A few readers have emailed me about how my life was like growing up in Australia. As much as I think that I have had a privileged up bringing in Australia, there are certain things which used to torment us when we were younger in school. The days where we couldn’t really stand up for ourselves because we were confused about our identity. Whether we were Ghanaian or Australian or Australian trapped in a Ghanaian body! My dear friend Effie Nkrumah recollects those days…..
I remember the days when they called me Big Butt, imitated my walk and stared. “do you walk like that on purpose?”
Today, they hold the titles for the biggest butts in show business, Australia, the world.
The day they smelled chocolate. I said it was cocoa butter and they exclaimed, “why would you put butter on your skin?!”
Then Palmers hit Priceline in a weaker version of the cakes we used, and now, mango, shea, pear, almond, everyone wears some sort of butter.
when our fathers and brothers had big hair and used horizontal combs constantly to maintain shape, they laughed at the ends sticking out.
now even skateys have “fro’s”
when we used to come to school, scalps exposed and shiny with moisturiser, smelling of coconut and bergamot, the neat rows we couldn’t describe. Longing to pull them off till our hair flowed like the lady on the VO5 ad. But it remained frizzy, soft, and stiff.
Then Dark and Lovely was available and Just for Kids! became our monthly staple.
when you longed to bring rice and stew to school, but opted for chicken sandwiches because of the unnecessary attention your red oily stew would cause.
now everyone eats rice too.
and couscous.
chilli.
when at multicultural day, you wore your colourful Kaba and Slit from Ghana, and the teacher said you represented South Africa.
because surely it is all one country.
now “tribal print” is everywhere with no origin displayed.
ah, to be young and Ghanaian
young and ethnic
young and black.
I remember the days…
– EFFIE NKRUMAH (2011)
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