You don't look like African

Leading iBuild Africa, I usually receive some comments saying that people do not understand the necessity of the whole discussion around the African identity when millions of people are surviving hunger and wars as the 2 topics are mutually exclusive.

What do I look like to you? 

•••

A coworker saw my e-mail signature today that has that I am the president of @ibuildafrica : 

- So you are the one building Africa?
- All of us, yes.
- Isn’t that cultural appropriation?
- What do you mean? - You can’t build Africa if you don’t look like African.
- Have you been to Africa? How do Africans look like?
- Not like you. More like black.
- Let me show you what Africans look like. *shows him the photo album of our #1kAfricanVisions campaign.* 
- Oh ok. No offense but I’ve never met or seen someone from Africa who is not black.

BTW: I had similar conversations with other fellow Africans who also grew with certain stereotypes about their Northern siblings.

AND THIS IS WHY REPRESENTATION MATTERS.

This is why in @ibuildafrica , we are working to dismantle the typical image that the west draws for Africa. This is why we want to engage Africans from diverse shapes, genders, sexual orientations, and melanin compositions into this dialogue around reconstructing the narrative around our continent.

Have you had a similar experience? I’d love to hear about it.

What do I look like to you? - 2019