First Generation Tribulations

QueenTite Opaleke

QueenTite Opaleke is the proud mother and a Winnipeg-born, west-coast grown, Toronto-based multidisciplinary queer artist. She is a Nigerian/Jamaican Hybrid of the African Diaspora with roots laid in activism, the arts, academics, entrepreneurship, advocacy, love and in constant pursuit of more love. She has a great history of poetry and spoken word performance at various black collectives across the country. 

In this writing, Opaleke explains first generation tribulations by describing how she faced personal negative experiences from her forth grade teacher due to the colour of her skin. So first generation tribulations are when Black migrants come to Canada—an implied amalgamation of the land of nice people, the subtly racist fake smiles, and affirmative-actioned opportunities; the Promised Land. She learned quick, that it was much more than that: injustice, discrimination, and oppression.

Photography by Tina QueenTite Opaleke, Fabrizio Conti, Howard Chin, Kiana Bosman, Trust True, and the African Protea photo from the San Diego Zoo