assimilation

I grew up in postcolonial Africa, an Africa that has everything and nothing to do with the stereotypes. That means that I grew up in tropical heat, and could drink fresh mango juice or Coca-Cola to cool down. It means that I learnt about African kings and queens in history but only in primary (elementary) school, Secondary (High) school history was spent sleeping through lectures on the Renaissance, the Industrial Revolution, the First World War. It means that I learned to read from “Peter and Jane” as well as “Mulenga and Jelita” books. It means that the Santa Claus (we called him Father Christmas) who came to our school every year to collect gifts for less fortunate kids was black, but the Jesus on the church wall was always white.