Pánsá Pánsá Podcast

Madam Alimatu Dimonekene MBE is an award-winning women and girls' rights advocate. Madam Dimonekene is a high-profile British and Sierra Leonean award-winning Human Rights Activist, Child Protection and Safeguarding Expert, Keynote Speaker at Girl Summit in 2014, FGM Consultant, Philanthropist, and mentor. She is a member of Equality Now, an Op-ed Public Voices Fellow on Advancing the Rights of Women and Girls, and a member of the African Achievers Awards honorees. In 2023, Alimatu was honored and recognized by King Charles III as she was awarded MBE. This award was to acknowledge dedication to the prevention of violence against women and girls. This award also highlighted her tireless work in global education and crusade to eradicate female genital mutilation/cutting.

She is a tireless activist who has dedicated her life's purpose to enhancing the reproductive health rights of women and girls, especially those affected by harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation\cutting (FGM/C) with child and early forced marriage and exploitation.

Winner of the Rosie McGrath Activist 2018, Alimatu has also been recognized for her dedicated work by winning the African Achievers Award 2017 for her work in raising the voices of African women and girls through empowering the next generation.

She is also the founder of A Girl At A Time (SL), a leading platform to engage, empower, and educate young people about the issues of gender-based violence and advocacy.

I had the pleasure of meeting Alimatu Dimonekene coincidently when she attended Pansa Pansa's conversation and recording with Lola Aforo as a lister and a supporter of my guest. She briefly talked about her own experience with FGM and the activism she is engaged in globally on this topic. Alimatu accepted my invitation to come on the platform to discuss her experiences and educate the public about her dedication to eradicating FGM in Sierra Leone and globally.

During our conversation, Alimatu talked about her family background, her close relationship with her parents, and their opposition to FGM. She spoke extensively about her grandmother's influence, who initiated the cut against your parents' will. She shared her insight into how cultural expectations obstruct her parents' inability to protest against her grandmother's will. She further talked about the taboo imposed on the victims of FGM as they are forbidden to speak about it. Alimatu explained how this taboo created fear in her to talk about her experiences with FGM in public. Alimatu further educates the audience on the history of FGM globally, its origination and the different types of FGM performed worldwide. She further spoke about February 6th, the day that commemorates The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, its history, and the impact of this day on world awareness of FGM. She discussed the physical, emotional, and psychological effects on the victims of FGM and many more.

To follow Alimatu's work, please visit her website @ https://www.agdgetitdone.co.uk/

Ms. Esther Lola Aforo was born and raised in Sierra Leone. Growing up in Sierra Leone, she attended Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School. In her late teens, Ms. Aforo relocated to America with her husband and developed skills to work in numerous jobs. Ms. Aforo completed her undergraduate work at Florida State University and later pursued post-graduate work at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. She later relocated to Sierra Leone, worked for the University of Sierra Leone as the Public Relations Officer, and assisted students with Career Development. She worked with the Florida Department of Education, Emory University, and Georgetown University. Ms. Aforo is an educator, a feminist, a storyteller, and a researcher.

Ms. Aforo authored her life experience of childhood trauma as a victim of female genital mutilation, sexual abuse, and physical, emotional, and mental abuse growing up in Sierra Leone. The book Lupus or Me? I Chose Me! She tells her story, which creates an eye-opener into some of the deep-rooted events that describe how girls and women suffer from marginalization in Sierra Leone, including many other similar countries. Her faith in God, resilience, and braveness through these battles have equipped her to deal with lupus! Her story is one to read to understand the life of an African girl who doesn't speak as much but has so much to tell! Now that she speaks and writes about her experiences, she tells it all without fear. She is a survivor who vouches to choose herself over lupus, along with all the challenges she has been through in her life's journey.

During our conversation, Ms. Aforo shared some memories from her childhood about the abuse she experienced as a child growing up in Sierra Leone. She discussed the abuses she suffered as a child, which included sexual, emotional, physical, and mental abuse. In addition to these traumatic experiences as a child, Ms. Aforo went through the horrific ordeals of female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage, and numerous spousal abuses, and we talked about how these traumas impacted her both physically and emotionally. We further discussed the book Lupus or Me? I Chose Me!. We spoke about many challenges and adverse experiences of young girls who grow up in a society where girls and women are marginalized. We reflected on how cultural beliefs, societal expectations, and poverty played a role in parents' decisions and the situation women found themselves in in many African countries. On a light note, we spotlighted Ms. Aforo's academic achievement despite these traumatic experiences. Ms Aforo reflected on how her background has helped build self-discipline and resiliency, the ability to overcome this adversity and adjust positively to a new life, and many more.

Gugulethu Makhari is an entrepreneur and an immigrant from South Africa. Gugu as she prefers to be called is a business person in many avenues and also and she is whom I would call a global activist for Women’s rights, Human rights, and Youth advocacy. Gugu and I recently met when I attended the African Animation Film festival hosted by one of my previous guests on this podcast Prof.  Boukary Sawadogo. I was impressed by her community and global engagement in human rights activism, and her positive and warm approach. I couldn’t resist but invite her to be a guest on Pansa Pansa Podcast as the first South African on the podcast and I appreciate her coming on to talk about her experience as an African immigrant in America and her unfortunate traumatic childhood experience growing up in South Africa. 

Bio:

Gugulethu Makhari Global Sustainable Development Goals Inc NGO: *Chair Commission on Women's Rights, Human Rights and Youth Council for March for our Planet: *USA National Organizer and Coordinator for "March for Our Planet''. Also, global coalition. Studied health & skincare (Somatologist) or an esthetician and graduated from the International Academy of Health and Skincare. She studied Business Management at Millpark Business *and Project Management at Regenneys Business School. She is a qualified peer training worker from the Alliance for Positive Change. Gugu studied Fashion Marketing at New School and she studied Retail Management at Lisof Business School Entrepreneur: She is a cook and her food recipe was listed on Wood Spoon. She is an artist, a painter, a dancer, an actress, and a model. She is a mother of a 16-year-old son and she has been married twice.

During our conversation, we talked about Gugu’s experience as an African immigrant in America and her understanding of racial inequality in America as a South African who was raised in apartheid, South Africa. We talked about what surprised her most about racial discussion in American society. As a South African immigrant in America, it is easier for her to understand the racial struggles in America and the continuous institutionalized racism. The question was if she was able to connect more with African Americans' struggles due to some shared experience of living in a racialized country. 

The bulk of her conversation focuses on Gugu’s traumatic childhood experience and forced marriage at an early age. Gugu gave an account of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and early forced marriage that led to her addiction to alcoholism and how these unfortunate experiences have driven her interest in Women’s rights, Human rights, and Youth advocacy. She shared the circumstances surrounding her early marriage and how it was arranged against your will. Gugu talked about her initial reactions or thoughts when she first learned about forced marriage, what reason your parents gave you surrounding their decisions and many more.  

I learned about Dr. Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba on The More Sibyl Podcast. She was invited along with other experts in the field of mental health and mental illness to talk about one of the most pressing issues globally "Suicide in Preteens. I was one of the attendees, and I will say that her contribution to intergenerational trauma in African societies could be relatable to many African families in the diaspora. I was confident that she would be a perfect guest on the Pánsá Pánsá podcast to discuss intergeneration trauma further.

Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba is a Clinical Psychologist based in Malawi. She holds a Philosophy and Psychology degree from the University of Malawi, earned her Master's in Clinical Psychology at Bangor University in the UK, and completed her PhD at Rhodes University in South Africa under the prestigious Beit Trust Scholarship.

She provides psychosocial support to various client groups, including students in higher education institutions, staff in international organizations working in humanitarian contexts, human rights activists, and staff supporting survivors of violence.

Dr. Nkhalamba's work with human rights activists and digital rights activists involved holding space for peer support while processing the mental health challenges of working in the human rights activist space. She also delivered talks to promote a culture of self-care in the activist community.

In her work, she uses evidence-based interventions and psychological techniques, considering the unique lived experiences of her clients. Dr Nkhalamba incorporates motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution-focused techniques, and she trained in mindfulness and trauma-informed approaches.

She has developed and delivered psycho-educational webinars and workshops on various topics, including stress management, dealing with anxiety and depression, trauma and vicarious trauma, coping skills, sleep hygiene, self-care, and other mental health topics.

Dr Mathero Michelle Nkhalamba is a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and a registered clinical psychologist with the Malawi Medical Council. She is a lecturer in psychology at the University of Malawi, and her teaching areas are Counselling Psychology, Clinical and Abnormal Psychology, Health Psychology, and Forensic Psychology.

During the conversation, we talked about mental health and mental illness and when someone should seek mental health care. We discussed the taboo associated with mental health and mental illness in many parts of the world, especially among Africans on the continent and the Africans in the diaspora, which includes immigrants and refugee families who may have gone through traumatic experiences before migration into a new country. We also talked about generational trauma and how someone can recognize that someone might be suffering from generational trauma within the family dynamics and many more.

In 2017, Pánsá Pánsá Forum established the normalizing conversation on the importance of community engagement about African immigrant experiences in America. I created this forum to dialogue on the issue of our adjustment to our new homes as immigrants and to discuss complex issues within our community openly. I have held many community conversations on intergenerational relationships that featured conversations between African parents and their children. In the summer of 2018, Ms. Mariem Sanoe was one of the panelists as the daughter of an African immigrant mother from Liberia to the USA in 1999 at eight years old. Ms. Sanoe spoke passionately about her experiences as a child of African immigrants in the public school system.

Ms. Mariem Sanoe used her childhood experience to become a dynamic force in personal development and empowerment within the community. She is the CEO and Founder of 'Let Us Talk About IT, Coaching,' Ms. Sanoe is more than just a seasoned Life Development Coach; she does what she does to transform people's lives. Her mission is to inspire youth, ignite the potential of young professionals, and provide a guiding light for African immigrants navigating uncharted waters.

