Cast me in your feature film 
Cast me in your play,
Cast me in your TV show,
Cast me out of clay.
For this one, I shall…….
Straighten my hair-
Ooh no, I don’t want to do that.
I’ll scrape it back- waaaaay off my face
To see if I can alter the percentage of my race.
Long thick black lines
I’ll sweep across me eyes,
Like a thief on the run,
In need of a disguise.
No. Not like… like a thief – like my mother
And her mother.
Like Sita trapped by Ravana
Awaiting her young Rama.
I have the Indian in me,
I just need to bring it out.
I’ve scraped back my hair
(That’s mainly from my Dad)
And I’ve highlighted my eyes
Like the ones my mother has.
Is that enough? Will they see it?
Am I Indian enough for this play
And to be in it?
Feedback- ‘She’s articulate, intelligent and she
Understands the play- she’s good, we
Like her a lot but- no.
Not typically Indian enough. We liked
Her though- and will see her again.’
Ok. I saw it coming at me-
I read the script
I learnt the lines
Just didn’t look Punjabi.
However- do not lose heart
Ladies and gents.
The next play that this prestigious theatre
Was casting for – was a play written by
None other than the one – the only
Legendary Nigerian playwright- Wole Soyinka!
They are looking for-
A huge cast of Nigerian actors-
Not just Nigerian – but Igbo!
That’s me! Daughter of the chief
Benedict Chucwudebelow Okafor
That’s me! Nwamaka Okafor,
Daughter from Esselle.
That’s me! Igbo girl extraordinaire,
With no need… needto hide the texture
Of her hair!
Cast me in your feature film
Cast me in your play,
Cast me in your TV show,
Cast me out of clay.
What……..? They won’t see me because
I don’t look African enough?
But. I. Am. African.
Look, I won’t go on and on
About why they wouldn’t see me
Or other experiences I’ve had.
Maybe they wouldn’t see me
Because… well, I’m just bad.
By the ace of God
As an actress I’ve been working all the time,
But the characters I play
Don’t have blood that’s mixed like mine.
Sometimes they are black
Sometimes they’re supposed to be white
(Some director or casting director
Had a broader kind of sight),
But mixed- hardly ever……
Maybe never.
They give us these boxes
We’re supposed to climb into
(Or maybe we’re just meant to wear them),
Immediately they can tell who we are
And under which ‘ethnic umbrella’ they can shove you.
I know the industry’s racist
And I know it’s a thing we must fight,
But maybe our story isn’t out there enough,
And I think it’s our story to write.
Write it and write it
And write it again.
Write it in pencil
Or indelible pen.
On your computer,
Or the fresh morning dew!
Write it for me
And write it for you.
As people that are mixed
We hold stories that are rich.
As people that are mixed
We hold stories that are rich.
As people that are mixed
We hold stories that are rich
Amakar Okafor photo by Tenee Attoh