My name is Marian Koroma and I am from Freetown, Sierra Leone on the western side of the beautiful continent of Africa. I was born there and traveled to the United States at the age of five. My family and I have been here for twelve years. I am an intern at The Africa Society for The National Summit on Africa this summer and a guest writer for our blog. I like working here because it gives me a chance to really learn and grow as a person, while helping to educate people about Africa, three things that I love. This is a short piece on Africa from one of the continent's daughters.
As a teenager, the first thing I think of when I hear the word “Africa” is home. But maybe that is because I was born there because if you ask any of my friends, they don’t seem to think the same way. Now call me naïve, but my history books say that human life originated on the continent about five billion years ago. When I looked up the definition of home, it stated “place where something began and flourished.” So if mankind began and flourished to this point, then it should still hold the title of home to authentic and non-authentic Africans alike? If you don’t know where you’re from, your journey to the place you want to be someday will surely be hindered.
I do understand those who say they were born in America and did not travel here on a big ship bound to strangers by cold metal chains. The people who have had generations of their family go by with no trace of Africa in their lives. Sometimes, the only frame of reference Americans have about the continent of Africa is through the media, and most of those images are negative.
If you went to Africa, not only will you see the most diverse species on four legs or two, but also civilization in its purest form. I feel that we are often too blindsided by the media’s awful interpretation of the continent. Trust me when I say that I am well aware of the issues facing Africa, but what is the point of scrutinizing a situation when you don’t help? There are many things to celebrate about Africa today such as the independence of most of the countries, some longer than many other countries. Just take the trip and you will realize that there are homes there similar to your home.
I say this all not to give a fluffy “we are the world” piece, but to tell you about Africa, from my perspective.