Ms. Mariem Sanoe is one of the executive members of African Immigrant Family Services (AIFS) in Nebraska, where she works as a youth family service life developmental coach. She stated on her website, "Since 2016, I have dedicated my time to researching human interactions. I have mentored individuals of all ages, religions, backgrounds, lifestyles, occupations, and even family and friends. I have also trained professional managers in workplace environments, providing them the tools to transfer their skills and abilities into coaching others".

During our conversation, we discussed her migration with her family to the USA at a tender age and navigating the school system without understanding a word of English. Our discussion on this subject included her challenges in learning English, especially communicating with fellow students and school staff. The bullying from fellow students and staff is, unfortunately, an everyday experience most immigrant children are exposed to, and Ms. Sanoe was not exempt from that experience. Today, we have many African immigrant children who join gangs for protection as a result of bullying experiences. These children lack support from the school community and parents who may not understand how both physical and emotional aggression negatively affect their children's growth. Ms. Sanoe talked about her experiences and provided tangible advice to parents during our discussion. We further talked about her role at AIFS in Nebraska and the organization's positive impact on our community in Nebraska.

To further contact Ms. Mariem Sanoe, please go to her website @ https://www.letustalkcoaching.com/

I learned about Ms. Onipede after seeing a short clip of her Instagram post on racial healing during Black History Month of 2023, and the powerful message she shared was very moving. Looking at her name, I was also interested in learning more about her family background, with a prominent last name from Lagos, Nigeria, and her advocacy for equality in America for the underserved members of society. Wanting to know more about Ms. Onipede, I went on her website to learn about her profession and what more of her expertise she could render as advice to African immigrants in the diaspora. After reading on her website that Ms. Onipede is a facilitator, keynote speaker, and consultant for organizations that are on a mission to eliminate racism, dismantle oppressive systems, and grow equitable culture, I knew that I definitely wanted her to be a guest on Pansa Pansa Podcast.

During our conversation, I learned that Ms. Onipede was biracial, born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Nigerian father and a White American mother who identified mostly as Irish American and her father was a Polish Jew. She spent most of her formative years in Lagos, Nigeria, before relocating to America to go to college. We discussed her childhood and what it was like for her, growing up in Nigeria as a biracial child and navigating through early childhood and adolescence. We talked about her mother's adjustment in Nigeria socially, professionally, and within her husband's extended family. We discussed her adjustment after she came to the USA to attend college and how she navigated through diverse spaces and defined her identity.

We talked about her area of expertise in diversity and inclusion. Ms. Onipede is a qualified Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) administrator and a certified Emotional Intelligence Coach. She founded The CARA Model, an integrative liberation framework that moves learners through exploring Anti-Racist and eliminating racism, dismantling oppressive systems, and growing equitable culture. This discussion extends our conversation to talk about Black Americans' historical experiences in America and African immigrant experiences. We further discussed misconceptions both groups have against each other, which led to our discussion on affirmative action as it relates to who benefits from it. We discussed Black-on-Black discrimination and how African immigrants are left out of conversations regarding race and ethnicity issues.

There may be a belief that the African immigrant population is insignificant compared to other growing immigrant communities, and many in the field of research may feel that the experiences of African immigrants may not warrant being studied. Without investigation, there would be no understanding of the immigrant experience unique to the African immigrant community in the area of adaptation to American society, and their identity may be different from or in opposition to existing racial and ethnic identity.

Bio:

Iyabo Onipede is a facilitator, speaker, and consultant who curates deep dives into the heart of inclusion, equity, and racial justice. She is an effective community builder and seasoned equity consultant committed to creating spaces of belonging.

Iyabo's work opens pathways for organizations to build just and equitable environments through education, experiential and guided self-reflection, and facilitating challenging exchanges. Her high-touch customized workshops use compassion, storytelling, and education for participants to shift identities into mutuality and accountability while creating and sustaining spaces of belonging.

A self-described "recovering attorney," she obtained a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University after a 20-year legal career. When she is not consulting, writing, and playing with dogs, she has fun and inspiration with the other professional hats she wears, advancing the culture and ethic of compassion through her work at Compassionate Atlanta.

Adwoa Lee is a Ghanaian first generation living in Italy, and our conversation focuses on the relationship between African immigrant parents and their children. I came across Adwoa’s YouTube posts where she was commenting on African parenting styles. In the video, she addresses parent/child relationships and childhood trauma within African immigrant families. I appreciate her efforts in focusing on generational trauma and cultural conflicts, as many African immigrant parents struggle to relate to the emotional needs of their children raised in the diaspora.  

Statement from Adwoa 

I was born and raised in Accra, Ghana, but moved to Italy when I was 17. And just like many African immigrants in the diaspora, it's a real struggle to fit into a new society.

 I am a YouTuber on the side, and sometimes I speak about the dysfunction in our African homes and how that impacts our lives. I dream of a world where African kids grow up in a safe space without the stress of pleasing parents and family members. I dream of a world where African kids in the diaspora or not understand can express themselves affirmatively without fear because they have been encouraged to speak their truths respectfully.

On Our Conversation

During my conversation with Adwoa, we discussed her growing up in a Ghanaian immigrant home and the challenges/struggles of a first-generation African immigrant teenager living in Italy. She shared her experiences and some insights on how she dealt with being a first-generation immigrant child related to her identity, racism, and navigating through diverse spaces in Italy, including in college and in corporate world. We further discussed what inspired Adwoa to start a YouTube channel and what area of subjects she initially intended to cover, and how the topic has changed over time on YouTube.

On Adwoa’s YouTube channel, we discussed the two videos that I saw and connected me to Adwoa. The first YouTube recording on African immigrant parents was titled, “Dear African parents, this is why we don’t talk to you. You are toxic, and it is messed up”. In the second video, titled “African parents need to apologize to their children for the trauma.” Adwoa talked about each of the videos, and she further talked about the message she was trying to convey in these videos to the public. We expand on how our community normalizes suffering by ignoring traumatic experiences. We also may not understand how intergenerational trauma could be passed from generation to generation. Sometimes, this belief system comes from cultural and religious value systems. As known, this belief system may affect how we view seeking therapy or professional services to assist in addressing problems concerning family relations and mental health.

To connect with Adwoa Lee, you can follow her on YouTube and Instagram page under Adwoa Lee.    

As I said during my conversation with Titilayo Ogunbambi, “When you are in the right part, the right people will come your way.” During my conversation with Dr. Ibrahim Puri on one of my podcast episodes on female genital mutilation, she mentioned Ogunbambi’s work on gender violence. Dr. Puri cited Ogunbambi’s publication titled Emerge, and she suggested that Titilayo would be an excellent candidate to discuss gender violence further. It is a privilege to converse with Titilayo Ogunbambi, a Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Harmful Practices expert.

Before diving into our conversation on gender violence, we talked about her family background and the immigrant experience as a student, a wife, and a mother raising children in a country quite different from Nigeria in terms of its diversity and the dominant American culture. We talked about some of the challenges she experienced as a new immigrant in America and the benefits of migrating to America. We further discuss the African brain drain and the impact on the development of our continuant. Ogunbambi is pursuing her Ph.D. candidacy at National Louis University, where her research focuses on the intersection of gender, violence prevention, and policy and advocacy. We talked about how has or how would obtaining her education in the US empower or enhance her activism on gender-based violence globally. We briefly touched on the role of women in Africa before coming in contact with Christianity and Islam and how the religion changed or obstructed the role of women. Our curiosity also extends to the role colonization and the European educational system have adopted impacted the role of women during its early stage.

Bio:

Titilayo Ogunbambi is Gender-based violence (GBV), harmful practices specialist, and development professional. She founded Boundless Hands Africa (https://boundlesshandafrica.org/), a nonprofit championing Gender-Based Violence advocacy in Nigeria. Since 2016, through various interventions, Boundless Hands Africa has advanced the health and well-being of women and girls of gender-based violence survivors by facilitating access to sexual reproductive health information/services and psycho-social support to survivors of sexual abuse living in underserved communities.

She led these efforts through capacity building, education, sensitization programs, partnerships with service providers, and policy advocacy by leveraging technology and the media. As a UN Women Nigeria Beijing +25 Eaglet, she has collaborated with

UNWomen Nigeria to execute various interventions to address the root causes of GBV. Boundless Hands Africa has also partnered with the American Conner Lagos Nigeria to implement GBV prevention, intervention, and rapid response programs. She currently serves as an International Humanitarian Law Youth Action Campaign Regional Coordinator at the American Red Cross ARC of Chicago & N Illinois Region.

Ogunbambi has over ten years of experience designing and implementing programs focused on economic empowerment, sexual reproductive health/rights, and social justice in local, national, and international capacities and management experience across multiple social policies and health market services. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from Jos, Nigeria, and an MA in International Development and Policy from the University of Chicago. She is a Doctorate student at National Louis University Chicago, Pursuing a Ph.D. in Community Psychology.

Her work is recognized as a multiple award-winning girl-child advocate, 2022

UN Women Chicago USA Gender Equality Champions Award winner, One Champion

2019, YALI RLC Fellow 2016, UNWomen Beijing +25 Eaglet 2020, and a 2021 Mandela Washington Fellow selected by the United States government as an outstanding young leader from Sub-Saharan Africa. She is the Author of; “Emerge”; Rising from the shadows of Sexual and Gender-Based.

