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Black. American. Benin.
I’ve always enjoyed traveling. Perhaps another immeasurable blessing from my mother who read vociferously, which seemingly naturally became one of my favorite lifelong pastimes. I love the mental escape to adventure, fantasy, and possibilities. As a child, Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels was one of my most memorable reads as he opened my eyes to mystery, intrigue, and new lands. Like most children, I had a lot of innocence, which protected me from the realities of comprehending the analysis of power, domination, and colonization in this renowned literature. I never lost that sense of curiosity and adventure as I quickly and emphatically said “yes” to the opportunity to be a part of our State Department’s Global Sports Mentoring Program (GSMP) in the fall of 2016. That marvelous experience led to my recent trip to Africa to visit and reconnect with Pamela Akplogan, my mentee.
Last fall, I was graciously invited by the GSMP’s administrative unit at the University of Tennessee, the Center for Sport, Peace, and Society, to travel to Benin for a formal rekindling of my relationship with Pamela. Although we had stayed in communication over the previous seven years, I was elated to reunite with her. Now an accomplished youth sports professional working in Paris, Pamela and met back in her home country. Our initial time together at the University of North Carolina was so significant to each of us. It was an…
