When someone is guided by traditional African values, such as loyalty to Ancestors, spiritual discipline, and service to community, people shaped by Western ideologies often question their motives. They may assume there is a hidden agenda.
by Nezeziyah Sakuhai
My brother cross-examined me as though I were at an immigration hearing on the verge of being deported.
"What's your goal?" he pressed.
“I live in Africa because I chose to devote myself to indigenous African culture…I want our children to receive a better education rooted in their own heritage…I am helping redirect our descendants back toward Africa...” I stammered. Even over the phone, I felt the pressure.
"But what are you getting out of it?" he pressed.
I thought I had just explained that.
"Who is it over there that you're trying to be like?"
I finally admitted, "I can't translate my goals in a way that you will understand."
"I feel like you're being condescending," my brother replied.
Long after we hung up, I replayed the conversation in my mind. Then I remembered that he was a judge.
