My Definition

A friend of mine once told me that people from our age group, the so called Generation Y (Those born in the eighties) are the first generation of truly Urban Africans.

This has remained in my mind for a long time, and when I think about it it could be true.

Another person once asked me why I don't identify with my nationality. My answer was simply because my nationality is part of my identity.
I view my identity like the sun's rays. When you pass the light through a prism the light splits into it's constituent parts. Thus identity in my view is a SPECTRUM, and come together to make something unique, and that needs a medium to aid in it's analysis.

Thus having said that part of my identity has been influenced a lot by the African Urban Landscape. It is one of the colors in my identity spectrum that constitute who I am.

I was educated in an urban setting.
I work in an urban setting.
I am mostly influenced by "urbanites".
My sense of fashion is urban.
My favorite architecture is urban.

Thus my definition of an urban African is -> someone who lives or has been raised in an African urban setting, identifies with Urban African Cultures, are influenced by urban settings and express themselves in anything urban (for example speak or urban art or urban architecture).

That's my definition. I'd like to know yours....so please leave a comment.

In future posts I will share with the world of my observations, experiences (the good, the bad, and the ugly) my vision, and my plans for this Urban African.

I invite you to do the same :-)

Who is the Urban African?

Okay here are some facts according wikipedia:

Nairobi – City Population 3,12 Million

Johannesburg – Metro Population 3.89 Million

Lagos – Metro population 15 Million

So its clear to see that we are many.

Who is the urban African?

Why does the urban African matter?

This I feel is a very serious question that has many answers. Answers as diverse as the peoples that live in the above cities.

I’ll make an attempt to define the urban African from my own experiences. However I’m also curious to find out what YOU think.

What’s your definition?

If you were born and live in any of these cities….then I want to here YOUR story.

So feel free to drop in your comment and your thoughts…..I know I’ll be dropping mine.

Baadaez!