The Un-Welcoming To Ghana: You Don't Invite Someone To A Dirty House

Thursday, 24 August 2023

By: TB Obwoge

Momma Ebo, (That's what I will call her) would awake around 5 am, I think, because morning wasn't my thing after all.

There was no reason for me to awake so damn early. They claimed mornings were cooler, as a person from Philly, no they weren't.

Just earlier hours, for the heat to beat on you.

Santa Maria, Hill Top, thats the place I started out in Ghana, it was in Greater Accra. I lived with Ebo (EEE-BOW Ebo meaning, Tuesday born), his family, mother, 2 sisters and there were 7 children. Not all lived there full time.

Let's say this isn't the parts you people would rush to when you arrive in Ghana. With your teary eyes, ready to go flock to see where they sold you off for trinkets and guns. Yes, we were sold off it is a fact and there is nothing that can change it. Exchanged for items, the tribes fought over land and in Ghana they still are but you won't hear much about the Bawku fighting that's claiming many lives to this day (2024).

So many filled with anger from the America that didn't love you. Sick of racism just as I was, when I said I'm out of that place. Ghana wasn't my first choice and I wish it wasn't my second either. I moved from Kenya to Ghana, why I really don't know.

I knew that Ghanians looked like us, (Black Americans) and I thought they'd be more like us, but in many ways they are not. Very much not!

They just look like us, I will outline how everyone that saw me claimed I was white, gave hateful looks, words and even threats on my life. Which was very odd considering they would roll over for actual White people.

Outside.

I hear the whisking of the broom, Momma Ebo used to clean the front of the house. We would call it a compound but here in these parts they hadn't built a wall or fence around the house. At times when I'm outside I think they wish they had.

People would come to the house often but when I was outside, they walked up for no reason. Asking silly little things to either engage Momma or ask about me in Twi.

Momma taught her gran-babbies to sweep the front of the house every morning, "you don't want people to pop up on you with a dirty house!" That's what Mina said Momma taught her.

So every morning the swept, don't mind the fact that they done swept that front last night.

Ghana is filthy, literally and figuratively! They've been shitting in the gutters, oceans, beaches have items in the sand, don't dare go barefoot.

It's so much ugliness, I asked about a few things, wait most people especially the men hate that, asking questions.

The children taught me they weren't allowed to but I've asked questions to understand how or what to do proper, I've been ignored more in my life than ever before in Ghana. One man said, "You're very disrespectful!" I was shocked, I wasn't rude or anything towards him.

I used the airport clinic for my Covid-19 testing, the Bolt (like Uber but cheaper) driver and I had made an agreement, he was just gonna sit and wait for me. I would have paid him a set amount, under the table you know? When the security guard said no parking here, he told my driver you can't park here.

I said, well I've been here before and this is the parking area, where should we park? Also why are all these other cars parked here?

That's it, that when he brings his face to the back seat window (where I was seated), he told me I was disrespectful. He then said he was gonna make all these parked cars move, how though I don't know.

People weren't in them, there was drawn out lines on the ground, they were parked there and in either of the building that were there. This was Ghana, hatred for no reason, bullying for no reason.

He called another man over, they begin to threaten the driver, they turned to speaking in Twi after the first threat was thrown out their mouths. At this point I had been in Ghana for 3 and half months.

This was Ghana, you don't ask questions, you just don't or it's a fight, a long screaming match, that's all they do is scream at each another. But you are rude if you raise your voice.

Here I lay down my 2 years living in Ghana, I did leave the country to get more items for 4 weeks. I left again for a visit as my daughter was going to move out of the apartment I had lived in for 20 years. I went to close out my life and obtain more money to move far away from Accra Ghana.

When I arrived I took tests, saw doctors. I had a doctor in Ghana but I was due for a mammogram, since I had insurance in the US I used it. I was diagnosed with an early stage of breast cancer, I underwent 2 surgeries, radiation, while in Ghana I was being robbed.

I will outline events in a journal style for you because I wrote about my time in Ghana. It was the worst time of my life with few breakout moments of peace. My light skin was always the focus, I was called Yevu (dirty tricky dog) white person in Ewe or Voltarian, as in the Volta Region of Ghana. I found peace there.

The Voltarians I encountered most were the kindest to me, it's also clean there, they cleaned their house but don't think light skin is Black skin.

I have already caught so much hate from Ghanians for my writings on Ghana. I have always had America they call it the States or USA, thrown in my face too. If you read this know this as an American you know damn well the American people or government is NOT by any means asking anyone to immigrate there, nor are we ever calling ourselves welcoming and the politest people.

