Last Sunday it was time. I, the little black girl from Suriname, would be on American TV. Not in a regular TV program or for a street interview or something, no. In the program Here and Now, a renowned current affairs program that gives experts and leaders a voice and at the same time questions them.
No, I was absolutely not nervous before or during the recordings. On the contrary. I was actually really looking forward to it because it is not only a great honor to be invited by such a platform, it is wonderfully stimulating to have a conversation with someone at a high level. Someone who understands the subject, has years of experience in interviewing people and does not shy away from difficult questions. For me, this was an ideal platform to express myself. In an intellectually critical environment, the subject of frizzy hair can best be discussed in order to undo the stereotyping of frizzy hair and realize equal hair rights.
Although I wasn't nervous during the recordings, I was honestly a bit nervous when the time of the broadcast approached. You always have to wait and see if the message comes across well, no matter how well you mean it. Stuttering, stammering, very often when I get involved in a discussion I throw in a Dutch word here and there. The other way around it's not bad, because Dutch and Surinamese people do understand English and usually understand what you're talking about.
Accidentally throw a Dutch word into an English conversation and watch the question marks on people's faces. I hoped this hadn't happened during the oh so nice conversation with Sandra Bookman, the host of Here and Now.
Together with my dad who lives in Suriname and could watch via Skype and Amber, an 18 year old dancer with Surinamese roots, I watched the broadcast live. I was distracted by texts here and there, but it was a great experience. The reactions always do me good.
What strikes me is that people are always happy when I mention Suriname. I find that funny, because for me it is just part of it. My roots are literally rooted in Suriname, I remain a child of Daisy Liong-A-Kong and Hertha Gladys Ritfeld, two loving born and raised Surinamese. So it doesn't matter where I go or stand, my (grand)parents and Suriname are in my DNA, in my frizzy hair.
