, and know that your parents probably did the best that they could.

[00:05:01]>> And and sometimes people are born out of rape. I mean, there's there's it's a difficult situation. That's not my situation. I'm just saying different variables with that. And you know, I I do have to ask like on your mother's side, she writes that beautiful letter What happened with your father? How did your father and your mother get several years?

[00:05:18]>> So my father came over from Sierra Leone. We didn't even talk about that.

[00:05:21]And to go to school in West Virginia, his brother was already there going to school. He met my mother >> and they spent the summer together. He didn't know she was pregnant. She didn't know she was pregnant. He had gone back to school in another part of West Virginia. She reached out and she said, "Um, I'm pregnant, but he goes, okay, so what should we do?" And she said, "You should stay in school. I'm going to take care of her." And he said, "Okay." She kept me for 9 months. And then she said, "You know, this is too hard. I think we should really give her to a family who can give her everything she needs.

[00:05:53]You're away in school. You should stay.

[00:05:56]And I think this is too hard." So that's when I was adopted. And I said to my birth father, "If there's a day that goes by that you feel guilty, please don't because you've given me one of the best families in the world, >> man. For real.

[00:06:09]>> And now I'm going to get to know you, too. So, how do we do this? And >> how does your adopted father and your father? I'm going to call it your bonus father.

[00:06:18]>> So, I call my So, I call my father and my dad.

[00:06:20]>> Your father and your dad. How do they how do they get along now?

[00:06:23]>> Oh, great. I took them over. I took my parents.

[00:06:26]>> Oh, that's great.

[00:06:26]>> To meet my birth family in Sierra Leone.

[00:06:28]And it was magical. And my they've traveled the world. So, they were so help. They were probably more comfortable than I was the first time meeting everybody cuz I WAS LIKE KIND OF overwhelmed by everything. Oh yeah, >> but they were just >> this is your uncle. This is your cousin.

[00:06:42]This is your This is They're speaking Mandy. [laughter] >> She don't even know it, >> right? It was just it was wonderful. And um my mom who was an educator um she since passed away, but she actually was doing all these we were doing classes with the kids. It was so fun. It was so special.

[00:07:01]>> So your adopted mom?

[00:07:02]>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

[00:07:03]>> Both my birth mother and my adoptive and my mom who raised me both have passed away. So my dad and my birth father are still around.

[00:07:09]>> Still around.

[00:07:09]>> I go, "Isn't that wild?"

[00:07:11]>> Usually it happens the other way around.

[00:07:13]The other way around. I was going to say that the other way around.

[00:07:15]>> So crazy.

[00:07:17]>> You know, I had this, you know, just hearing your story makes me think about, you know, my childhood and just growing up. And, you know, I remember just like getting into some silly fights. I think you and I have talked about it where you're telling other kids, "Oh, you African, this African." It's like, [laughter] "But you're African, too." No, I'm my mama from Louisiana. I'm Creole. I'm this. I'm that. You know, it's just I'm I got Indian in my you know [laughter] that that was the thing. See the baby hair? Yeah. You see the baby hair?

[00:07:48]Yeah. Yeah. Chuck.

[00:07:49]>> Yeah. Chuck Ch. Yeah. Right. [laughter] They would just say all these different things. I'm okay. But like you look and so there's this separation and just >> how cool would it be? And what do you think? Do you think every black American should try to find out their roots?

[00:08:04]Because >> what if we are amongst a bunch of royals and we don't even know it? Like it'd be cool if some of my homies from school and I'm like, man, I didn't know I was supposed to be calling you sir this and you know, prince this. Like, you know, like I it makes me wonder how many other people are from royal families and don't even know it >> or even just what royal or not just where you from, what your family are. We call each other king anyway. What's up, king? What's up, queen? We going to tack it on anyway. Call me Lord, dog.

[00:08:36]>> You know what's so funny is I see people, there was a woman I saw the other day and I'm like, >> where is your family from? You look just like my family. Where's your family from? She I said, "My family's from Sierra Leone." She goes, "I'm from Louisiana, but maybe I am." She was so excited.

[00:08:49]>> That's crazy.

[00:08:49]>> So, it was just like people want to know. They just It's just like there's been a disconnect. There's no better time than now to drop the new jersey right here at the World Cup. 154 jersey.

[00:09:01]Go get it. Bringing Africa around the whole globe.

[00:09:05]Ain't no place like Ain't no place like Ain't no place like [singing and music] home.

[00:09:11]Ain't no place like Ain't no place like Ain't no [music] place like home.