In Ghana, I am an obruni. Obruni means “white person”, and people aren’t afraid to say it. In fact, this is a word I have heard literally hundreds of times in the six months that I have been here.
Keep in mind, I have been told over and over again that this is not a derogatory term and I truly believe that Ghanaians believe that. I feel very admired here in Ghana. Men want to marry me, students want to speak like me, children want to touch me. I’m a freakin’ celebrity.
However, regardless of the explanations and giggles about the word, the shouting out of this word still rubs me the wrong way. I would never even consider yelling out “black man” if I saw an African-American in an all white-community in the states. It’s a ludicrous thought. Life as an obruni in Ghana has significantly heightened my empathy for anyone who has ever been considered “different”. To be stared at, laughed at, and shouted at, all because I look and sound different, has been an eye-opening experience to say the least.
Obruni Amy at Kintompo Falls
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