Website:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKgMvCY4EmLPJuXVGnDlEBQ

Since the last community conversation, which was held before this event about African immigrant experiences and intergenerational relationships, I have always wanted to discuss the role of fatherhood within our community. Even though there are diverse family compositions, within our community, there are single parents' homes with single mothers raising the children on their own. There are few homes where mothers are absent, and the father may be the only parent. All these situations occur for varieties of reasons. On the collaborative event with other podcasters who are also members of our community, we focused this initiated dialogue on fatherhood within the African immigrant community and how migration impacted the role of fathers in our communities in the diaspora, whether in America, Canada, or Europe. The question was, as immigrant fathers living in the diaspora, how has migration forced changes or modified the role of fathers in the division of household responsibilities and involvement in children’s lives? Such area includes childcare responsibilities, household chores, financial obligations, emotional connection with household members, educational commitment, moral/ethical guidance, discipline, and many more.

I was allowed to moderate the conversation as suggested by other event collaborators. My colleagues in podcasting who were involved in planning this event include Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts of My Black is Transnational, Nancy Mulemwa of Concrete Pasture, and Motolani Ogunsanya of More Sibyl. Please follow and subscribe to all these engaging and creative podcasts as we continue to use our platforms as part of the voice for Africans in the diaspora. At the beginning of the event, I quoted President Obama on fatherhood when he said, “Every man is trying to live up to his father’s expectations or make up for their father’s mistakes.”

Six courageous African immigrant fathers from the diaspora joined us for this critical conversation. These men are from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Gambia. I appreciate all our panelists for volunteering their time for the betterment of our communities in the diaspora and for the knowledge and wisdom they shared during the discussion.

The objective of this discussion was to tease out and find out our father's perception of fatherhood at the core of cultural changes. Do these fathers see immigration as a risk factor for immigrant fathers due to the social structure and lack of recognition of the role of fatherhood from their respective countries? What are the systematic barrier or difficulties African immigrants father experience in their new home countries, and what are the positive opportunities they realized as a father in a new country that you would have wished they had as a child? These are some of the important question presented during our discussion.

Pánsá Pánsá continues to normalize the conversation about the importance of community engagement regarding African immigrant experiences in the diaspora. As we publicly continue to discuss complex issues within our communities globally, we are shredding away the stigma associated with these uncomfortable dialogues. I want to thank all our panelists for sharing their wisdom with our diaspora community. I believe those listening to this podcast episode would appreciate the insight and the vital information they shared.

Please listen and share this episode and lookout for the second series of this discussion.

Female Genital Mutilation is an essential topic that needs continuous discussion among Africans and other nations that continue to impose this cruel practice on girls and women. As we continuously widen the discussion globally that this barbaric practice is not of any benefit to girls and women but leads to lifetime health problems both physically and mentally, this may be a catalyst to eradicate FGM globally completely. I am so grateful to have Dr. Jessica Ibrahim Puri, who has done extensive research throughout her academic career on FGM on the Pánsá Pánsá podcast, to discuss this critical topic. As an expert educator and a great communicator, Dr. Ibrahim Puri simplified this sensitive topic so that it is understandable to an average listener. Dr. Ibrahim Puri’s prior research experiences include studies on HIV, female circumcision, physician cultural competency, malaria, and health equity in Chicago. Her interests include health equity, health promotion, global health, health behavior, and health administration.

Bio:  

Dr. Jessica Ibrahim Puri is a Social Scientist, and her area of research studies focuses on Female genital mutilation and the victims' traumatic experiences. Dr. Jessica Ibrahim Puri is a researcher and instructor of Field Studies in Public Health at

Northwestern University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from

Loyola University, a Master of Public Health from DePaul University, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Dr. Ibrahim Puri's research interests are adverse childhood experiences, particularly gender-based violence, and female genital mutilation/cutting. As a writer and lecturer, she enjoys simplifying complex topics and making uncomfortable subjects into conversational pieces for any audience. 

Before diving into our conversation on FGM, we talked about her family background, immigrant experience as a student, and some of the challenges she experienced during her early part as a new immigrant in America. Our discussion on female genital mutilation focuses on the practice and its effects on those who went through the traumatic experience. We discussed Dr. Puri's recently published research dissertation on the association between FGM and HIV. During our conversation, Dr. Puri defined FGM and its origin and explained four types of FGM procedures. She brings to light other non-African nations practicing FGM. She further explained the lifetime physical or biological impact of FGM/C, which includes severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, Infections, complications in childbirth, Obstetric fistula, and increased risk of newborn deaths. In addition, wound infection, abscesses, ulcers, delayed healing, septicemia, tetanus, pelvic pain, gangrene, painful urination, keloids, difficult childbirth, and painful menstruation. We touched on the psychological impact of FGM, considered one of the leading causes of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among survivors. 

We further discussed the prevalence of FGM among African immigrants in the diaspora and the U.S. law. It is against the law to perform FGM/C in the USA, and those who perform it could face up to 20 years in prison. We discussed loopholes parents use when taking their daughters back to their respective countries to perform FGM/C, especially during summer vacation called “vacation cutting.”

Seek Help:

The U.S. government opposes FGM/C, regardless of the type, degree, or severity, and the motivation. The U.S. government considers FGM/C a human rights violation and a form of child abuse, gender discrimination, and violence against women and girls.

Call 800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) for available resources if:

· You believe you are at risk of FGM/C;

· You have undergone FGM/C;

· You have questions about FGM/C;

· You have information about someone who is performing FGM/C in the United States; or

· You know of someone who may be at risk of FGM/C here or outside the United States.

It was such a great pleasure to have a fellow podcaster from Zambia, Nancy Mulemwa Siisii, the host of Concrete Pastures on Pánsá Pánsá conversation. We met through the connection of one of my guests Prof. Boukary Sawadogo who was featured on both our podcasts in promoting his recently published book. Before coming to the pansa pansa platform, I was also a guest on Concrete Pastures. I appreciate her willingness to talk about her experience as a fellow immigrant, a single parent raising two beautiful children, and Nancy Mulemwa Siisii's selfless work on her podcast.

Nancy Mulemwa Siisii was born and raised in Zambia, Africa, but she later migrated to America and settled in New York, where she has lived for 20 years. She has over 15 years of experience in the financial industry as a financial center manager. As a dreamer, she continues to have a passion for making substantive bonds with audiences and inspiring people to reach for their dreams.

Being an immigrant has been one of her life's most challenging and extraordinary experiences. Nancy was inspired to start her podcast “Concrete Pastures: An African Immigrant Story” as a platform to reach out to fellow immigrants and dreamers. She passionately stated, “my goal is to provide a platform for myself and others to share their stories as we deconstruct the world’s view of immigrant status, and unlock the joys, laughs, and bravery that being a dreamer brings about”.

During our conversation, Nancy talked about her childhood experience growing up in Zambia and her relationship with her parents and maternal grandmother. We discussed why many immigrants leave their countries to migrate to another country for a better life or as a student to obtain an education. Especially for women, we discussed the challenges/struggles of being an African immigrant woman in America. Nancy talked about her first shocking experience of her first job in America, working as a nanny for a wealthy family in Manhattan, caring for five children for a peanut salary of $350.00 weekly as a sleep-in nanny/housekeeper.

With ambition and a positive outlook on the future, suffering does not last forever. Nancy pulled herself out of the humiliating situation because she knew there were better opportunities. Today, Nancy Mulemwa Siisii is a financial center manager in a bank with 15 years of experience. As an African immigrant female in the financial industry, she discussed her experiences dealing with the politics of a cooperate world dominated by expected gender and race. Nancy talked about how all these experiences motivated her interest in starting Concrete Pasture Podcast. With the podcast, she said she continues learning and admires African immigrants' strength and resiliency.

Nancy talked about the challenges of divorce and being a single parent of two adorable children. It is tough enough as immigrants living in a country in most cases without close relatives such as a parent, siblings, other extended families, and village or community that we have a commonality in the value system. It is even more challenging being a single parent raising children in a country with limited or no family support.

Please subscribe to Concrete Pastures and follow her on Instagram.

My conversation as a guest on The More Sibyl Podcast a fellow Nigeria on my story as an African in the diaspora. I learned about  The More Sibyl Podcast while I was listening to Concrete Pasture Podcast.  The host of Concrete Pastures Nancy Mulemwa Siisii my sister from Zambia invited More Sibyl as a guest on Concrete Pasture Podcast. I started following The More Sibyl Podcast and I listened to some of her latest episodes. I contacted More Sibyl after listening to one of her episode which caught my interest as the guest described the lack and limited services for children with autism in Nigeria.  I wanted to share information with the guest which I thought my be helpful. More Sibyl connected back with me and we have been talking about collaboration. I am looking forward to collaborate with More Sibyl and Nancy Mulemwan Siisii in the future as we continue our community conversations.  

Podcast Note from The More Sibyl Podcast 

It's Black History Month on this side of the pond. Though we get the shortest month in the year we gon’ make it loud and long. And what better way to do this than chatting with a Nigerian who’s passionate about pan-African relationships and has made it her life work to close the social distance between our cousins (Blacks abroad) and us? I chatted with Ms. Kemi Seriki of the Pánsá Pánsá Forum, a Nigerian immigrant of Yoruba ethnic diversity.

We talked about life in the diaspora, staying connected to the Motherland, negotiating national, ethnic, and racial identities as Black immigrants, improving race relations with native-born Blacks and other communities, and so much more.

I was overjoyed when I learned that Oludara Adeeyo had published a new book, Affirmation for Black Women. Late last year, I received a notification from the Marketing and Publicity Associate of Simon & Schuster regarding the recent publication from Oludara Adeeyo, and I couldn't wait to have her again on my platform. Adeeyo was a returning guest on Pansa Pansa Podcast. She was initially featured in 2021 before our first book Self Care for Black Women, was published. As I told Adeeyo during our conversation, "You published two books in one year. Who does that? Only someone with Nigerian heritage. Nigerians never carry last! Congratulations on your publications."

