As a Lesbian Women of Colour, I was fearful to enter the traditionally white space of solo backpacking but when I did what I discovered shocked me……
Solo backpacking has always encompassed a certain level entitlement associated with toxic masculinity culture prevalent in the white community. I decided to throw off the shackles of stereotypes and set sail for the northern tip of Africa, Morocco.
I landed in the early evening as the sun melted into the desert sand of the Sierra Desert creating mist of pinks and yellows horizon of sand dunes. As I excited the plane and prepared myself for usual interrogation people of colour suffer at US airports. As I made my way through Marrakech Airport. I was shocked to realise that there was not a suspicious white face or the or stock standard micro aggression from airport security but welcoming brown faces smiles.
I travelled through the historical streets towered on both side by mud bricks building with a tingle of pick from the evening light of as light faded and street life dwindled, children played in dusty streets. My dream like state of my ancestry pilgrimage was abruptly interrupted when the taxi unexpectedly stopped in front of non-distinguishable mud brick building.
A tall figure in a traditional robe approached the taxi passenger window and knelt to reveal to my absolute shock a white face blond hair, blue eyed cis male. The man’s strong German accent could not conceal his micro aggression, “Welcome, your bags look heavy do you need help?” with all the composure I could muster and strained smile responded “yes, thanks!”. With all entitlement blues eyes could muster he snatched my bags off the taxi roof and directed me to follow him.
I took a deep breath and reassured myself that blue eyes must be the minority, an exception in a sea of otherwise brown beautiful faces. I impatiently followed behind Blue eyes as he struggled with my bags through a passageway that open up to large open air hell scape of more white face seated around a large dining table and sitting in beanbags. Brown hair, blond hair, red hair but all white faces. A collective greeting of smiles could not hide their racist undertones as redheaded pail skinned man approached “Hola donde eres?” I lost my self-control I checked his and the entire rooms privilege “what African American can’t travel?” Before redhead could respond I turned and stormed past blue eyes and back on to the street.
I stormed down the now deserted street sporadically lit by streetlamps with more questions than answers. Questions circled in my head; Are there no spaces white people haven’t invaded? Will I ever escape micro aggression from white cis males? Is there any culture white people haven’t appropriated? How can people of colour ever combat this invasion? When I heard blue eyes yelling “wait! It’s not safe at night!” in between streetlights I darted into an alleyway, it was a dead end, I was trapped! I waited expectedly to face my attacker head on! I waited and waited. Now enraged I realised I had been cowering in the dark, trapped my entire life and in the name of all my enslaved ancestors, Rosa Parks and Cardi B I would confront oppression and blue eyes.
I turned the turned corner ready to check some white privilege! The scenario that occurred between my eyes would answer every question I ever had. Blue eyes was encircled by what appeared to be three brown skinned police officers one direct Infront and two behind. I halted, the dark to watch the scenario play out. The police office directly in front of blues eyes was clearly demanding authority by his body language hand out gesturing aggressively towards blues eyes. When the two officers directly behind blue eyes struck blue eyes in the back immediately sending him to the ground, followed by barrage of kicks to blue eyes who was now in the fetal position.
In that moment all my question had been answered. Finally, a safe space for coloured people! Morocco is a country where White people get a taste of the oppression-coloured people have been subject to for 400 years. A country where police brutality in inflicted in white people instead of coloured folk. A country where white are denied safety and the Rights to exist, the same Rights coloured that coloured folk have been denied for 400 years.
I discovered a country where the oppressor became the oppressed.
