Mrs ‘all the single ladies’ has been in the news lately for what many see as a faux pax. She blackened her face in a photo shoot that was to pay tribute to her ‘African roots’ and Fela too. Of course she threw in a bit of tribal marks just to be quite sure.

Some commentators believe her actions are stereotypical of ‘the authentic African’ in the eyes of the European which should be criticized. I thought so as first reaction too. But now I think different.

The truth is majority of Africans or should I say real black Africans are black (real black) with the odd fair sister and cousin here and there. Tribal mark are/were our identity, we talk with an accent (our accent) even though we are losing our language fast. We have tough hair wey dey spoil comb. All that and more was what made us special. Of course, majority of our people abandoned all that for the bleaching creams, false hair, false accent, false everything.

You know what, when those people we are trying to be like want to be the real us,  they go for the ‘authentic’ us.

In the 70’s the Europeans came and told us we should not be giving our children breast milk. The proposed all sorts of baby formulas/cow and goat milk, to be given to newly born babies. Thirty years later, millions of dollars is spent in aid to Africa to teach us how to be baby friendly.

I think there is a lesson here from this episode.

Remain original, you will be copied.