Thursday, April 28, 2011

Obama Drama...Again

This still annoys me the most and I can't believe that people are STILL talking about this...Obama's place of birth.

Despite the fact that there is indisputable evidence that he was born in Hawaii (a STATE of the USA), and there is NO evidence to show that he was born elsewhere, this debacle is simply ridiculous. Look at this video from CNN International. Obama had to even release his long-form birth certificate even though he released his short-form birth certificate back in 2008.


Whatever many of you may think the reason is, some agree that this is only issue because our president is black. Yes, I said it. It is because he is a black man with an African father.

I know many people don't like to involve race in this issue, but I think it plays a big part. As far back as I could remember, I don't think any president's birth place has been questions but Barack Obama's. All because his last name is not your "typical American last name" does not mean he wasn't born in the United States. You don't have to be a Smith or a Johnson to be American; not all Smiths or Johnson are American.

What vexes me the most about this uncanny dilemma is that is it distracting people from the actual issues within the United States, like unequal education, urban/rural poverty, health care, and the list goes on. Americans, when are going to actually focus on the issues and not someone's religious or ethnic background and any other inborn attribute a person could have? We are a country of 300 million people of every single ethnic and social background on the planet. What really matters is what our president can do for the greater good of the country.

Again, I repeat, this is all because the president is black. I know there are some white people that would not like to hear this, and maybe I might even get some hate mail. But everyone, ask yourself, why is this an issue? Should it be an issue? Who is bringing it up? What is their purpose? I am sure once you find the answer, it would point to the fact that Obama is black and of direct African extraction.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Nigerian Man/Korean World - Part 4

People who follow me on Twitter probably have an idea of what this is going to be about. And the second largest group of readers I have (South Koreans) might find this intriguing.

In one of my documentary classes here in Korea, taught by a renowned documentarian, I went through one of those awkward experiences. If you are a minority in any way, any where on this planet, you know what I mean.

I have felt this in the past, and to be honest I thought I was over really feeling like the minority a long time ago, since I had been the minority almost everywhere I have been/lived in my life. I'm Nigerian-American, so a minority in the greater African-American community and in Nigeria and the United States - pretty much the majority of circles anywhere on the globe. Today it was made the most apparent ever in my life.

The documentary we watch was Marlon Riggs "Tongues Untied," a film about the experience of the gay African-American male. Not only am I the only black male in this class, but I am also the only black male in this school. And, of course, every single person in this class was staring at me, looking for answers. And I was not about to be the token.

The situation was so awkward I couldn't even focus on/enjoy the documentary. A part from the film containing extremely graphic imagery (which I am sure made EVERYONE feel awkward) and there were several racial slurs used that I am unsure if the majority of the class understood the implications of these words. The teacher asked me how I felt about the documentary, and me being the person I am, explained exactly how I felt - awkward. I told him I felt the stares from others in the class and I truly felt like a minority and I hoping that no one asks me questions today. Overall, I couldn't enjoy or learn from it like I would like to. And, yes, I said this in front of the class because I think it was important for them all to know.

I think living in a homogeneous society, Koreans maybe don't fully understand what it feels like to be a minority unless they have traveled/studied abroad, which made it important for me to state my feelings. I also think it is even harder to understand how it is to feel like a minority every day of your life. Of course, like I try to see every experience, maybe this extreme sense of awkwardness is a blessing. Maybe I could use the misunderstanding of otherness as an angle to my work. Maybe even the main angle. Maybe the story I tell could be more inside looking out than outside looking in, utilizing the theme of otherness.

Even though this experience might not be enjoyable for some, in fact many, this experience was again interesting and made me learn more about myself and my self-value - another reason why I think it is important for us all to travel abroad and take ourselves out of our comfort zone. This situation was extremely uncomfortable for me and I would prefer it would not happen again, but I learned from it, which makes the situation invaluable. If it were to happen again, maybe I'll be more comfortable, but like I said, I hope it doesn't.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Rem Koolhaas is in Love with Lagos

Some people who are close to me know I have a secret love for architecture. As a child, for a period I really wanted to be an architect. Then I noticed the amount of math involved and the dream faded quickly.

