Hello Kigali! My Journey to Africa and Rediscovery of My Roots
Finally! Two years after I decided to explore Africa instead of renewing my lease in Brooklyn, I have arrived on the continent. Between administrative visa errors, questionable Airbnb experiences, and moving five times in one year, I dramatically thought I would never make it. But here I am — in Kigali, Rwanda!
Watch the video from the day I left Brooklyn. Also read: How I left Brooklyn in tears.
Africa: More than a Destination
Africa was always on my travel list, it just never happened — because, well, as they say in America: "Life happens." But as Anthony Robbins says: “Life doesn’t happen to you, life happens for you” I look back and this feels like the perfect moment to explore the mother continent.
Initially, Africa just seemed like a fun place to go. But as I learned more about our history — and saw how Africa is freeing itself from the colonial yoke — my vision changed. My natural hair journey, from relaxers to an Afro and finally to locs, ignited a deeper desire to discover the continent. I wanted to understand the Africa beyond the stereotypes.
First impressions of Kigali, Rwanda
First Impressions of Kigali, Rwanda
Living instead of Vacation: Choosing Immersion over Tourism
I don't expect to find all the answers. But instead of a vacation and going back and forth from country to country, I chose to live here. This way I can experience different cultures and learn more about the continent that has given so much to the world. Africa is not only where we all come from, it's also where my ancestors come from. These are my roots. The origin of my hair follicles. And I realized that everything I know, I have learned from a colonial perspective.
Africa: The Continent that Keeps Giving
What we never learned is that the Western world didn't just profit from free African labor and land — it was built on it. Africa has always been the backbone of global wealth, but has never benefited from it itself. First its people were stolen and enslaved, forced into centuries of unpaid labor. And today the world still lives very cheaply off the continent.
From cobalt to coltan, gold to rare earth metals, Africa supplies the raw materials that power our phones, cars, and sustainable energy — but remains trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation. The system was never dismantled, and the exploitation never stopped. Decades of poverty-focused donation campaigns have only reinforced the stereotypes.
Natural Hair: More than a Choice
With everything I have learned, I am starting to see the connections. While I strive for equal hair rights, our own people also claim that relaxers and weaves are a choice — as if centuries of slavery, colonialism, systemic oppression, and cultural conditioning did not take place.
For more than 400 years we have been taught that our natural hair is unacceptable. Unprofessional. Unkempt. Rebellious. Colonization not only extracted wealth, but also introduced hierarchies, imposed Eurocentric norms, and rewarded conformity.
Click here to support my documentary: BAD Hair Uprooted, the Untold History of Black Follicles.
Choosing a hairstyle as a Black woman should be seen as a choice within a system that was not designed for us or to present us in a positive light. For many, that "choice" is shaped by what they have learned, where they grew up, the pressure of corporate dress codes, family expectations, and social survival.
Why Equal Hair Rights Are Still Important
I know I am privileged to have had a choice — to explore natural styles, embrace my Afro, and loc my hair. My goal with equal hair rights is to level the playing field of choice for everyone.
When people ask: “Why do so many Black women wear fake hair?” — not that there's anything wrong with weaves — they completely ignore that the styles being criticized are often those that fit within the norm. They are considered “normal,” while we still lack the fundamental human right to wear our God-given hair naturally.
Locs are still seen as extreme. Braids are still “too ethnic” for certain environments. But when was the last time someone was sent home from work because of a weave?
The natural hair movement is barely two decades old. Twenty years of resistance cannot magically undo four centuries of trauma, erasure, and forced assimilation.
The Beauty of Kigali — and What's Next?
Not even a week here, and it already feels so good. Kigali — city of 1000 hills — is breathtaking. The weather? Almost perfect. And the fruit? Sweet, juicy, and deliciously organic.
There is so much more to discover, and I plan to — with my camera in hand and curiosity as my guide. I will walk, talk, and dance as I capture this journey in all its layers: the beauty, the complexity, and the quiet revelations in between.
This is more than a trip. It's a rediscovery. A beginning. Do you want to experience it live too? Join one or more tours, subscribe now. I'd love to take you along!
