The day I will NEVER forget. On the 11th of May 2017, whilst playing with my daughter, she suddenly said; 'mommy you have a different face'. I was taken aback as to why she suddenly said so. Off course I asked her why and how different is mommy's (my) face different from yours(hers)?
Her reply had me thinking all night. I had to understand or know from where, or how, or what source her smart mind gathered this information from.
Honestly her answer didn't make me sad or angry. It actually enforced my personal belief on how the world has made us to judge and point fingers at each other as human species.
Her answer, only confirmed how some people actually call me behind my back or how some people see me. I'm a Proud African. A Ghanaian as a fact and with so much pride in my nationality. I pride myself with the knowledge that as an African, I no more see the colours in human but species and opinions.
Her answer confirmed some deep fears but most importantly, I was so happy this opportunity came up. I was eating when this conversation between us happened. From the way I immediately pushed my plate away and gave her my undivided attention, made her realise the importance of our conversation.
This was her answer and I'm sure if you're reading this, you might have guessed the right answer by now. But don't be surprise. It's the fault of some of the human species in this crazy world we live in that has caused such tensions and frictions between us from different parts of the world.
Personally, I refuse to the words the world wants us to use. I refuse to even think about all those provoking words they throw at us through the media and other public means. Her answer was "mommy you have a black* (I will never repeat this word again. At least in relation to the human species) face". Surprise but not surprise, because I know I'm an African living in Europe but for what reason would my 4 year old daughter think of my face in that context.
Note she has commented about my skin tone before and please note she NEVER gave it a 'colour range' NEVER. The first incident with her she said I had no hair on my skin like her father's. The other situation was when I showed her a picture of her big brother living in Ghana, and she commented that he looks like me. She saw the skin tones but it NEVER bothered her nor did it prompt a colour definition.
The question is why now? What triggered this coloured definition? I was immediately reminded, that, we attended an event at her day care just yesterday. The event had all the other parents and family visiting the school for an end of term party.
Off course I was the only African parent present amongst over 100 people. I felt the looks, the stares and glances. I'm used to it so I wasn't bothered. But now I'm bothered because someone probably thinks it is okay to call my African decent, the afore mentioned word.
And now my daughter deemed it okay to tell me what she just learnt or heard. Trust me, I am 99 percent sure that, the source of this thought was from a child/friend, who has probably being told or heard that Africans are called in that colour definition and decided to share it with my daughter. I DARE TO DIFFER!!!
I made the point clear to my daughter, I am not known by any colour definition. I am an African. Mommy has an African face. Mommy has a round face. Mommy has a funny face (she tells me that a lot anyways đđ) but no colour definition. NO TO COLOUR RACE. I see no more colours in Humans just species and opinions.
It's up to me to be the Change (of thoughts, ideas, ideologies, education etc) I want to see in today's crazy world so help me God. And it's starts in my Home.
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