To all my Nigerian brothers and sisters\u2026<\/p>\n
I am, always have been, and always will be proud of my Nigerian heritage.
\nI understand the pain and anger caused by some of the comments I made in a
\nrecent interview, and I wanted to address you directly. Contrary to
\npopular belief, this interview was not the first in which I mentioned
\nNigeria. In fact, I\u2019m frequently bragging about how Nigerians attend the
\nworld\u2019s most prestigious institutions, and how we are known to produce
\nworld class doctors, entrepreneurs, innovators, lawyers, engineers,
\nprofessors, athletes and artists. Unfortunately, people tend to leave
\nthese moments out, and, in this case, highlight stereotypes. I would never
\ndo or say anything to intentionally disgrace the legacy of my father nor
\nmy fatherland. But to not relay my own story, both the good times and the
\nbad, would be a disservice.<\/p>\n
My name is Jidenna, which means \u201cto hold or embrace the father\u201d in Igbo.
\nIt was my father who gave me this name and who taught me countless
\nparables, proverbs, and principles that made me the man I am today. These
\nsame principles helped me to write the record \u201cClassic Man.\u201d When I
\nbrought home a 98 percent on a test, my father would say, \u201cah ah, where
\nare the other two points? Go and get them, then bring them back.\u201d My
\nfather and Nigerian culture has always stood for excellence. While the
\nmajority of my childhood memories are beautiful, I also have experienced
\nthe challenges that Nigeria has faced since Independence.<\/p>\n
When I was 5 years old, my family was robbed at gunpoint, my mother was
\nbeaten, family members were kidnapped, and I was shot in my foot. As is
\nthe case with all kidnapping, targeting those who are perceived to be
\nwealthy is the objective. In this instance, my father was the target
\nbecause of his prominence in the community. This was a traumatic
\nexperience for my family that would shape our entire lives and our
\nexperiences in both Nigeria and America. As a little boy, I swore that I
\nwould never let that happen to my family again. As my father often said,
\n\u201cOnce you\u2019re bitten by a snake, you\u2018ll be ready to shoot a lizard!\u201d At the
\ntime of my father\u2019s burial 5 years ago, my family in the village was
\nconcerned about increased targeting for kidnapping since the rate of
\nabductions had increased dramatically in the area we are from. We were
\ntraveling from America, which along with our biracial appearance, had the
\npotential to attract attention and pose a threat to our security. In light
\nof what happened in the past and the tense climate at the time, my family
\ntook precautions to ensure our safety. This was not an uncommon protocol
\nat the time. I recognize incidents such as these are not unique to Nigeria
\nor the African continent, and there have been significant improvements in
\nthe region since this period.<\/p>\n
In the recent interview to which I\u2019ve been referring, I shared my family\u2019s
\nexperience traveling from the States back home for the burial. In this
\ninterview, I used the term \u201clight-skinned.\u201d When using this term, I was
\nactually referring to my immediate family\u2019s mixed or biracial appearance.
\nSee, no matter what language I use to describe my heritage, I\u2019m certain
\nthat someone will feel some kind of way. This is a larger discussion not
\nmeant for this statement, but certainly derives from our colonial past and
\npostcolonial present, and in the States, from the days of slavery to the
\npresent times. My comments about skin tone were related to the notion of
\nperceived wealth and value, not my personal beliefs. My point was never to
\nimply that biracial or \u201clight-skinned\u201d people are the only ones or the
\nmost targeted group of people kidnapped, or that I myself was wealthy at
\nthe time. Rather than focus on my perceived value, let us continue to
\nfocus on the value of Nigeria.<\/p>\n
There is no question that Africa is playing a pivotal role in the future
\nof our planet and that Nigeria, with it\u2019s booming economy and burgeoning
\nmiddle class, is a driving force. I will continue to play my role in the
\nRenaissance taking place in Nigeria and Africa at large. We may not agree
\non everything, but know my heart is your heart, and my experience is part
\nof our collective experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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