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“I am African, not because I was born in Africa — but because Africa was born in me.” — Kwame Nkrumah
long before slave ships set sail for Black bodies
snatching skin folks from kinfolks — with some traded willingly
breaking every single wave in the deep blue-green Sea
before every breath of the long lost beloveds began and ended in heartbreak expressed in spirituals — now reminisced in Poetry
before we became politically correct hyphenates —
making homes away from home whilst ticking boxes for diversity
before cultural appropriation and being Black even became a ‘thing’ remember — we were buffalo soldiers
fishermen, Orisha’s, King’s and Queens
in love with every shade of our sun-kissed brown skin
before anything else we may become as we live out these dreams
remember — we are African — unapologetically
Authors note: Nigerian Afro Beat singer-songwriter Burna Boy, recently won Best International Act at the BET Awards. His mother accepted the award on his behalf and during her speech she implored every Black person to “remember, that you were Africans — before you became anything else.” As a Nigerian woman, born and raised in London — I really felt that in my chest. I am truly grateful to ‘Mama Burna’ for the reminder. African B.A.E.
