By Skylar DeBose Sankofa. An Akan word that is spoken within the walls of my home in Portland, Oregon. Sankofa. An Adinkra symbol that dangles from my father’s neck, amongst his collection of gold and beaded necklaces. When traveling 7,454 miles away from home, I heard the word again… Sankofa. Yet now, I would become Read More …
By Skylar DeBose It was the morning of Sunday, July 27. I woke up ready to climb the tallest mountain in Ghana. Just 24 hours earlier, our bus driver, Clement, drove us five hours northeast from East Legon, Accra, to the Volta Region. The night before our journey to Volta commenced, I struggled to sleep Read More …
By Skylar DeBose Obroni. An Akan word that quickly became familiar to my friends and me. Obroni means foreigner, often referring to a white person. Although I identify as Black, I have been called Obroni by strangers, merchants, and coworkers. I am, however, a foreigner. Despite my ancestral roots in Africa, this is my first Read More …
By Skylar DeBose It feels surreal that we’re already halfway through our time in Ghana. Before coming here, the thought of being away from home and away from my people for six weeks made me anxious. Yet as each day passes, I find myself feeling sadder and sadder that our time here will be coming to an Read More …
By Skylar DeBose This week marked the start of our internships. Waking up at 6 a.m. on Monday, July 7, felt like the first day of school. I experienced the same nerves, excitement, and eagerness that I’ve felt every year since kindergarten. Yet this time, something was different. Instead of going to school, where I Read More …
By Skylar DeBose Since I was accepted into the Media in Ghana Program, I’ve felt nervous, excited, curious, and anxious about making my first international trip. For a long time, visiting Africa has been at the top of my travel bucket list. As an African American, I wanted to return to the place that my Read More …