YOUR VIEWS


‘Black dolls aren’t pretty mummy’ In response to Irene Muchemi’s above-titled article (New African Woman, Issue 6), I would like to say that now that I am an adult and a parent I realise the significance behind my mother buying me black dolls and highly appreciate that today. I had both black and white Barbies, but I don’t remember having a preference for one over the other. I spent the earlier years


of my childhood in America, in a predominately white community in Colorado. And I didn’t realise I was black until a boy in my class peed on my chair when I was in second grade. I knew I had different shade of skin but I was oblivious to whether it mattered in any way to anyone. All I knew was that I was a person. I still remember the shock quite profoundly when the other kids said to me, “Bruce peed on your chair cause you’re black”. I didn’t quite know how to feel about the whole situation but shame of who I was or the colour of my skin wasn’t a thought that crossed my mind. And I’m certain that that little boy’s failed attempt at trying to alienate me was due to the way he was raised. Kids initially don’t see colour – it’s their parents who put ideas into kids’ heads. Most of all due to my wonderful upbringing, I am thankful to my parents for raising me to be assertive. I know the importance


of teaching my son about his heritage in a positive light, ensure that he is proudly African. Not only do we have to look into how our kids look at themselves as African,


6 | NEW AFRICAN WOMAN | WINTER 2011


The colour of a children’s doll can have a major impact on their sense of identity


but also how they perceive themselves in terms of image in the face of plastic surgery and self-mutilating creams to make our skin lighter. I am aware it’s no easy task but I think it all starts with me, what I do, how I carry myself, what we eat (cook traditional meals every little chance we get, lay off the burgers and pizza), how I interact with others – be it people of my own colour or not, and to make sure with such interaction I don’t illuminate some sort of inferiority complex. And, yes, not forgetting the right kind of media influence in that regard. It won’t be easy to bring up a self-assured black African Motswana man [in my son] proud of his heritage in this globalised world today, but I am strongly sure that I will die trying.


Buhle Mguni Gaborone, Botswana


Womankind should fight FGM collectively I was saddened by your Gambian colleague’s comment that “If she (Waris) has been campaigning


against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for all these years, she hasn’t done really well in my country has she?” (New African Woman, Issue 6). Here is my take on this topic: FGM is such a serious issue that it requires ALL OF US to campaign against it. By ALL OF US, I mean all women, white, black, yellow or green. Traditions change slowly, but we are blessed to live in a time where technology makes communication easy. We need to keep raising the subject everywhere we can, for as long as it takes to make FGM history. We cannot sit back and


let one woman, or even one hundred women, campaign against FGM, and have the gumption to criticise or make comments like the above. Chinese foot binding, which lasted for a thousand years, was put to an end not by the voice of one woman but by the collective voices of people who could no longer abide the pain, horror and indignity the women suffered. There was a time in


England when very pale women were considered beautiful, so they got leaches to suck their life blood, to the point where some died of anaemia. Every culture has evolved


from [harmful] practices that were thought to enhance the beauty of a woman for the benefit of men. To campaign against tradition takes a lot of hard work, so please, let us not sit back and not leave just a handful of women to fight these harmful practices. To Waris, I say keep up


the good work. Hannah Yaawusuah Adjepong


Accra, Ghana


Savage tradition I have heard and read about the topic of FGM since the 1980s. I am an American whose ancestors were of African descent. I feel FGM is the most savage tradition that could ever be performed on someone. It is another form of control put in place by a patriarchal society and it has to stop. It is not natural, causes death, mental health, and lower’s the victim’s self-esteem. It needs to be banned.


Nyota Starr USA


FGM is totally out-of-date FGM represents the continuing subjugation of women and their rights, together with the patriarchial notions of why FGM is still needed in the 21st century. If they can justify it as


‘female circumcision’ then why is it not performed at birth as done with male circumcision? Why does FGM involve so much pain, destroy self-esteem and bring about health difficulties in most of its victims? My folk come from Nigeria. Most of my female relatives have had to go through this demoralising plight and still I have no idea why it is performed in the first place. No, FGM is totally out-


of-date. In my opinion, this archaic practice has no context or place in the modern world! Taiwo Ogunnaike USA


I smell hypocrisy I am responding to your article on FGM (New African Woman, Issue 6) in which you


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