Even as the first Peace Corps volunteers were being sent abroad in 1961 to work in the newly independent African nations of Ghana and Tanzania, African-Americans were still waiting for our own second wave of independence at home. Now, nearly sixty years since the Peace Corps was founded, Black Americans have increasingly been among the cohorts of volunteers who go overseas to represent our country around the world, a task as exciting as it is daunting especially when we serve in African countries.
Read MoreBefore beginning my service, I had a conversation with one of my aunts who is an educator in Los Angeles. I vaguely remember discussing the challenges of teaching but I definitely didn’t fully grasp the weight of that reality. So, now, nine months into my teaching career, I am happy to report that teaching... is really hard. Really, really hard.
Read MoreMy mouth dropped as I scanned the first chapter of our new language books. Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by all 12 million of Rwanda’s inhabitants, is a beautiful and multifaceted language. The jaw-dropping moment occurred because of a connection I realized between the nature of the language and the nature of Rwandans themselves.
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