This Video Puts an African Lens on the Black Lives Matter Movement
We gathered a group of Africans to read a poem inspired by police brutality against Black people in America.
Black lives matter. It's an unquestionable and uncomplicated truth.
Blackness, however, is not as plainly stated. Blackness is broad and multilayered—and each layer matters. It's crucial that the myriad of black identity is fully represented in the movement for black lives.
In a new video, OkayAfrica gathers six black Africans, of various nationalities, to read a poem, written by Sheba Anyanwu, about police brutality against black people in America. The poem begs the necessary questions about the inclusion of African lives in the Black Lives Matter movement. This kind of reflection isn't about dividing the movement, it's about strengthening it. It's about ensuring that it lives up to its name by fully recognizing the totality of black life.
We ask these questions because "whether you're from a country in Africa the Caribbean or an African-American, bullets don't ask about your humanity."
So we must ask.
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