SENEGAL Unscrambled

 

"To be African American is to be African without memory and American without privilege." George C. Fraser 

A couple months ago, I received the following message in an email from a dear friend, Papa Dia, "... I will be leading a trip to Senegal from December 6 to December 18, 2023. ... The trip will also allow people of African American descent ... to explore and learn more about their roots on the continent of Africa. ... This trip will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the wonders of Senegal and its legendary Teranga (hospitality). I sincerely hope you would like to accompany me on this voyage..."

Knowing I would never get my amazing husband to agree to go to Africa with me, I immediately responded in my mind, "Me, Me, Me!!!" and to Papa Dia, "Count me in!" I am excited, anxious, sad, fearful, and delighted all at once. I would love to share this experience with Tony; I'm blessed to share the trip with my new Soror/little sister, Monique Washington. That said, although I have traveled and lived abroad a lot, this is my very first time traveling to Africa, and I can't wait to experience and learn more about my Sept in Senegal.

Sept is defined as part of a clan or subdivision of a clan, as in ancient Ireland and Scotland.  My use of the word is to intentionally broaden its use to reflect Webster’s New World definition to include any similar group based on supposed descent from a common ancestor. With no definitive evidence of my direct heritage, this is an opportunity for me to begin a repatriation process with glimpses of my ancestral memory of a continent that I am somehow connected without actual personal experience while working to reconcile my privilege in the country I call home.

A lot is going on worldwide, and I would be lying if I said I have no trepidations about traveling abroad right now.  However, I have been reading a lot and watching lots of documentaries; a couple to note are "STAMPED from the Beginning" and "High on the Hog – Season 2."  Ironically, both of these documentaries mention Senegal, so I know that something is calling me to this great land of experiences. I read somewhere, "AMERICA unscrambled is I AM RACE." It made me think about what SENEGAL unscrambled might be... Immediately, I found NEAL (my paternal family name) and SEG - which could be short for segue (as in segue into my next new international experience) or an acronym for Sh*t Eating Grin--both can be true!  

Papa Dia, an incredibly selfless leader, has assured us to expect an amazing welcome from loving and gracious people.  If he is an example of what to expect, I can't wait! I am so thrilled about this trip, I have been grinning non-stop--looking forward to creating new memories about Africa. While I don't know my true lineage, there is a bit of Africa cruising through my veins, and I look forward to meeting those who may be my long-lost relatives!

 Meanwhile, I am diligently packing and praying that I remember everything MAJOR and I plan to take lots of pictures to share my experiences on this journey with you. Meanwhile, stay tuned to learn more about my journey. Thanks in advance for your grace and patience.  I’m sure there will be lots that I write about that will be difficult to read, please know that these are not intended to be statements of indictments, and are rather an opportunity to share my experiences and emotions as I feel them.  I am working to be present during this visit and experience—my only intention is to share my thoughts and emotions in writing. I am sure there will be lots that you may find funny, interesting, sad, or even perhaps irritating. Please let me know if you are following up with your comments! 



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