Africans in Nigeria and Ghana, have a way of greeting me that makes me feel so warm and special. They tend to look me in the eye and smile beautifully while saying a heart-felt “welcome”. In Ghana, people tended to put a hand over their heart when welcoming me. In Nigeria, people tend to slightly bow their heads and knees while they smile openly.
And this is done by all, whether workers or venders or simply people walking down the street. And I am always overcome with awe, simply because I know both what people of my skin color have overtly done to this nation and its people even during my lifetime while I also know exactly how each and every one of them would be greeted in my country by most u.s.ofa. people, at least the white people who couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a Black and brown womon.
This awesome widespread welcoming helps to soften the difficult parts of being here: the widespread social mores and customs that I just want to rebel against, that I do rebel against in the u.s.