Ghana is though, begging for tourism, investments and claiming to be welcoming to the diaspora. They will say they're the politest people in Africa too, nonsense. How can you claim that without even going all over Africa? Also not my skin color was everyones focus, I think racism and colorism is worse in Ghana than the US.

Just because they aren't killing you in Ghana, they killed my entire soul and I don't know how to bring it back. I lost all I had and gave up my life to move there.

When I call it racism and not colorism, they didn't for one moment think I was a Black person. I say they but there were only a handful that addressed me as a Black person, even after talking to them they would always slip in, "Well you as a white!" This was confusing to me, the few that claimed they knew I was Black would throw in calling me white, I don't get Ghana.

The shit they said about darker Ghanians, "blackie and darky" one Ghanian saying Kenyans were, "All dark, Black and ugly!" I will never forget that one there.

Had I Known Colorism & Xenophobia is Rampant in Ghana I Wouldn’t Have Given my Life Away to Relocate

Not to mention dreadlocks, discrimination it’s like White America

Sunday, 27 November 2022

By: TB Obwoge

The insults hurled at dark skin people exists in Ghana, the calling people ugly for being dark is common place. I don’t blame those who skin bleach in West African countries, I don’t blame them at all they’re trying to escape being bullied incessantly, especially from other Ghanians. Because baby, it is constant and brutal the street harassment in Ghana.

A Ghanian man asked why I write about my bad experiences and I am as honest as can be, “I am ANGRY!” I’m damned angry, so angry I could cry and I do cry, Black to Africans don’t do their research They don’t travel alone to African countries and see what life is like.

They see the tourism and the famous hotels, beaches and built up places, because I know that is all I saw before going.

Because of my marriage and relationships I heard things that many won’t hear or see on their tour guided visits. Or learn the political shit that has been choking some of these countries either.

It is all fun and games I’m gonna take my American dollars and live big because for $100 USD to $150 USD (a month full time) I can have a maid. When you’re knowing damn well in America that would get you a cleaning lady come to your home once.

Race in America is too much and I’m tired of it, only to find out that Ghanians gonna beat me over the head everyday with race. Ghanians are going to insult me and call me white all day long, not to mention fat mommy, Rasta, man, biggie, obolo (short form of fat in Twi), then when I complain call me crazy for saying I’m not White, I’m Black.

Darker skinned American man said he didn’t care, see now you know how dark skin women been getting treated all their lives. When I added that a Ghanian said my Kenyan husband and all Kenyans are, “All dark Black and ugly!” Not to mention they use “darkie and Blackie” as names to call people whom are darker in skin color many whom don’t like it!

He ignored that part, in Ghana you can’t win, so what do they want? If you’re light skin you can’t win and if you’re dark skin you are called ugly.

When I met and wrote about the young man named Innocence and how he told me he was bullied (not the word he used) he said people make fun and abuse him for having lighter skin. He’s the only light person in his family but other siblings have his reddish hair.

Colorism seems to be on the rise again in the United States but Americans know when a person is Black that they can be a range of complexions. I had to mention this because whenever you write or speak on something done in Ghana or Africa they throw America in your face. When you live in Africa, America isn’t your concern.

When I wrote about the dark skinned, Black American father who said that Black women who weren’t mixed are unattractive to him, the first comment was from a Ghanian man.

He seemed to think it was alright for this father of dark skinned women to be anti-Black and slander Black women who weren’t mixed race. If this isn’t irony that this Ghanian man came to my comments on Medium supporting dark skin slander.

I showed this screenshot to a few Ghanians, when I wrote about a lighter skin man possibly Lebanese not sure but he holds citizenship in Ghana. Those Ghanians that saw his Twitter post said, “That’s what he gets for misbehaving!”

Where is this man “misbehaving?" Instead of realizing that they’re colorists and xenophobic several Ghanians said that it was his fault. Then took to me for reposting his comment and said that Africans are mistreated by Blacks in America so they can do this in Ghana.

Yet White people mistreat Blacks and Africans too so why are they wanting to look like them? Why are they more gracious and accepting to them in Ghana?

That is the kicker, that right there, I would watch white folks move around Ghana, why are they not screaming and pointing white man/woman at them? Why aren't they hanging out the trotro to scream as this white man walks down the road? But when I do it, it's like I'm a side show attraction.

I wish everyday that someone would’ve warned me, I had people that I spoke to living in Ghana and never once did they admit this to me. Never once did they hint to being colorists ‘until’ I arrived in Ghana.

I didn’t in all my research read about colorism in Ghana, nor did anyone tell me what I would be facing would be daily and constant. No one prepared me for people wanting to befriend me only because of my skin complexion either.

My printer, the man who made my Lacey’s House tee shirts in Ghana says not only are Black Americans not Black but that I should be “flattered” to be called white. He said I should be flattered because Ghanians admire white people, even though they abuse me verbally for weight, dreadlocks and tattoos.

