Africa
Bound
by Kimberley McCoy
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| Amanda Pruitt of Syracuse gets her hair braided by a young woman in Worawora. They met in the courtyard of the house where we stayed. Photo: Kimberley McCoy |
Driving through the busy streets of Accra, Ghana's capital, we
see billboards
advertising the quality and freshness of US poultry. The advertisement
seems moot in a city filled with chickens clucking and wandering about. Our
guide, Gordon, makes a joke about Ghana's commitment to the Western concept
of "free range." It's hard to imagine that a piece of poultry shipped
across the Atlantic Ocean could be any fresher than the chicken sitting on the
front steps, but that would be missing the point. The sign does more than sell
chicken, it sells "America."
Seven US citizens, including three youth, traveled together to Ghana, West Africa
this past August along with our Ghanaian-American friend Kofi Addai. The trip
was the first since 1991 for the Syracuse Africa Bound Program. This program
aims to bring African-American youth to Africa for a cultural and educational
adventure. The youth, along with their parents and the program's coordinating
leaders work together to raise funds for the trip. This is a crucial part of
the program as one of its goals is to bring youth who otherwise would not have
the financial means for such an expensive trip. (The plane fare alone can cost
close to $2,000.) Also, everyone on the trip is asked to raise $100 that will
be donated to a Cape Coast orphanage and the Worawora community library.
Full Circle
After visiting Accra, where we see the blending of modern Hip-Hop and traditional
African culture, we travel to Cape Coast to see the 'slave castles.' These 'slave
castles' are the European forts that once held thousands of enslaved Africans
prisoner before they were taken to the Americas. Today the forts are museums
where visitors can walk though the dark and musty dungeons and reflect on the
hideous past. We visit these forts as a way to come full circle, to connect
with the spirit of ancestors who had their lives and freedom stolen in these
castle walls. The emotional toil is obvious as the youth realize they can only
bear to visit one of the two castles.
The highlight of the trip is our visit to the village of Worawora, a small town
in the Volta Region, north of Accra. This is the town that Kofi Addai calls
home. We have come to see the community library that Kofi helped create just
a year ago as part of a project through Le Moyne College. The library exists
today with financial support from the Central New York community. We are invited
to meet the village chiefs, all of the secondary school students and teachers,
the staff of the local hospital and the board of the library. We also meet many
of the children and adults who are frequent visitors to the library. Here, we
witness the desire to learn and the value for education that is held in this
village. In Ghana, public schools are not free; access is only available to
those who can afford the fees. The US youth observe an appreciation for education
that is not shared at home. They feel education is often taken for granted by
young people in the US.
Abruni
The two-week trip is much more than a tropical vacation. The experience is huge
in its ability to alter one's worldview. It is a chance to learn what it means
to be a US citizen, African, and African-American. While the African-American
youth are in a place for the first time where their skin tone is not the minority,
it is apparent to everyone else that they are clearly Westerners. The word,
'abruni' meaning 'white person' is not reserved only for those with complexions
as pale as my own. It is used to describe any Westerner regardless of race.
The youth are constantly challenged with new experiences and frequently asked
to step outside their comfort zones. The youth in this program gain a better
understanding of US influence on the world, everything from popular music to
economics. They dismiss the stereotypes of Africans they have learned at school
while forming crushes on the young Ghanaians they meet. Moreover, they realize
that poverty is not a personal choice as they meet smiling children in a crowded
orphanage.
When they return to the US they tell their stories to friends
and family. They are also called on to speak to the community. One youth from
our trip recently spoke to a classroom at Ed Smith Elementary School about her
impressions of Africa. In order for US youth to have compassion and care about
the global community they must look beyond the images and views handed to them
through our filtered media; they must see it for their own eyes.
This July five Syracuse youth plan to visit Ghana with the Syracuse Africa Bound
Program. Please help them raise needed funds with your enthusiastic participation
at the Cheap Art Action.
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March
24, 2006 Donate Art beginning at 5pm on March 24th or call Kim at 422-4924 for other arrangements.
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