While Denmark Sleeps, Her Immigrants Dream

This is one of the results of a project artist Gillian Grantsaan and I conducted with some students from my school and the Karen Blixen Museum. Gillian put this video together based on some recordings and photos taken, while there. I love it. The sad thing is, we seem to be the only people who got the ground-breaking nature of this project. I mean, picture this: a group of kids, all from various backgrounds, but born here in Denmark, convene at the Karen Blixen Museum to contemplate and write about Identity. You'd think that the Danish press would be all over this: a sort of modernization and deconstruction of Danish Identity through the portal of one of Denmark's leading cultural icons: Karen Blixen. But no Danish press was interested.

The interesting thing was that while we were there, we were the only people of color! Not to mention that the bulk of visitors to the Karen Blixen house were mostly older and white. Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, but hey, hello! Why not reach the broadest group possible? Why not challenge the colonial mind-set that up til now, Blixen has been seen as a bastion of? Why not get with the programme, and open the cultural debate on a positive note?

Last night my colleague and I took my grade 6 girls out to dinner. It was wonderful to see them all dressed up and ecstatic to do something different. There were 9 girls in all, hailing from countries as varied as Canada, Pakistan, Iraq, England, Guinea, Poland, and the U.S. I sat next to J, an 11 year-old whose family hails from Iraq. The last time I checked, I read that Iraqis make up the largest group of immigrants here in Denmark. No surprise considering there is War there. J ended up showing me the photos from her mobile telephone, and I tell you, this girl has talent. Her photos tell the amazing story of a Danish child growing up in Denmark while also calling Iraq home. And why not? I couldn't help but think that this world should be a world without borders. Who is to say where you can travel? But if we do that, you say, then every one will want to come here! Well, first of all, when war is waged, faraway places suddenly produce people who want the same thing we want: Peace. And second of all, if there was peace, and when I say peace, I mean economic as well, would people really want to come here? Thirdly, if we've created a world and continue to create one of economic imbalance, then the system should fail. Pressure should be placed upon it. It should dismantle. Every human being on this planet is entitled to a decent life. So if you think opening borders will threaten your city, then I say bring it on. Our cities need to be threatened.


I also spoke to the older brother of one of my present students. He came to pick his little sister up. I remember T from when I used to work at the school many years before. We ended up talking about his story, about how he moved here with his mother at the age of four from Guinea. As I listened, I couldn't help but think how similar his story was to my family's, and how the stories of migration are all one, meta-historical story based on humanity and the pursuit of happiness.

I'll be performing tonight at Trampoline House. It will be the first time in a loooong time. I am looking forward to it. The Rev. Shine Snake Oil Co. will also be playing in support of Trampoline House's magazine VisaVis. Trampoline House is a recently opened center designed to build more awareness of the Refugee situation here in Denmark. I am really happy to be supporting this cause. It will also be the first time, in a while, that Martin Ollivierre and I will perform together. He's an amazing Trinidadian-Danish bassist, and I look forward to creating some art with him tonight!

My last day of work for the year is next Monday. I then fly out to my mystery destination (hot sun, beaches, spirit) and will return, inshallah, with a recharged soul, in the New Year.

Over and out!
Blackgirl on Mars,
otherwise known as the lab,
Lesley-Ann