However, I am still in love with architecture and urban planning and one of my favorite names in the business is Rem Koolhaas, a world-renowned Dutch architect and a professor of Architecture and Urban Planning at Harvard University. Seriously, this guy has some of the sickest buildings I have seen, and if I am blessed with tons of money, I would love for him to design my house. (BTW, he has a building on the Illinois Institute of Technology's campus, for my Chicago peeps. During the day, pretty much anyone can walk in and see this rather chic and colorful display of academia.)

So, what does this man have with Lagos? Well, I discovered there's an entire documentary that was made nearly 8 years ago about his Lagos love, rightly and simply titled "Lagos/Koolhaas." Below is a bit of it I found on YouTube.



More interesting than this video was also some of the highlights in the description of the documentary on the filmmakers' website. This stood out to me:

"...In most North American cities we grumble about the traffic and turn up the CD. In Lagos, traffic jams are such an overwhelming feature of the city that they have become a key marketplace. When the cars stop, the trading begins. Or, as Koolhaas's report puts it, "the ubiquitous traffic jam: lulled in congestion, captive to the road's breadth, and thriving with entrepreneurial activity.'"

This is such a brilliant insight to an urban situation or problem and goes directly to some of the things I have told people that feel more comfortable not leaving their city (sometimes even their neighborhood). When we go outside of where we have been most of our lives, we begin to see different perspectives on life. Of course, Koolhaas has cool in his name, so his insight was not surprising to me.

I think what is more important is someone of his prominence in the world of architecture and urban planning is looking to Lagos (a city that is getting closer to world class status, but still has a lot to fix up in regard to infrastructure) as inspiration to solve problems in already world-class metropolises. Is this showing the Western World that Africa is not as backward as they think? Maybe it even shows that it is more forward or progressive than the West?

Thursday, April 14, 2011

West Africa's Largest Art Gallery

I am slowly becoming of fan of famous fabric dyer Nike Davies Okundaye from Nigeria. Her craft is not the only thing that draws me to her, but also her vision to bring arts back to the Nigerian forefront and bring more women out of poverty through art. She is seriously a phenomenal woman (and yes I see her as the Nigerian Maya Angelou).

Okundaye also owns the largest art gallery in West Africa. Take a look at this excerpt from CNN International's "African Voices."


I think many people tend to neglect and/or forget that art is alive and well throughout Africa in so many ways and has been for centuries and continues to be inspiration for artists in every discipline. Not too long ago, I even found some info about a documentary that focuses on the youth culture in South Africa.

With the recent events in Libya and Ivory Coast, which have brought a necessary but negative attention to this diverse continent, maybe this might open doors to a world that has been greatly generalized for so long. The countries that are center stage in the news are going through very different experiences and yet are on the same continent - an example of how there are sharp contrasts, contrary to the stereotype that African cultures are the same. Now it is up to viewers to realize the contrasts and maybe begin to see Africa beyond wars, poverty, AIDS and safaris.

The AU: Quick and Easy

As many of us know, in the news lately in regard to Africa has been the madness in Libya and the finally (or apparently) quelled post-election violence in Ivory Coast. Who would you think is in charge bringing peaceful solutions to African disputes? Of course the UN can, may and has stepped in, but ultimately, the overseeing continental body is the African Union.

The African Union is pretty much the refurbished version of the Organization of African Nations. Since 2002, the AU has been noted for being far better than it's predecessor, especially in regard to handling African disputes. CNN International had a great rundown of this international group.

The most intriguing thing I found about the AU is how much influence Libya's current leader Moammar Gadhafi has monetarily. This might be a factor in determining what to do with Libya's current situation, but many of us hope not.

Considering how several African nations have been cited for long-term government corruption, my hope is this does not become a factor, especially since their is wide respect for the AU in the international community. And if the loss of Gadhafi's money were considered an issue, I can here the the corruption stereotypes all over every media group on the planet - and the respect that the AU has will die quicker than it was formed.