Oludara Adeeyo is a psychotherapist. Based in Los Angeles, California, she works as a psychiatric social worker, where she assists individuals experiencing homelessness and severe and persistent mental illnesses. Adeeyo is passionate about helping people improve their overall well-being, especially, Black women. Before becoming a clinical social worker, Adeeyo spent seven-plus years as a writer and editor. She was an associate web editor at Cosmopolitan and the managing editor at XXL.

The last time Adeeyo was on the Pansa Pansa platform, we did not thoroughly discuss her first book because, at that time, it still needed to be released, and on this episode, we discussed the book. Self Care for Black Women was highly rated on Amazon by the readers who have read the book, including Boston Globe. Adeeyo talked about why Black women should prioritize self-care, and she further explained the book's three sections, which include mind, body, and soul. Adeeyo brought the story close to the memory of her mother, to whom she dedicated the book to her memory. As she wrote in the book, "For my mother, who did not live long enough to experience the peace of radical self-care." She hoped that through her mother's experiences, other women would prioritize self-care. We talked about immigrant women who experience a high level of oppression from society at large and within their community due to their race, gender, cultural identity, religious background, and many more. Self-Care for Black Women is also applicable to them. 

On the Affirmations for Black women, Adeeyo defined what affirmations are and why affirmations are essential to black women if we want to put self-care at the forefront of our lives. She differentiates between incorporating affirmations in our daily lives or using affirmations when facing challenges or feeling doubt. As Adeeyo said, daily affirmation could also be a form of prayer and how we can manifest our goals with affirmations. Adeeyo provided more than just words of affirmation in the book. She also provided space for journaling. She explained why journaling is an essential part of the affirmation. The book is well constructed.

In closing, we discussed why affirmation is essential in the Yoruba culture. Returning to our Yoruba cultural heritage, saying daily self-affirmation to oneself is a daily ritual. The affirmation sometimes comes in the form of Oriki. Oriki is oral praise poetry spoken directly to a person and entails the collective history, lineage, ancestors, and descendants from past generations passed from generation to generation.

I want to thank Oludara Adeeyo for the wealth of knowledge she brought to our audience regarding the importance of self-care and daily affirmation, which are forms of mental health care. I encourage our listers to get copies of these two great self-help books when they buy for themselves and get copies for their friends and relatives.

Recently, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Hidden Brain, hosted by Shankar Vedantam. The podcast explores the complexities of human behaviors and the psychology behind them in our changing world. This particular episode on the Hidden Brain was called Decoding Emotions, and the title caught my attention. I found the episode very interesting. Batja Mesquita was the guest and the author of Between Us – How culture creates emotion. As the author described the book, “We may think of emotions as universal responses, felt inside, but in Between Us.” The acclaimed psychologist Batja Mesquita asks us to view emotions through what they do in our relationships, one-on-one, and within more prominent social networks. She argues that "acknowledging differences in emotions allows us to find common ground, humanizing and humbling us all for the better.” Mesquita was a native of Amsterdam who migrated to the US for a Phd. program, and she compared the emotional expression of both worlds. After listening to this topic, I thought that our community could benefit from this discussion, and we could expand on how our cultural background and emotional expression may be part of the answer to the difficulties in creating intergenerational relationships within our African immigrant community. I thought of having this conversation and inviting at least two guests who can broaden the conversation thoughtfully and present it in a way the community would understand. Dr. Abi Fapohunda and Dr. Kelechi Lambert graciously accepted to participate in the conversation. Both guests are in academia in public health and have done published research on topics focusing on the African immigrant community. Dr. Fapohunda and Dr. Ibe Lamberts extensively reviewed the podcast and how some of its content applies to African immigrants. In this conversation, we discussed how culture and emotional expression presented by African immigrant parents affect intergenerational relationships within the community. As Mesquita stated, “In each cultural group, parents shape their children’s emotions to fit the culture’s normative relationships.” During our discussion, there was an acknowledgment that emotional expression is different across cultures. We further understood that cultural background dictates or predicts how emotions are felt and expressed. It shapes how individuals think in a specific situation or how they react to it. During our conversation, there is an understanding that it may be challenging to relearn new emotional expressions when the original culture and emotions are interrelated. Can we relearn how we express our primary emotions, such as anger, fear, surprises, sadness, disgust, and happiness? Then there is secondary emotion such as shame, pride, and guilt which, according to studies, also varies in their expression depending on age, gender, and cultural background. We further talked extensively about the shared beliefs in African society relating to respect for parents and towards elders of the community. We talked about the positive aspect of this practice. If we have to improve intergenerational relationships within African immigrant communities, there must be mutual respect between the two groups. Most importantly, when we treat elders of our community with care and respect, we are setting examples to the outside group that we value our elders. In conclusion, we must relearn new ways of expressing some emotional expression to fit our new home. But the question is, do we have to relearn different emotional expressions, and what challenges could pose difficulties in relearning unique emotional expressions that fit the new world? Especially in a country with a diverse cultural group and racial diversity, how do we relearn the standard of new emotional expression? I am grateful to Dr. Abi Fapohunda and Dr. Kelechi Lambert for joining me in this meaningful conversation and sharing their wisdom.

As we continue to explore the specifics of challenges we face as African immigrants abroad, I was grateful for Mrs. Ngozi Ebinum. Mrs. Ebinum is a fellow Nigerian immigrant, and she came on the Pánsá Pánsá podcast to have a conversation with me about her experiences in navigating appropriate educational services for her three autistic children within the NYC education system. Ms. Ofili who was also present spoke highly of Mrs. Ebinum on her persistent and courageous effort to ensure that her children diagnosed with autism get placed in an appropriate school setting. Many studies have shown that immigrant families are less likely to have traditional knowledge of the public school system or if their children are placed in an appropriate school setting. Many immigrant families may not be aware of school choices such as magnet schools, private school vouchers, and charter schools. Many may need to be made aware of early childhood education that is available free of charge to 3 and 4-year-olds. Due to this lack of knowledge of the school system in the USA, including the daily struggles of providing for their family, limited resources, or no resources to educate immigrants parents about their rights, many families are left behind. If these focus groups are aware of their rights, fear of deportation may be a barrier that may hinder their efforts in advocating for the proper school placement for their children. This process may be even more challenging for many immigrant parents with a child with learning differences or special needs. Children with special education needs are evaluated, and IEP is usually developed (individualized education program). I believe that IEP is a tool to document how the needs of children with disability, learning differences, or emotional disturbance will be met within the setting of an educational environment. IEP is also an agreement between a parent and school to document the goal and services that need to be provided to the child. IEP is also developed for children with learning differences and emotional disturbance. IEP is reviewed yearly to monitor the progress of the child in question. During the conversation, we discussed the difference between expectations and reality for immigrants in America. Mrs. Ebinum talked about her reality of America as it relates to the challenges her family experienced as an immigrant and as a parent to children growing up in America. She spoke candidly on the initial diagnosis of her children, the specific needs of each child, and what type of services the children are receiving from NYC agencies. Kennedy Center and the YAI program have been working with her family, and she detailed her experiences working with these agencies. Her children started in the NYC public school system, and she gave an account of the inadequate and unprofessional services and the biases she experienced while navigating the school system as she explored appropriate educational settings for her children. Mrs. Ebinum provided cogent advice to listers who may have a child with autism or know someone with a child diagnosed with autism and are exploring appropriate school settings. Pánsá Pánsá continues to normalize the conversation about the importance of advocating adequate education needs for our children. I appreciate Ngozi Ebinum's generosity and vulnerability in sharing her experiences with our community through her heart-warming account of navigating the system to obtain the education services that her children deserve. Thanks to Rosemary Ofili for the selfless work she and her sister Josephine are doing within the community advocating for our children within the NYC public school. An African proverb says, “however a tree may be tall, it will never stop the sun from shining” If we are persistent, we will eventually obtain our goals. -

On the 4th season of my discussion on the Pansa Pansa podcast, I wanted to change the gear by exploring the specifics of challenges we face at large as African immigrants abroad. As I continue to talk about the intergenerational relationship, I also want to discuss specific topics such as inequalities we experience in our community in the area of education, health disparities, language barriers, lack of applicable social services, biases, and discrimination. We experience these inequalities due to our countries of origin, language, religion, race, cultural background, etc. All these mentioned barriers would be interconnected with topics such as domestic violence, mental health awareness, acculturation, and social functionality as we adapt to life in America or elsewhere.  

I was fortunate to have met Professor Dialika Sall to start the 4th season of the podcast and paved the way for an upcoming discussion on the Pansa Pansa podcast. 

In early summer, I received an email from Chinedu Achebe introducing me to his recently published book The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi. I reviewed the synopsis and the e-book he attached to the email. The book reflects on the second generation of highly educated Nigerians trying to balance family life, career, and intergenerational relationships within the family and society. The plot of the story aligns with many discussions on Pánsá Pánsá Forum and on the podcast. Mr. Chinedu Achebe is a storyteller, writer, and author of The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi. His first book, Blunted on Reality was published in 2012 and he has also written articles for Huffington Post, Medium, and Bella Nigeria. 

As I regularly do with my guest on the podcast, we talked about Mr. Achebe’s family background, his identity as a son of a Nigerian immigrant family, the challenges, and the benefit of growing up in an African immigrant home. We further discussed balancing the two identities of his Nigerian background and his black identity. We talked about his college experience and his social circle during those early years. As a son of a Nigerian immigrant born and raised in the USA, Mr. Achebe shared some wisdom on how African immigrant parents can build better relationships with their children. 

The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi reflects on the second generation of highly educated Nigerians trying to balance family life, career, and intergenerational relationships. The book reflects on Obi's relationship with his parents. A father who steps in when he sees his son Obi, the main character in the book, struggling financially with his family. We further discussed the political, religious, and cultural belief that was generously injected into the dialogues among the characters in the book. It shows that Mr. Achebe is an avid reader of diverse subjects, and he confirmed it during our conversation. As I always said, “to be a writer, you must first be a reader.” 

