Day 3
I’m tired today from the Opening March. It was a pageant of Africans and other social justice agents. I feel like the Senegalese and African organizers did a tremendous job of getting African participants and volunteers. You could feel the power of the African civil society. I want to explore what these groups are and who the membership is and then relate it to Detroit. Especially the Rightsizing PMA.
Yes, I’m tired. The march was 5-6 miles. We guessed that 90-100 thousand people were there. Jen from Grassroots Global Justice suggests that the march stretched for two miles. One of the highlights was dancing with the COSATU- South African Trade Unions. They were harmonious and musical. My favorite song went: My daddy was a kitchen boy. My momma was a garden girl. That’s why I’m a communist a communist. I loved the rhythm and beat of that song. I hope it’s on video. That song should be on the radio—just throw a beat behind it. It is a profound statement about class coming from a society that is hell bent on social mobility. The South Africans sang songs in African languages and broke out into dance circles as they marched forward. Emery from Project South and Tufara from Highlander Center joined in. We all clapped and stepped from side to side to their rhythms. In the US we need to take chanting to the next level and come up with rhythms that are memorable, shared, and can stir the soul. I think that we have to step up our cultural presence in our political work.
We met two interesting groups today. First an economics and entrepreneurship teacher at a Bilingual Senegalese-American school. He introduced us to the director of the school, a woman from Baltimore who has lived in Senegal for 25 years. They invited us to visit them at their school to exchange about our environmental programs.
Secondly we met workers of a local food growers movement in Senegal. They operate a vegetarian restaurant and have a community center that focuses on culture as well as agriculture and restaurant skills. We enjoyed their vegetarian plates. They welcomed us, sat us down and offered us heaping salads and black eyed peas in a tasty onion gravy.
Detroit is definitely a grassroots community. We enjoy meeting the folks- staying in the hoods and getting down with the people in their own environment. It is challenging when you don’t know the customs and don’t know exactly all the hustles and dangers (and don’t speak the language fluently)
Nonetheless Senegal is known throughout Africa and beyond as the land of hospitality. It is unlike the US in that when you stay with someone they feel a responsibility for you and look out for you and welcome you into their family. I feel that from Marieme (Senegalese Association of Michigan) as well as from Diof our landlord/ host.
At the sit down restaurants there is more of the feeling of enjoying a family meal. Unlike the US you don’t order a la carte and mix and match to your heart’s desire. They offer plates with a standard meat/ veggie/ side combination. And sometimes there is a limited amount of food that may run out for the night. At least it is fresh. At some of these places the feeling is not of an establishment trying to make a buck but of being welcomed in and sharing the food they have.
There was one moment when the hospitality turned sour. One of the women who travels with us was propositioned by this Italian man who comes to Africa for his sexual fetishes with Black chocolate women. He too was a guest at the hotel and Diof looked out for his well being considerably. We had some conversations about European colonialism and privelege. It was a shocking reminder about what tourism means for some people. Senegal has amazing hospitality but that doesn’t mean that people should be objectified or treated like servants.
No comments:
Post a Comment