Four Ugandan men stand tall, draped in kanzus, adorned with medals—regal and unyielding. Surrounding them, a group of white Englishmen smirk like snake oil salesmen, holding authority that isn't theirs to claim. But this photo is more than a snapshot of history; one of these men is my great-grandfather, Serwano Wofunira Kulubya, Uganda's first Black mayor of Kampala and a pivotal figure in the country's independence movement.
Just hours before leaving Kampala, I stumbled upon a collection of black-and-white photographs hidden in dusty suitcases at my parents' home. They were relics, fragments of Uganda's untold history, a timeline that pre-dates colonial narratives and missionary influence. These photos spoke of a time when Uganda's cultural identities weren't defined by colonial systems but by a dynamic interplay of traditions and communities. They're more than heritage—they're legacy, a call to remember who we were before the borders.
Fast forward to my own journey as a first-gen '80s baby in the diaspora. Before Afrobeats was on every playlist and Akwasi Brenya-Mensa made you savor Omo Tue. Before Fable & Mane and Kolkata Chai Company revived traditions now packaged as trending movements. Back when the word was assimilation. Being different wasn't celebrated; it was something you worked around, tried to contain.
That's what strikes me now. Even as my great-grandfather—a C.B.E. and independence hero—was making history, much of his story remains absent in the spaces where history should live. Our educational systems have ignored colonial sins, erasing vital connections and leaving us grappling with distorted truths. These photos I uncovered challenge that silence.
They're not just archival material; they're alive. A cross-cultural narrative asking us to reclaim what's ours: stories that are portals, threads that connect us—not only to our ancestors but to one another.
This is your invitation. We're building something that spans continents and generations. If you have photos, memories, or stories of cultural intersections and family legacies across East Africa, we'd love to hear from you. Let's uncover this history together.
Interested? Email BlindianProject2020@gmail.com or send us a DM.
Let's reclaim our narratives, one story at a time.
Threads of Connection: Restoring erased connections, weaving a universal tapestry.
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