This topic has kept a low profile but has been spoken about amongst the Black community for years. With news reports swirling around why women of color are trying to get out of the United States, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to speak up for some of the beautiful souls I’ve come across who’ve made the complete transition. The thing is, many of their beliefs and reasons can easily be misconstrued and even role into other people’s beliefs, however, you’ll find they’re seeking something completely unique and genuine.
Here are some of the top reasons why Black women are opting out of America and moving to the motherland:
Access To Natural Resources
Many Black women who are seeking to make the transition to Africa simply want a more natural lifestyle. From the way they eat to the way they interact with people, they want to be able to simplify their way of living.
It’s no secret that most of our own natural foods and goods come from overseas and from the motherland herself, so why not immerse yourself fully in an environment that provides just that to you?
Many villages’ commerce is made up of just farming from their land naturally. In Africa, you can actually buy your fruits and veggies directly from the farmer without being skeptical if it was drowned in pesticides and where the money is really going.
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A Change of Scenery
Yes, some Black women have outrightly expressed that they needed a break from America. And could you blame them? With all that is going on with the violence against Blacks, classism, racism, finances, social structures and the environment, who wouldn’t want to press pause and live someplace that is inviting, familiar, and warm?
For many women abroad, it brought a piece of mind that money simply couldn’t buy.
An Exploration of Self
Some other Black women felt that they needed a change to realize how privileged they were in America. When you have certain things at your disposal and it’s taken away, you now have to depend on your own way of thinking, beliefs, creations, and ideas of doing things in the world.
However, a lot of Black women wanted that sense of knowledge of self and self-preservation. There’s power in knowing where you came from and seeing it for yourself. Black women expressed that they opened new doors in their own lives they didn’t even know existed.
A Sense of Community
Black women expressed, it’s just something different about being in Africa, a place where everyone looks like you and there are no masks tied to it.
Africa has some of the most down-to-earth people. No codeswitching, no “fake it til you make it”, no discrimination. Now, don’t get me wrong, Africa definitely still has its own struggles with colorism and classism, but there’s a sense of, “if you can do it, I can do it too, because we’re all the same here.”
To Save Money & Travel
If you haven’t noticed, America is kind of a far-off distant land from all of the other countries. If you look closely, more than 100 countries are connected to Africa by a small slither of the Mediterranean Sea.
This allows you free reign to explore tons of countries and cities for half the price and half the time. Not to mention the USD compared to Rand far exceeds the value it has in America and the cost of living is much cheaper. You can not only stretch your money but also invest in the property a whole lot easier.
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A Cultural Connection
Last, but certainly, not least, almost all Black women who’ve made the transition seek to explore the motherland and their ancestral connection to the land.
As Americans, we often guess and romanticize what life is really like in Africa. Some may think it’s made up of “shithole” countries, while others may think it’s made up of royalty, but who really knows until you’ve been there to see it for yourself?
Many women like myself are actually longing for something real to connect us to the place that we initially derived from. Being on the ground, amongst the people and implanted into these communities will fulfill something in us that innately was missing since our ancestors were stripped of their heritage and history.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.