Thoughts on Diaspora with @BlkLibraryGirl (Honorée Jeffers)
The African Diaspora is a topic close to many of our hearts. Through it we raise questions on home, ownership and definition. With African literature, fashion and music gaining extraordinary global recognition we find ourselves dealing with the complexity of our ancestors and our heritage. What does it mean to originate from one place and to technically belong to somewhere else? Here we speak to the very talented poet and novelist Honorée Jeffers on this very topic.
What do you think of when you hear the word 'home' ?
When I hear “home,” I think of comfort and love. Halle Berry was the lead actress in Queen, and I remember in one scene, she told her little boy, “Home is where you are loved, child.” That was very moving to me. In terms of a “motherland,” my mother was born in Eatonton, Georgia, in America, and this is the place I have been happiest in my life. I revere my African ancestors, as do many of people in the black American community, but I don’t call Africa “motherland.” That’s not an accurate term because at least two hundred years (or more) have passed since my ancestors left West Africa.I prefer to call Africa my “grandmother." I take that metaphor because the distance of a grandmother from her children’s progeny means that none of us in the African Diaspora are close enough to our grandmother to be her grandmother’s favorite, but nevertheless, we love her very much, we all know that some small part of her belongs to us, and we belong to her, always.
Do you think it is important for us to read and understand African diaspora as young people, who may have spent their lives away from their country of origin?
I think that, whether someone is a recent immigrant or the child—or in my case, the great-great-great (and a lot of greats) grandchild—of an immigrant from a place, there’s always a curiosity. There’s an emotional longing of many of us to know about West Africa, the place where our ancestors were torn from. For most black Americans, it’s impossible for us to know where our ancestors were from, and so, there’s been a reaching out to various places in Africa for heritage. That can be exciting, but it can also lead to the mistaken idea that Africa is a country, instead of a very vast continent made up of many different communities, many languages, and many rich cultures; that’s why it’s essential for people who have an interest in a particular region of Africa to really focus on that region instead of a vague notion of “Africa,” in order to understand and just as importantly, respect that region.
Could you perhaps recommend some literature which you have found inspirational in relation to diaspora for people who are unaware of the term?
For those interested in understanding the African Diaspora in America, I’d say, start with African American writing of the eighteenth-century; that literature was actually African writing, since those folks were new arrivals to America. I’m writing a poetry book on Phillis Wheatley, the first black American woman to publish a book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral.Wheatley’s work explores the issues of displacement, longing, and separation from kin. Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is an excellent start as well. He tells of his capture into slavery, but his story is a triumphant one: Equiano even wrote to Queen Charlotte to ask her help with the abolition of slavery. I’m reading the work of contemporary West African women writers, because I love to read about women’s experiences, and also, I love the “aha” moment when I discover a cultural similarity between contemporary West African and black American cultures. It’s a thrill. I’m loving the work of Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie right now, and I’ve read all three of her novels, most recently, Americanah.
African Fashion is gradually taking a front seat in the global market - Are there any fashion tips or trends that you are currently loving or using?
There is nothing more beautiful to me than brown skin next to reds and royal blues, and I’ve noticed that the designer Ozwald Boateng (see pictures below) uses those colors in his designs; I can’t yet afford to buy his clothes as a birthday present for my husband, but I’m saving up! I absolutely love the new, contemporary African textiles, too, and I’m a fan of styles that combine those textiles with Western design.The ankle-grazing maxi dress in African textiles is such a wonderful look, and I’m able to wear that look on both sides of the Atlantic and be beautifully yet modestly dressed. I’m a fan of the simple wrap dress, too, either collared or plain—I hope the wrap dress never goes out of style, because it is so versatile. It’s easy to pack, looks great on just about any figure, and with a few additions, carries well from day to evening!
With thanks to Honorée Jeffers, for more info on Jeffers and her beautiful work please check out: http://www.honoreejeffers.com/ftp.honoreejeffers.com/home..html
Words by Hanan Hotse