For the sake of the economic growth and political reform happening now in many African countries, let's hope the one group that unifies the continent continues to aid in disputes and economic growth and does not become another African corruption drama.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Trash to Food?

People who know me know very well that I would never, EVER, mix trash with food that I plan to consume. It just won't happen. Or maybe one day it will.

In Kibera, Africa's largest slum, located outside of Nairobi, trash is everywhere. Literally. And the local government does not manage the waste in the this slum. But, a novel idea helps keep the average Kibera resident fed and the neighborhood cleaner. Take a look at this video from CNN International.


I kinda of have a green spot in my heart, and this is definitely an efficient way to reduce trash and keep people fed at an affordable rate. I am still not too sure what the risks would be in the air, but I am sure that is something we'll find out rather soon. Bon appetit!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Nollywood's Julia Roberts

Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry and the world's second largest film industry based on production, has increasingly become more and more popular outside of Africa. And its films have gotten better.

Yes, the classic "bad" Nollywood films are still around, and probably will be for a long time, but as Nigeria's economy continues to grow and stabilize and more people are moving out of poverty into a stable middle class, these movies have some upgrades, too.

One of these movies would be The Mirror Boy, starring who Oprah dubbed as Africa's Julia Roberts, Genevieve Nnaji. CNN International reports that she is one of the continent's most recognizable faces. I also must add that is she also one of the prettiest.


As Nigeria transforms to it's full potential, it looks like it's movie industry will to. My next hope is that a Nollywood film is actually featured at an internationally acclaimed film festival (and maybe Genevieve will be the star).

Nigerian Man/Korean World - Part 3

It's April! And I am happy to start the month with this post! People have been asking for a post, so for my fans, here it is!

I have been in Korea now for more than month and I am still learning more each day about the culture and the people and I am loving it. I think what I like most about Korea are the people. The are seriously warm, kind, curious and fascinating.

About a week or so ago, in one of my documentary classes, we were simply have a pre-production meeting (rather informal, but necessary none the less). What seemed out of no where, the gentleman behind me pulled my hair. I was caught slightly off guard, but I laughed. He apologized saying he was curious and I let him know that it wasn't big deal.

This small gesture did remind me of that big old saying: "Curiosity killed the cat." I thought about it for a bit. Did the cat really die because it was curious? Maybe the cat was stupid. Maybe the cat wanted to check to see if the fire in the fireplace would actually burn it. To be honest, I don't know what situation the cat was in that it was killed, but curiosity is definitely not a death sentence.

I think if people were more curious and asked insightful questions or even looked for answers, maybe several of the situations around the world could be resolved. I say "insightful" because we all have those people that ask silly questions. One person (back in the US when I was in high school) asked me how my hair got so curly. I'm sorry, but that is a dumb question to ask any black person. An insightful question would be one created after simple research. As many have said, the Internet is everywhere, so use it. If you don't know something, start there. Then you find experts to answer questions that are created as you do your research.

Of course, I know, some people are going to say "I don't have time for all of that." Really? Google searches take seconds, and if you are able to read my posts, you are more than able to read a news article online in about ten minutes. You have time, you just need to ask yourself if you want to.

So far, at least with the people I have met here, generally I have received insightful questions from Koreans about blackness, Africa, et cetera. And what is most interesting is all of the ones I have spoken to admit their ignorance. It is seriously fascinating to me. I think it takes certain amount of courage to admit your own ignorance (I can't remember when I have done that, since I tend to act as if I know everything, and I don't). On top of that, I can tell that all the questions come from a good place.

Questions that are honest and have sincere curiosity don't necessarily bother me. Assumptions are what really bother. In fact, I find them vexing. As many of my fans know, this blog is to challenge assumptions about Africa and it's diaspora. So far, not a single person in Korea that I have spoken to came to me with an assumption. That, to me, is highly respectable.

So, why did I just laugh at having my hair pulled? I knew he didn't mean to harm me. I just wasn't sure why he did it. And did his curiosity kill him? Well, now he's in Mongolia with others shooting a documentary. I am sure he's okay.