As we discussed the male characters in the book, we also talked about the female characters.  Mr. Achebe accurately portrayed Nkechi as another strong character in the book. In Nkechi persona, he interwoven the challenges of motherhood and a stay home mother who continues to build her career and work on her ambitions. Nkechi was a self-assured woman who stated her opinions and had a strong personality, commonly attributed to many Nigerian women. The question is, can a woman of African origin do it all? Can a woman of this era balance traditional values associated with African women, such as motherhood, dutiful housewife to husband and the extended family, and modernity of navigating their career as well as climbing the ladder in a corporate world? You must read the book to find out. 

I could not resist discussing the character of Sade, who was campaigning for political office as a woman of color. Sade felt she had to defend her blackness to black people simply because she is half Nigerian. The question is, who is black enough in America? If only one of your parents is African American descendant of an enslaved person, your blackness would be challenged. If you were born in America to immigrants of African descent, or/and Asian descent your blackness would be challenged. (Kamala Harris, United States Vice President). If you are biracial born in the USA and one of your parents originates from Africans in the diaspora, your blackness would be challenged (President Barack Obama). The book is a page-tuner, and there was no dull moment.

The Miseducation of Obi Ifeanyi is available on Amazon both in hard copy and eBook. I really appreciate Mr. Achebe introducing me to his publications and for coming to the Pánsá Pánsá podcast to have a conversation with me. I know this book could be a source of open discussion within the community to openly discuss the uncomfortable conversation. 

Since the launching of Pánsá Pánsá Forum, part of the mission has been to engage the diversity of the African immigrant community in conversation about their experiences. Before starting my podcast, I held forums in Bronx, NY, which always included the diverse first and second generations of our African immigrant community. When I decided to move the conversation online to start a podcast, the idea had not changed, and I have continued to engage our diverse population members of our community both in the USA and abroad. I came to know Mr. Abdoulaye Cisse through Dr. Kelechi Lamberts, who was enthusiastic about our meeting and working together on a community project. Even though I have been working in the vicinity of the south Bronx for many years, I never knew about BABA and the incredible and selfless work the organization has been doing within the community. Mr. Abdoulaye Cisse and I recently collaborated on a community conversation with Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lambert of My Black is Transnational and on the experiences of African immigrant parents and their children. The community conversation, which took place in three different parts, focuses the discussion on the experiences of African immigrant parents and their children as we try to balance between two worlds. The event was a success, with many members of our community, both in the USA and in the diaspora, joining the conversation on zoom. 

During my conversation with Mr. Adboulaye Cisse on this podcast episode, we discussed his childhood experience growing up in an African immigrant home and the extended community that contributes to who he is today. We discuss his identity as it relates to his African heritage and black identity. We talked about the challenges parents and children face in America as they try to balance between worlds of African identity, race relations, and navigating through the unknowns of American society. The second part of the conversation was dedicated to discussing his organization BABA. Mr. Cisse talked about what prompted his interest in starting the organization and the target population, the organization, intended to serve. He spoke about the project the organization has worked on in the past, what they are presently working on, and their future projects. We talked about community outreach and how BABA is also connecting with other organizations working with the youth within the locality. I am grateful for Mr. Abdoulaye Cisse coming to the Pansa Pansa forum to have a conversation with me and for the outstanding work BABA is doing in community engagements. 

Biography 

Abdoulaye Cisse, a son of Guinea-Conakry and a representative of the growing member of the West African community in the Bronx, is a well-connected community leader who advocates and mobilizes Black immigrants, the greater Black diaspora, and the greater Islamic community in NYC. His outreach and organizing skills culminate in a four-year education in marketing, a seven-year sales experience, and a life-long passion for serving his community.

 Abdoulaye’s passion and proven track record have been recognized with a proclamation from New York State and an honorary plaque from Black People Rock Honors.

 BABA Inc, an organization he leads, has hosted dozens of programs that primarily serve the Black diaspora. BABA’s mission is to call for unity and provide culturally tailored educational and social support services that build skills, promote self-efficacy, and improve the quality of life for individuals and families in the Black diaspora community. BABA Inc currently has a board of five influential people, a staff of two people, and a volunteer group of close to 50 people. The organization has built a global network in less than a year while empowering its local grassroots community.

For WNYC story log on https://www.wnyc.org/story/radio-rookies-reconnect-incarcerated-parent

Folashade Olatunde just graduated from Lehman College with her bachelor's degree in journalism with a double minor in sociology and Africana studies. Folashade was born and raised in the Bronx, and she is one of the youngest in her family and a first-generation graduate. She loves reading, researching, and watching documentaries that challenge her and make her want to be a better person. One day, Folashade intends to write a book about her life and travel the world. She would also love to host her own podcast. Folashade lives in Mott Haven, in the south Bronx, with her mom and a puppy named Miracle.

I became aware of Folashade Olatunde’s story while listening to WNYC Radio Rookies, where her story was featured. Radio Rookie is a WNYC radio program where teenagers and young adults are allowed to work and build experiences in journalism. They are provided with resources, mentorship, and training to tell their stories and stories of the world around them. Folashade was one of the young adults who was afforded the opportunity where she tells a powerful story about her family. Folashade was mentored by Jami Floyd, a lawyer, and a well-respected anchor in the field of journalism. On Radio Rookies, Folashade shared with listeners the challenges she has been going through trying to rebuild her relationship with her Nigerian father. Her father has been incarcerated since she was two years old. When I heard her name, I was sure that one or both of her parents must be from Nigeria, and I thought about reaching out to Folashade.

Folashade grew up in the Bronx and attended Morris Academy for collaborative studies in the south Bronx, located in a poor neighborhood. According to a CNN Business article, Morris Academy is different in its teaching approach and achieves a high graduation rate of students who would eventually go to college. Many public schools within the south Bronx have a high truancy record rate, which often results in poor graduation rates. Other challenges facing students in a public school in the Bronx include unmanageable classroom size, bullying, and lack of technology. Family factors include poverty, homelessness, and lack of access to resources to address behavioral and mental health challenges students may be experiencing. Her determination, her mother’s support, and dedicated school staff, such as the teachers and other administrators, contributed to Folashade's excelling academically in high school and college. Folashade graduated from Lehman College (CUNY) with Honors, and she wants to still further her education beyond her Bachelor's degree.

As we talked, I could not leave out Folashade’s story of being featured by CNN Business as the first to graduate college in her family and her meeting with Michelle Obama during her senior year in high school.

On the family front, Folashade’s mother is African American, and we briefly discuss her two heritages, African American and Nigerian. With Folashade’s approval, we dived into the conversation about her relationship with your father, who is serving time in prison for an illegal drug conviction. She talked about her relationship with her father and her efforts to connect with him and get to know him. She spoke about how life experiences taught her about overcoming obstacles, self-discovery, and self-love, which is a powerful message and would inspire listeners. I appreciate Folashade for coming on the Pánsá Pánsá podcast to have a conversation with me to talk about her high school and colleges experiences. She was courageous and kind in sharing her experience growing up in the US as a daughter of a Nigerian immigrant father and a loving mother of African American heritage. Thank you, Folashade Olatunde, for your generosity and vulnerability in sharing your experiences with me and those you can empower with your story. 

I came across Ibironke Otusile’s impressive video, which was shared on social media, calling on Yoruba leaders and the Yoruba people in the diaspora to unite. I was impressed by her excellent articulation of the Yoruba language and the core message she presented. Otusile’s core message on the video was a call for unity of Yoruba people in the diaspora. It is extraordinary impressive that the younger generations in the diaspora are taking pride in the Yoruba language, culture, and unity of our people in the diaspora. After watching the video, others who also saw the video asked that I invite Otusile for a conversation on Pánsá Pánsá Forum for discussion. I was enthusiastic about such a suggestion, but how could I contact her? And someone advised me to look her up on social media. I was able to send a message to Otusile through her Instagram page. She eventually replied and agreed to be a guest on my podcast. There was no dull moment throughout our conversation. She was energetic, funny, and passionate about her heritage.

Otusile grew up in NYC when it wasn’t cool to be African is especially a common belief among the children of African immigrants born in America or those who came to America at a young age. Before we talk about the video and the fantastic work she does in promoting the unity of Yoruba people in the diaspora and her impressive articulation of the Yoruba language, we discussed African immigrant identity and black experiences. We discussed balancing the two worlds of growing up in a Nigerian immigrant home and black identity. I was impressed by Otusile’s pride and passion for the Yoruba language and the influence her parents played in fostering such appreciation. We talked about the benefits and challenges of growing up in immigrant homes. We discussed Otusile’s social and academic life in college and if growing up in an immigrant’s home influenced how she interacts with her professor and the diversity of students on her college campus.

For our audiences, who may be curious about the video she presented on social media on Yoruba in the diaspora, Otusile talked about the video message and what inspired her to speak about the subject. She expresses her desire to save our ancestral Yoruba nation for the sake of the younger generation and those whose ancestors were brought here during slavery. Those who may want to connect to their heritage. Otusile is presently working on a new project by traveling across Africa, and she creates video content for her YouTube channel.

Ibironke Otusile is a first-generation Nigerian-American born and raised in New York. Her parents hail from the Yoruba ethnic group in Nigeria, West Africa. Growing up in a time when it was not cool to be African, Ibironke created her own lens to understand the diaspora from a Yoruba and American viewpoint. Ibironke holds a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Sciences. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling across the African continent and creating content for her YouTube channel titled “Ibironke Otusile.”

