Page 62 - Obruni In Ghana | Amber Lockridge

60 EPISODE 7: WHITE
I can correct the child who asks me, “Isn’t everything in America free?”
But what do I say to my mother, who explains: “Kukuwa, we black people see white people as being perfect. An African would leave a sick relative to entertain a foreign guest. There is a saying in Akan. If a man goes to church but meets a white on the way, he should go back to the house because he’s already seen an angel that day.”
“It’s not correct,” I tell her. “White people are just normal people. Some are good and some are bad.”
“Yes, but we see you this way so you have a responsibility to behave better. Whenever we hear oboroni is stealing or doing these bad things, we are so much more disappointed in our minds.”
Yesterday, I wished for all the world not to be who I am, where I am. Today has been the exact opposite. My church choir gave me a certificate of appreciation and told me I am no longer an American but an African-American. They praised my determination to learn their dances and sing their