Dakar, Senegal

I can’t believe the government. I can’t believe that something as simple as love would be so complicated. My fiancé was denied his visa to come to states in the beginning of August and I had to travel to Dakar, Senegal to rescue him. Luckily, we were successful and they gave us the visa in five minutes. While I am thankful, having to take off the time from teaching was awful. It was a big decision—but after consulting a lawyer and knowing if he were denied a visa the chances of him ever coming were almost impossible-- I had to go. To hear them say “yes” and have all my problems and worry dissolve in a second was well worth it. We left the embassy in shock and we kept wondering if it was just a joke or some horrible mistake! I am so happy—no more long distance telephone calls, or worrying—the love of my life is coming!

Returning to Africa for the second time was amazing. I missed the smells, even if it wasn’t Mali. My fiancé and I went to Goree Island—one of the main slave ports in West Africa. It was a very powerful experience—I taped the whole thing and I can’t wait to show my students (they were so excited that I was going to “Africa”….). I saw tiny rooms where they housed women, children, and men to be shipped to places like Mississippi. The door “Aller sans retourner” (leaving without return) is something I will never forget—the door that drops right into the sea. Being in a Dakar made me think so much of Mississippi—how much has really changed? What are the chains that are still invisibly attached? I really can’t express all of my feelings in writing because the ideas are so visual to me. I am working on a video—the first time I have touched video since I started MTC. The connections between Africa and America—the “transatlantic” (Paul Gilroy for any lit nerd) are something I have to explore more. The music, the poverty, the solidarity, and the misconceptions. I am hoping I can have something meaningful to show my students—to start a unit on Africa…