Author: Jacqui Goegebeur, Jacqui Goegebeur Metis activist
Published on: 21/03/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
I was born in Kigali, Rwanda, to an African mother and a Belgian father. At the time, Rwanda was under colonial rule by Belgium. Belgian authorities enforced racial segregation and prohibited interracial marriages in their colonies. My dad died when I was six months old – and life changed fundamentally. I was given torn clothes to wear, and they didn’t give me money to study. When I was 11, I stumbled upon our files and began deciphering them. I found my birth certificate, and the first French word I looked up was “illegitimate child”. I was shaken. I lived with my foster family until I was 16, then went to study in Ghent. I was studying African studies while working full-time at IBM. In 2007, I went to a colloquium, where lecturers had an accepting view of colonisation. At one point, a journalist said it was a nice time to be in Africa, as young people were living freely, but not with local women. I took action, demanding a study specifically on Belgian colonialism and its impact on African people. There are so many stories of Metis children – and all are incredibly harrowing. The word “Métis” was tainted, but we have tried to reclaim the word. This word kept us from reaching our potential. You can never win; you are just in-between.
Original: 1358 words
Summary: 223 words
Percent reduction: 83.58%