Dr. Boukary Sawadogo is an Associate Professor of Cinema Studies and Black Studies at the City College of City University of New York in the department of media and communication arts. Originally from the West African nation of Burkina Faso, he is an academic, author, filmmaker, and African animation film festival founder in Harlem. He has published extensively on African cinema. In 2020, Dr. Sawadogo launched the first animation film festival in the U.S. called Harlem African Animation Festival, devoted to animation films and series from Africa, whereby technology innovations were used to bring traditional African stories to the world. Recent trends of his work concern the new African diaspora—immigrant communities in Harlem—featured in his new book Africans in Harlem: An Untold New York Story (Fordham University Press, 2022). Dr. Buokary Sawadogo and I first met in Harlem at Kente Royal Gallery, owned and managed by Dodji and his wife, Phyllis. Dodji invited me to do traditional African storytelling for the opening night of one of the shows at his gallery. Dr. Sawadogo was among the audience, and he approached me after the story to introduce himself. At the time, Dr. Sawadogo talked about the project he was working on, and he asked if I could do traditional African Storytelling at the event. The event was scheduled to take place at the same time COVID-19 crippled the world, and as a result, the event was canceled. Early in March 2022, I received an email from Dr. Sawadogo about his forthcoming book titled African in Harlem: An Untold New York Story. I immediately sent Dr. Sawadogo an email to ask him to be a guest on the Pánsá Pánsá podcast, and I was grateful when he accepted my invitation. As I indicated during my conversation with Dr. Sawadogo, Harlem has been a manifestation of the black renaissance since the 1920s, which was not only limited to the revival of African American culture in music, dance, and theater but intellectually and political movements. I was interested in this particular subject as many new African immigrants, primarily francophone speakers, have taken home in Harlem. I was also interested in African immigrant businesses in Harlem and illuminating African immigrants' contributions to the development of Harlem economically and culturally. I wanted to know if African immigrants were given the due respect they deserved or recognized for their contribution. Dr. Sawadogo is an associate professor of cinema studies and black studies at City College of New York. Before we dived into his book, we talked about his area of teaching at the college. The discussion led me to ask about his view on African cinema, which includes the authenticity of African cinema and the influence of Europe and the western world on the image we see in African films today. During our discussion, the animation project he launched in 2020 was not left out. In discussing his new to-be-released book, Dr. Sawadogo gave a concise description of the book and the inspiration that led to this book project. What sometimes inspires us to work on a specific project may also encourage self-reflection to gain some clarity on how we see ourselves. We talked about African immigrants' experiences, black identity, and struggles in balancing both worlds. We discussed the tension between African immigrants and African Americans as a thousand-pound gorilla in a room that is often not addressed. African immigrants have contributed to the revitalization of Harlem economically, culturally, and socially, but the positive impacts were hardly recognized. He documented African immigrants' experiences and challenges in Harlem since the 1980s. The book includes the personal stories of a diverse group of African immigrants in Harlem, which is not limited to the traders but the restaurant owner, cab drivers, white collar workers, and immigrants from different works of life. The story of African-born immigrants and their fundamental contribution to Harlem

When the idea of launching the Pansa Pansa Podcast was being formulated, one of the missions was to engage in conversation with African immigrant children who grew up in America with a variety of professions and to lend their expertise to our community. Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lamberts introduced me to Dr. Latifat Cabirou as one of his childhood friends and his prior guest on his podcast, a mental health provider, and a professor of psychology. Dr. Latifat Cabirou is a Nigerian American, and she migrated to America with her parents at the age of 10 years old.  I appreciate her coming on this platform to provide her expertise on mental health awareness. 

Dr. Latifat Cabirou is a counseling psychologist who holds clinical practice and academic positions. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Benedictine University, and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Cabirou has served as a mental health professional in many Chicagoland both in outpatient and inpatient mental health settings, university counseling centers, and medical hospitals. Dr. Cabirou currently works with adolescent and adult clients in private practice, and she is a faculty member in the counseling psychology program at Auburn University. Her clinical and research expertise are in racial/ethnic minority and immigrant mental health, Black immigrant cultural experiences, and mental health help-seeking behaviors.

In this conversation, we talked about Dr. Cabirou's experiences growing up in an immigrant home and her understanding of the dynamics of navigating the environment she found herself. We talked about how her upbringing influenced her navigating college life both socially and academically. We further discussed what inspires her to go into clinical research in psychology to a Ph.D. level. Especially her interest in the immigrant community, Dr. Cabirou talked about why she focused her work on racial/ethnic minority and immigrant mental health, Black immigrant cultural experiences, and mental health help-seeking behaviors.  We discussed the stigma attached to mental illness and seeking mental health in the African immigrant community.  Dr. Cabirou further talked about other challenges in the African immigrants’ community when seeking mental health care for adults and their children who may be experiencing mental health care needs or illnesses. 

She additional talked about the benefits of seeking mental health care and following up with advice prescribed by the professional, including compliance with therapy and, in some cases, medication prescribed by the treatment provider. Dr. Latifat Cabirou and I will continue to work collaboratively in the future to enhance the emotional welfare of our community. 

As an avid podcast listener interested in African immigrants’ experiences and their relationship with their children, I came across My Black is Transnational hosted by Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts by what I would call faith. I subscribed and became a regular listener, and I enjoyed the dialogues as his guests, mostly the children of African immigrants, dived into diverse topics. In one of his podcast episodes, Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts had a roundtable discussion titled Growing up immigrants with children of immigrants about their experiences growing up in an immigrants' home. I sent an email to Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts introducing myself as an African immigrant parent who listens to his podcast for the first time. I told him that African parents also have their perspectives regarding their challenging experiences in America. Since this initial introduction, Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts and I have been working in collaboration to bring this discussion to the community at large. I have been a guest on his podcast, and I was so delighted when he came to my platform to have a conversation with me.

Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts is a professor and researcher in health behaviors, disparities, and health outcomes among culturally diverse populations. His research interest specifically involves immigrant health and the development of transnational ties among immigrants. He identifies as a 1.5 generation Transnational Nigerian American. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he immigrated to the United States at 8 years old, where he grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He received his undergraduate and doctorate degrees in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He continued his postdoctoral training at the University of Florida until 2018. He currently teaches and conducts research at SUNY Cortland in upstate New York.

In 2018, Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts established My Black is Transnational with the goal of bringing to the forefront the emerging yet overlooked impact that immigration and transnationalism have on Black people across the world. By providing research-based information— concerning issues among culturally diverse Black people—in a casual, relaxed manner, he enjoys creating content that will spark productive discussions topics for his listeners while also educating them on societal issues that include (but are not limited to) health disparities, health behaviors and proposed strategies to increase intra-racial relationships among Black natives and Black immigrants.

In this conversation, Dr. Ibe-Lamberts and I talked about the challenges/struggles of growing in an African immigrant home and its benefits. We discussed the dual identity (African Identity and Black experience) in which he identified as a 1.5 generation Transnational Nigerian American. We talked about his college life as a student and as a college professor. We dived into what he understood that the children of immigrants most struggle in college and how immigrant parents prepare their children for college life apart from imposing or advising them on what to study in college. We talked about navigating through social life in college and the struggle to fit into the predominant culture on his college campus, especially coming from an African immigrant home. We further discoursed the diversity of the black experience. Race as it relates to Black Experiences and Race as it relates to African immigrants' Experiences. I always appreciate my conversation with Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts. Please subscribe to his podcast My Black is Transnational and follow him on Instagram on blacktransnational.

In the second part of this ongoing conversation within our community, the speakers of this event are young men and women who volunteer to discuss growing up in America as a child of an African immigrant. There were six presenters whose parents migrated from different parts of Africa. The presenters include Gloria Mesa - Drc congo 🇨🇩, Nyemade Boiwu - Liberia 🇱🇷, Ousmane Diallo - Guinea 🇬🇳, Follyvi Dosso - Togo 🇹🇬, Anuoluwapo Ebiesuwa -Nigeria 🇳🇬 and Baaba Abaka-Yankson - Ghana 🇬🇭. The speakers were open and generous in sharing their experiences. They talked about the benefits and the challenges of growing up in an immigrant home and balancing between the two worlds or two heritage-blackness in America & African heritage. The topics for discussion were similar to those presented during the parents’ forum. Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lamberts said that up to 80 people signed up and attended the event, indicating that discussions such as this are much needed in our community.

Dr. Kelechi Ibe Lamberts of My Black is Translational was the moderator of the conversation. Mr. Abdoulaye Cisse of BABA coordinated the chart conversation and other technical supports. I gave a closing statement, and I was very grateful to the young men and women who presented. I admired our speakers’ openness in sharing their stories in many areas regarding their struggles relating to identities, mental health, domestic violence, family relationship, balancing between two worlds of their African heritage and blackness in America, and many more. Vulnerability is a strength, and our young men and women of our community demonstrated this throughout the dialogue. 

The focus of the second series is discussing their experience as children of an African immigrant in America, which relates to the benefits and challenges of growing up in an immigrant home. The discussion additionally focuses on the challenges our panelists see their African immigrant parents go through and how they think it impacts the value systems they instilled in their children. They talked about their individual favorable childhood experiences and what they would have liked to change in their upbringing. They further discussed their relationship with their parents and whether we feel comfortable or uncomfortable discussing our innermost feelings with their parents or adults in our lives.

Please stay tuned for part 3, which is the final dialogue. All parties would come together and further our conversation as we learn from each other.