Not one article preparing for the hatred that other Africans face in Ghana either, people want to see your passport and overcharge them. Ghanians believe that their behavior is the best in Africa, especially West African nations.

Sound familiar, it should because it is a page out of American White Supremacy!

I lost people in my life in Ghana because I would argue with them for hatred of Nigerians. I would question them, push them to understanding that they aren’t better but Ghanians are told by their own government that they’re better.

The Ghana government under Akufo-Addo continues to push the stance that Ghana is the most peaceful country in West Africa. When he pushes that narrative he’s punishing his West African neighbors, he’s villainizing them. How can they control terrorism that is attacking several West African countries, especially along the Sahel.

Ghanians then say Nigerians don’t enjoy peace, I’ve heard it more times than I care to imagine. I am not Nigerian but I will say with 100% assurity that Nigerians enjoy, want and love peace. None of the now 219 million Nigerians are waking up and praying for terrorism in their country. (Ooh I’m 34% Nigerian & 28 % Cameroonian)

So I will write about the time Ghanians destroyed Nigeria’s consulate. When immigration closed down Nigerian shops in Ghana, or that Nigerians, South Africans and a man from Togo said they are denied housing and over charged.

There is severe tribal fighting and terrorism in the Upper Eastern part of Ghana, they don’t consider that dispute terrorism. Ghanians don’t consider that as being an issue. People can’t freely travel to all areas of Ghana without terrorism or passing through areas involved in tribal fighting over farm land.

Kevin Taylor a Ghanian living in America ‘accused’ Akufo-Addo of creating a militia to start violence within Ghana. Ghana’s government replied by simply saying, this isn’t true. The United States has slander laws and Taylor could be sued by Akufo-Addo’s government, why haven’t they filed suit against him? I mean surely this would give them money, teach Taylor a lesson (if they can prove his stories are false)

Fighting the Effects of Colorism in Ghana and at UT

Colorism is discrimination based on skin color or skin shade. Dominate groups can prefer people with lighter skin shades, and the preference can also occur within communities of color. In some cultures, the preference for lighter skin causes people to use harmful skin bleaching creams in order to lighten their own tone.

Nwadiei, Cokley, and a team of students and faculty across campus, will investigate how businesses can stop the promotion of conventional “fair and lovely” beauty standards to young women of color. The team will conduct a qualitative study about the perceptions of skin bleaching and use their findings to create a campaign that educates people on the dangers of the practice.

Source: Education UV Texas

With all this hatred in Ghana their government is pushing hard for Black Americans to relocate to Ghana. Ghanians refuse to believe, admit or tell you that they’re country is filled with hatred and division. You will find a handful that will tell you how badly people who are different in Ghana are treated.

They are very hateful towards the smaller tribes, as well as other West Africans.

Please note I left out that I have cases against 5–6 different Ghanians for sexual assault (he’s a police officer the head of a police station), my ex Ernest Addo hit me along with other things, immigration officer (scam), John Henaku (stole my identity), Anny Kitcher (stole my cellphone), house owner scamming many foreigners Muhammad H. Naaa’ta and more.

Police did nothing but try to make Ernest Addo pay me money for stealing from my home while I was in the US with breast cancer. Everything else they’ve done nothing even with recordings from police officer and admission from immigration officer.

Identity struggles are commonplace globally, but these questions are rarely asked of immigrants’ children in Africa. While dark skin can denote acceptance and a sense of belonging to the continent, light skin can raise questions of authenticity and a conflicted sense of identity.

Gloria (a pseudonym) is a young woman of mixed heritage who we spoke to on a Tuesday morning in July 2020 over Zoom. Gloria lives in Gaborone, Botswana while we (the researchers) live in Accra, Ghana. The interview was conducted as part of our ongoing research into the identity formation of children of immigrants on the African continent:

‘I am a 27-year-old Motswana citizen from Botswana. I was born here but I’ve got family from around … my mum for example was born in Malawi and only came to Botswana when she was five. My grandmother, South African, and she came to Botswana I guess when my mum was five then … my grandfather is or rather was British-Irish … And yeah so, my family is from everywhere. On top of that my biological father is Tanzanian, but I do not have a relationship with him and I was therefore raised by a Nigerian man who is my step dad.’

Source: Blogs.ISE.Ac.UK

This was was one of the articles I wrote about my life in Ghana, I will include all of this in my manuscript. Thank you for reading please leave a replies to tell me what you think.

Thank you for reading 🙏🏽 Please consider buying a coffee for Lacey’s House efforts in Gender Equality & Children’s Rights as it tries to move international.

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