Way to go, Josephine.

I wear my root on my sleeve. However, many people don’t know where they came from. I’m reflecting on a day-old baby dumped in a restaurant’s dumpster (true story). How would this baby trace her roots fifty years from now?


With context, some adopted children and many African Americans in the US don’t know where they came from originally. And, often people make them uncomfortable by asking them, “Where are you from as soon as they are in the environment where society thinks a black person should not be. For example, a black doctor in the hospital, a black broker moving money on Wall Street, or a black customer in a high earned store or restaurant.

Yes, our root matters, and people who know their root must be proud, and others who don’t know where they came from can live in a free society without shame.

Many years ago, a dentist student asked me, “where are you from?” I told her, brought out a pocket world map from my bag, and showed her where Nigeria was.

We had a lovely conversation while she cleaned my son’s teeth. Then I asked her, “where are you from?” She looked at me, shocked, and responded, “ I have never been asked that question.” She thanked me for the question and struggled to trace her origin. She was about 25.


I’m a proud Nigerian, and my American children are proud of their roots with the jobs they’re doing in Nigeria.

As always, a great story✅