I recently collaborated a community conversation with Dr. Ibe Lambert of My Black is Transnational and Mr. Cisse of BABA about the experiences of African immigrant parents and their children as we try to balance between two worlds. Within our community, there is a disconnection or lack of understanding of the struggles the adults or the children may be experiencing as we continue to navigate our new adopted environment. Some may wonder why we are having this dialogue? We are having this conversation to start addressing uncomfortable issues within our community that we tend to shy away from discussing. As African immigrants, our challenges in this country may not be unique to our community alone. Other immigrants from South America, Asia countries, and the Caribbean countries also talked about the same issue. If we are not telling our own stories and our experiences, we could easily be misunderstood and misrepresented by society at large. As Dr. Lambert stated, “African immigrant parents and children need to have a real conversation. A heart to heart that our culture sometimes never permits for whatever reason”. As we plan for this community dialogue, we decided on conducting it in three-part series.

Part 1- Parent discusses their immigrant experiences related to benefits and challenges of being black and immigrant in America.

Part 2- Children of African immigrants would also discuss the benefits and the challenges of growing up in an immigrant home and balancing between the two worlds or two heritage-blackness in America & African heritage.

Part 3- In the final dialogue, all parties would come together and further as what we learn from each other.

There were six panelists in the first series of the community conversation, and I was the moderator of this conversation. Participants include Dr. Abi Fapohunda from Nigeria, Dr. Clifford Osuji from Nigeria, Dr. Razak Agunbiade from Nigeria, Ms. Aicha Cisse from Guinea, and Ms. Jacklyn Hunter from Ghana. The focus of the first series is parents discussing our experience as immigrants in America, which relates to the benefits and challenges of being an immigrant. We talked about our own individual favorable childhood experiences and what we mainly missed from your home country during the conversation. We further discussed our relationship with our parents and whether we feel comfortable or uncomfortable discussing our innermost feelings with our parents or adults in our lives. We further talked about racial identity as black and as African immigrants related to how we identify ourselves and how others see us. Apart from racial discrimination we experience as a person of color in America, we also talked about other biases or discrimination we experience as an immigrant? E.g., Sex being a female, religious background, language barrier, wage theft for restaurant workers or factory workers, devastating humiliation based on our African identity, xenophobia (fear or hatred of what is seen as strange or foreign). We further talked about how our experiences may impact how we are raising our children and the value system implemented in an individual household. We talked about our biggest fear or concern as a parent raising our children in the U.S, our expectations, and the kind of relationship we would like to have with our children as we get older. The discussion was engaging, and members of the audience asked stimulating questions.

I was looking for a book that would soon be published on the internet when the search took me to Simon and Schuster, and it listed all the books that would be published next year. I browsed through the list, and I saw your book titled Self Care for Black Women, authored by Oludara Adeeyo. The name, which I recognized as a Nigerian origin and a first-generation Nigerian American, moved me to invite Oludara to my platform.  I asked Oludara to share her experience about growing up in America as a daughter of a Nigerian immigrant, to talk about her book, and as a mental health provider to educate our community about mental health awareness.

In this conversation, Oludara and I talked about the challenges/struggles of generation African immigrant child and the benefits of growing up in an immigrant’s home with dual identity (African Identity and Black experience). We talked about Oludara’s navigating through social life in college and the struggle of fitting into the predominant culture on her college campus especially coming from an African immigrant home. Before Oludara became a clinical social worker, she worked as a writer and editor at Cosmopolitan and managing editor at XXL. She talked about her experience working at Cosmopolitan and the discrimination and biases she experienced, and how her personal experience motivated her to change her career to become a social worker. We talked about her profession as a mental health provider, the negative stigma attached to mental health and mental illness within our community, and the Africans in the diaspora dealing with mental illness and drug addiction or having family members diagnosed with mental illness. We discuss the benefit of tackling mental illness early so people can live an everyday life if ongoing treatment is in place.

Oludara Adeeyo is a psychotherapist. Based in Los Angeles, California, she works as a psychiatric social worker, where she assists individuals experiencing homelessness and severe and persistent mental illnesses. Oludara is passionate about helping people improve their overall well-being; especially, Black women. Before becoming a clinical social worker, Oludara spent seven-plus years working as a writer and editor. She has been an associate web editor at Cosmopolitan and the managing editor at XXL. Oludara grew up in Edison, New Jersey. She loves Beyoncé, hot yoga, cooking, and watching telenovelas.

Oludara book is ready to be released titled Self Care for Black Women is dated to be released on January 11th, 2022. As Oludara said during our discussion, the book provides 150 helpful tips for black women in prioritizing their wellbeing with an outlook on life, improving mental health, eliminating stress, advocating for yourself, and most importantly, practicing self-compassion.

For contact: www.oludaraadeeyo.com, instagram @ Oludara Adeeyo and her book could be purchased at anywhere books are sold such as amazon, barnes & noble etc.   

Many of our listeners could see that my guests sometimes suggest other prospective guests that may have unique experiences, wisdom and expertise to share with members of our community. Kwavi Agbeyegbe, my prior guest on this podcast, introduced me to Ruth Duren. Duren is a life coach whose specialty focuses on helping immigrants of diverse backgrounds create the life and business they desire without editing or sacrificing who they are but to discover their authentic selves. As a biracial daughter of a Kenya father and American mother, Duren understands how our cultural background and the value system we are raised in can sometimes hinder or stand in the way of reaching our fulfilling lives. As indicated during our discussion, Duren talked about her childhood growing up in Kenya and being raised by her stepmother after her mother died when she was an infant. Duren spoke about how her diverse background made her who she is today and how she uses such experiences in helping others. When Duren works with her clients, she focuses on personal development, the missing link preventing clients from developing and sustaining their goals.

We also talked about immigrant women and some of the core issues they struggle with when achieving specific set goals. We also further discussed self-compassion and self-love and how we implement them in our lives as women. As further explained, women especially sometimes feel guilty when they put themselves first. Women are seen as the bedrock of the family and society, especially in a society that puts women last. We tend to ignore our pain but instead focus on our loved ones. Through life coaching, Duren is encouraging immigrants to thrive business-wise in a country of opportunities, to see that they matter, and discover their true calling with the assistant of a life coach. Ruth Duran is normalizing conversation on how immigrants could flourish both financially and emotionally without feeling guilty.

Short Bio 

Ruth Duren, MBA and Certified Life coach.

I help entrepreneurs make more money by getting twice as much done in half the time. I was born in Kenya to an American mother and a Kenyan father. My mother died when I was three, and my father remarried a Kenyan woman when I was 5. I moved to the US when I was 18, met and married the man of my dreams when I was 22. I have been married for 25 years, and we have raised three exceptional children. My youngest is 19. My favorite thing is to study business and the brain and take long walks with my husband and dogs. It is not unusual to find me listening to an audible and walking for hours. I have over three years of experience coaching individuals on their mindset and identifying what is blocking them from creating more money in less time. I specialize in business and making money, time, and energy without sacrificing any more time. My inspiration is to help as many entrepreneurs, especially immigrants, create their dreams and live their best lives possible.

Please follow Ruth Duren on Facebook live dialogue, YouTube channel, Instagram page and on her website @ www.ruthdureb.com  

I was introduced to Kwavi Agbeyegbe by Dr. Lulu, one of my guests on this podcast. Agbeyegbe is a certified life coach for women in their 50’s and above. She is an author and an international speaker. She just published a book titled 50 questions to answer when you reach 50- A guide to help women thrive and shine in their 50’s and beyond. She talked about what she does as a life coach for her clients, and she hosted women retreats around the world. Agbeyegbe explained to our audience what it means to go on retreats, which countries she has visited with women, and the diversity of women attended. She enlightened us on why women should consider going on a retreat and the benefits of going on a retreat.

Talking to Agbeyegbe shed light on the need for women in their 50’s to live a more fulfilling life. In this conversation, we discussed self-compassion and how we can implement it in our daily lives, especially if we women put ourselves. Women are seen as the bedrock of the family and the society at large, and at the same time, in a society that puts women last and tells us that we can’t have it all. Women are the victims of patriarchal society, but Agbeyegbe challenged us to think differently and take control of our lives. Explicitly focusing on African women, Agbeyegbe encouraged African immigrant women over 50 to thrive physically and emotionally healthily. Most importantly, we women matter.   

Kwavi Agbeyegbe is normalizing conversation about how women over 50 could flourish physically and emotionally without feeling guilty. She is coaching us African women to put ourselves first and practice self-compassion. 

Short Bio of Kwavi Agbeyegbe 

Kwavi is a Certified Life Coach, Author, and International Speaker. She is passionate about promoting a positive narrative for women in their 50s and over. 

She helps women in their 50s and beyond creates a future more exciting than their past.

She uses powerful tools and empowering knowledge to help them take control of their lives on their terms and embrace midlife as a fascinating journey.

She uses one-on-one coaching, group coaching programs, and international retreats to inspire women worldwide to transform their lives.

She received her B.Sc. in Information Technology from the Thames Valley University in the United Kingdom and obtained a Master’s in Medical Informatics degree from Northwestern University in Chicago. 

She trained with the Well Coaches School of Coaching, a program endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine and Harvard University, and is a Certified Weight Coach through the Life Coach School.

Kwavi is a wife and mother to 2 teenage boys. She is a blogger with the Huffington Post and Thrive and has been featured on CBS, NBC, Best Self Magazine, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The first season of pansa pansa live podcast ended July and many of my listeners would notice that no episode was released during the month of August after 10 Episodes of engaging and informative conversations was released on this platform for the first season. I need to take a much desirable break and to prepare for next season. As many of our listeners may have noticed, my co-host Baaba has not been present during many of the recordings. Baaba has not been able to co-host with me because of her work schedule and she is also preparing to go back to school to further her education. She would join as time permits but as of now, I am going to continue to be the host of Pansa pansa podcast.    So, I welcome the audience to season two and I am looking forwards to continue to talk about uncomfortable conversation and sometimes bring open the painful truth that may be challenging for some people to absorbed.  But that is the purpose of this platform. Please stay turn for the most exciting and stimulating topics coming on season two. As I have always said that pansa pansa is normalizing conversation about uncomfortable discussion in our community. We have to continue to publicly discuss complex issues in order to shred away the stigma associated with painful dialogue.

