Words To Live By.... From Black Cake

Words have always held a special place in my heart, a love affair that I'm sure you've already picked up on. Being trilingual, I have the privilege of delving into the intricate beauty of my native tongue beside French and English languages. I'm constantly on the prowl for those words that resonate with me, whether they're found in music, poetry, movies, online content, newsletters, or everyday conversations.

Today, amidst the chaos of my supposed workday, I stumbled upon a TV show called "Black Cake." The title alone piqued my curiosity, and the presence of Black characters drew me in. I decided to watch the first episode, and to my delight, I discovered that it's produced by none other than the remarkable Oprah herself. My excitement was building, but it was the words spoken in the opening scene, during a career day presentation by the British actor Bashy, who portrayed the character named Byron, that truly captured my attention and left me with new words to live by. So, without further due, let's dive into it.

Some people think that surfing is a relationship with the sea, when it's really a relationship between you and yourself. The sea is going to do whatever it wants. My mum taught me that. She expected me to excel at everything, even surfing. You know, I was a little kid when she taught me. And people stared as if surfing has been invented by white folks. But my mum told me, that Black people surf in the Caribbean, where she was born and our people surf in African and Asian countries too. I didn't know either, because I didn't see it but that did not stop me from learning.

And it did not stop me when I was the only Black man in my doctoral program. And I am still the only Black man ocean scientist in my lab, and that's why I am here. I am hoping that some of you might follow in my footsteps because if I had waited to see another Black boy surfing, I wouldn't be living my dream today. So, if you are interested in ocean sciences don't wait for someone to give you permission. And, if you want to surf, don't wait to find someone out there who looks like you before you do it. RIDE the wave!

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Yours Truly,

The Queen Of Africa