My Identity in a Global Setting

Growing up in a low-income community where the major demographic was Black and Hispanics, my identity was quickly shaped first by my religion and then by my race/ethnicity. Being Black vs. African American is a constant circle in my mind because on one hand, I am viewed by those who don’t know me and only get a glance as Black, whereas my family, friends and myself identify me as being Ghanaian-American. It’s going to be interesting as a student of color being in a community with other people of color but still viewed as a foreigner. I think that this will be similar if I went to Ghana because I look like everyone else but because I was born in America, I’ll be called ‘obroni’ which means white or foreigner.

Another major aspect of my identity is my religion; being a Christian influences how I view and interact with others. This part of me will probably be the most influential during our eight weeks in Lusaka. Showing love towards others, being kind to people I meet and being respectful are values that I always try to express. As a Christian, I was taught to never judge anyone and I’m not perfect, I make judgments sometimes, but I don’t put myself above anyone. In order to be a global citizen, that is a key point: not putting myself above others. In order to help a community, it takes everyone and their variety of opinions coming together to work on what is best for the community.

During our class discussion about power and privilege, I wasn’t a fan of the terms used ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ although that is the reality. We were all born with different aspects of our identity we can’t control, such as race, ethnicity, wealth, etc., so when dealing with power the first step is to be aware of that privilege when we’re interacting with others. I have power, not in terms of physical things, but in terms of education and knowledge. As global citizens, it’s essential to learn as much as possible about the communities that we get the chance to work with, from the politics to the cultural norms, so that we can work on the specific needs for those communities. As a student from Cornell, a student learning about global health, a student who is going to Zambia, I have the opportunity to gain knowledge that otherwise can’t be taught in class.