Please subscribe and share this podcast with friends, family and your social network. Rate the podcast, write a review and let me know what you think about these conversations. You can follow also follow me on instagram @ pansa.pansa forum and visit my website @ talkpansapansa.org

When I was in graduate school pursuing my degree in public health and in one of my studies at the time, we look at the diversity of public health issues. I never considered domestic violence a public health issue until we discussed it thoroughly in one of my classes. The teaching exposed us to how domestic violence affects the lives of individuals who experience the violence. During my studies, I learned that exposure to domestic violence could have a traumatic experience, physical impairment, and mental health problems. 

Since launching this podcast, I have always wanted to address domestic violence within the African immigrant community. When Ms. Bukola Olode agreed to come on the podcast to educate our community on domestic violence, I was delighted knowing that she is a professional in the field. Bukola Olode LMSW has worked in the field of domestic violence and received several awards for her work as a domestic violence advocate. She obtained her graduate degree in social work from Fordham University in 2004 and has worked with individuals and families as a therapist. Ms. Olode is also a thriving sought-after life coach, motivational speaker, and divorce mediator. She has given several presentations on the issue of domestic violence to various audiences. She resides in New York and New Jersey with her husband and three children. 

In this episode, Olode gave a clear definition of domestic violence, and she further explained different types of domestic violence. We talked about the functions of the NYC Department of Domestic Violence and the services they provide to the victim, such as shelter, order of protection, immigration support, welfare benefits, etc. We talked about the primary and secondary victims of domestic violence. We then divert to the African immigrant community and our understanding of domestic violence. As immigrants, we may have a different definition of domestic violence according to our diverse cultural background and religious beliefs or our interpretation of spiritual value. We looked into the African Immigrant communities initial approach in addressing domestic violence, e.g., Approaching religious clergy, elders of the community, or family or relatives. Why is such system may not work, and what can we do to educate our community leaders to reach out to the domestic violence department for help. We talked about the pressure society place on women in carrying the burden of the need to marry and stay married. We clarified on quality vs. quantity of marriage life, and should we stay married for quality or quantity? As I said in my conclusion to this topic, in many cultures globally, a successful marriage is based on longevity and not on quality and growth. The longer you are married, the more honored you are, and marriage is not about inner self-transformation, how evolved and transformed the partner are to each other. The culture guides us, women, into a suffering mindset that says that a successful marriage is built upon sacrifice and compromise, and a woman must conform to that cultural norm. Women are also made to believe it is okay to stay in an unhealthy relationship for the children's sake. 

Pánsá Pánsá is normalizing a conversation about domestic violence in our community. As we publicly discuss complex issues within our community, we shred away the stigma associated with these uncomfortable dialogues. Ms. Bukola Olode provides a wealth of knowledge to the audience and members of our community regarding this vital subject on recognizing domestic violence and the services available. She provided quality and extensive advice to Africans in the diaspora dealing with domestic violence or a family member who may be going through such an ordeal. If you or someone you know is experiencing violence, there is a domestic violence 24 hours hotline @ 1-800-942-6906 and there is further information on the website https://www.nyscadv.org/find-help/program-director

In 2016, I read a book titled Black Man in a White Coat: A doctor's reflections on Race and Medicine. In this book, Dr. Tweedy, an African American, detailed his experience as a black man in medicine from Medical school to residency and practicing medicine as a psychiatrist. Dr. Tweedy dealt with both in your face racism and prejudice to conscious and unconscious biases. Since I read this book, I always have been interested in discussing with a member of the African immigrant community or their children in medicine about their experience. I was so grateful that Ms. Olode, featured on this podcast in a later episode, who introduced me to Dr. Giwa. I wanted to know what it is like for an African immigrant or a child of an immigrant navigating through the field of medicine.

Dr. Giwa is a Nigerian American raised in Brooklyn, NY. He attended the University of Notre Dame as a Pre-med and Spanish major for college and went to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for medical school. He completed his Pediatrics Residency at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital. He did his Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and currently works there as a physician-scientist. His research interests include bench and clinical Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) research. He also works as the Global Medical Monitor managing international clinical trials to treat people with Achondroplasia.

In addition, he enjoys mentoring and service work doing international missions’ trips, participating in mentoring programs, and sponsoring a local Head Start school for low-income families with organizations such as the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) and the Notre Dame Alumni Association. He has received several awards for this work from his alma mater and medical institution for service and leadership. 

In this episode, Dr. Giwa and I talked about his childhood experience and growing up in an Africa immigrant home. We talked about balancing between the two heritages, Africa and America, as well as black identity. Part of our discussion also focuses on navigating through academic life and social life in college, medical school and how his cultural upbringing benefits or hinders his fitting into the dominant culture in the spaces he finds himself. We talked about three major areas of specialty acceptable by Nigerian and many other African immigrants’ parents- Doctors, Lawyers, and engineers-should parents choose what their children study in college. We focus on Barriers faced by Afro-descendant students in medicine. What are the barriers for blacks and Hispanic students from becoming a doctor? 

After officially becoming a doctor and as a black male, we dived into conversation on some of the structural racism Dr. Giwa may have experience as a doctor. These experiences may stem from the administration, the patients, and outside his practice. How has he balanced his profession with mental warfare in a system of implicit biases and racism? In the closing. Dr. Giwa gave excellent advice to aspiring students interested in medicine and parents of our community who may have aspiring students who may want to study medicine. Dr. Giwa’s importantly advised parents they should refrain from forcing their children into a specialty that may be difficult for their children or may not be their interest. Dr. Giwa emphasized the importunacy of family and community support for the children's career choices within our community. As we usually said on this forum, when we publicly discuss complex issues within our community, we are shredding away the stigma associated with uncomfortable dialogues, primarily focusing on race & immigrants experience. Dr. Giwa shared his experience as a black man in medicine. He talked about the rewards of becoming a doctor and the barriers faced by Afro-descendant students in medicine.

During my interview with Nyemade Biowu in my last episode, she introduced me to Dauda's book while discussing traumatic childhood experiences. I decided to invite Duada to the podcast for conversation. The stories in the book reflect Pánsá Pánsá mission on talking about uncomfortable conversation. The self-published book Ba-Ya Play Cook: An Anthology of Short Stories: The book is a collection of true-life stories from Liberia, West African. Dauda uses everyday situations to discuss the prevalence of rape, molestation, and sexual abuse of children in Liberia.

Apart from the recently published book, Dauda is also a blogger, and we discussed one of her write up called Wakanda Is Not Real. Facts on Liberia and 10 Reasons To Travel. In this essay, she talked about how history said Liberia was formed by freed slaves from America in the early 1800s even though history shows that there were first inhabitants as early as the 12th century who initially occupied the land. The returnees, who were African Americans, mistreated the natives, established superiority over the natives, and emulated their prior oppressors' behavior in America.

We further discussed Duada's traumatic childhood experience during the Liberian war and her family's migration to America. We discussed what the experience was like as a child exposed to the violence of the time relating to psychological effects and emotional trauma and how she and her family coped with the traumatic experience. We talked about her struggle after migration when Dauda and her family eventually settled, and we dived into the challenges/struggles of being a first-generation African immigrant child. She said, "most of my bullying in America was by African-Americans," who challenged her blackness and used demeaning phase towards her heritage. Dauda later gains confidence about who she is, and as she said, she is "unapologetically African", and she has grown to embrace her African heritage. In a quote from her essay, "What is ironic is that these same people who would make fun of me now ask me to bring them back African prints".

Duada lives in the hyphen of Liberia and America. Along with her family, she relocated to the US during the Liberian civil unrest. She is a full-time international development Ph.D. student and a public health master's student specializing in health education. Dauda is passionate about storytelling as she firmly believes in changing Africa's narrative by giving Africans the opportunity to tell their own stories. In her spare time, she shares stories online to counter the narrative of Africa as a jungle. As Dauda said, I am a headwrap enthusiast and uses African print to bring awareness to my work and culture. She can be found online IG: @Zuleka and twitter: Zulekatweets

Dr. Yvette Butler – Yeboah, an African American sister who is the founder and executive director of GapBuster.Inc, a non-profit organization that focuses on the empowerment of our youth within our community. The program engages in Leadership and Community Outreach. GapBuster. Inc is also intercontinental, and in 2019, she opened a center in Ghana. Dr. Yeboah also hosts a live show every Friday called American Africans United. 

This discussion focuses on race as it relates to Black Experience and race as it relates to African immigrant experience. When it comes to racial identity, Dr. Butler is identified as an African American. As an immigrant, I identified as a Nigerian American that recognizes my two heritages Nigerian (cultural identity to be specific Yoruba) & Black American related to the race the institution placed on Dr. Butler and me. For African immigrants, we have to navigate between these two worlds, the world of blackness and the world of immigrants. The black experience is historically unique, but the black experience is foreign to African immigrants. Historically, African nations were colonized by Europe, African immigrants in America do not know what it is like to be black in a racialized society before migrating to America. We never live in a racialized society.

Dr. Butler talked about Black Experience as it relates to developing unique black dialect, religion, music, food ETC and how these were developed after years of losing their original culture. We further discussed “The talks” regarding racial struggles and educating African American children about racial cues or signs when contacting authorities such as law enforcement, educators, or in corporate America.

We discussed the Reality of Racism and its institution. Does the reality of racism exempt African immigrants from these experiences even though we reside within the same community as other people of color, exposed to the same low-quality education, housing, and every other aspect of inequality experienced by African Americans? We concluded on an approach to finding commonality within our community and acknowledge our differences. 

To learn more about Dr. Butler and GapBuster, please go to her website @ www.GapBuster.org