The Akata journey Pt. 2 | Race and Religion

It's really simple. The definition of the word akata that is. But how I got to my theory wasn't. It's so simple that I figured someone would have gotten it by now, and I've spoken with hundreds, possibly thousands, of people on and off the record, but no one has told me what I’ve found. Now if you’re wondering why this is even being addressed let me give some background.

During my college days, I’d heard the term ‘akata’ and the way it was often being used, but I didn't know why. I didn't know what the word meant, but it was the context in which it was being used and the body language in how it was being expressed that told me everything I needed to know...akata equals a bad word. But what does it mean? Well, first, who is using it? My Nigerian friends were using the word and it seemed they were referring to African Americans. So I asked what does it mean? No one could tell me. And to this day, no one has been able to tell me what it truly means. I've heard the following definitions, however, I've been told akata means wild cat. I've been told akata means fox. I've been told it means a stray cat, a cat who can't find its way home. Those are the, somewhat, consistent definitions I've heard.

When creating my podcast, ‘5mins with an AKATA?’, I felt the need to specify the demographic of the person who was defining the word at the time. Because my brain works in patterns, I noticed that certain people who live in certain areas tend to define the word akata one way over the other. I found in my study, not that I'm a scientist or even a hard core researcher but I am an observer, that where people are from is a determining factor as to what they say, why they say it, and often, how they think, see themselves and the world around them. With my podcast, I wanted to take people on a journey. A similar journey that I had taken, but not so they could think like me, but so they could draw to their own conclusions and in hopes that it would be the same one I arrived at but open to if they do not.. As a documentarian, I've learned that it is my job to show the facts, show observations and show the truth, not necessarily prove it, but so one can see it for themselves. So that's what I did.

From the time I started this journey to now, I've spoken to thousands of people who have very

different definitions. Again, the common definition was an animal of some sort. But it was when I visited Nigeria and decided to interview students at The University of Benin commonly known as Uniben, where my father taught social work as a professor, that totally changed everything. I asked a few students walking by, what does the word akata mean? The students looked at each other and scratched their heads. They repeated it over and over again, trying to search their memory. Some of them repeated back a similar but different word but I corrected them, saying, no, a-k-a-t-a. They finally said,“I've never heard that word before.” Let that sink in. 

You don't understand how mind blowing this was for me. I was dumbfounded. Imagine, being on this journey for 7 plus years at the time and Nigerians primarily are using the word all the time saying it's a wild animal or a stray cat. Then you get to Nigeria on a college campus with educated individuals, nonetheless, and they tell you they have NEVER heard the word before? Please pause and let that sit for a moment. Take it in reader.

I was so stunned, yet knew this bought me closer to proving my theory. You see

Demographic matters! I was tripping so hard on this! I couldn't believe it! So if y'all, Nigerians in Nigeria have never heard the word before, and the Nigerians in America use it but don’t seem to understand what it means, truly? Like how can that be? This brought me to do more research and helped me draw to my conclusion, which we’ll get to in a minute. But there’s more to the story, buckle your seatbelt. 

While still in Nigeria on another trip, out for a stroll with my father and he friend at a local cafe in Benin, I asked my father's good friend what does the word akata mean? And do you know what my father's friend told me? He said, “Your father is akata.” Wait, huh? Come again, no he’s not. This word is usually used on African Americans, this man is Nigerian born and raised, both parents also born and raised in Nigeria, so that can be so, is how my brain was responding. He continued,”He left home, got educated, came back home and is taking care of business here at home”’ Huh, what, wait, come all the way again! Because what? Flabbergasted is not the word to describe my thoughts and emotions. Because now I'm really confused. So because he left and came back that's what made him " akata"? Or was it the fact that he was educated? Or was it because he was educated abroad? I’d never heard anyone say that or anything close to that before so it threw me off but only for a moment. 

Let me share one more very interesting definition that got even closer to my theory. Here in the United States a Nigerian woman told me her definition of the word akata on the bus from Baltimore to Philly. She was a total stranger by the way. She looked like she was in her 40s, maybe 50s and said, an ”akata” is someone who is doing well for themselves. Like yourself, you went to college, you can take care of yourself, you can do for yourself”, as she pointed to the fact that I was on the bus traveling by myself. Here we go again. Another very different definition with its own implications. I’d been seen as an akata before, no doubt, but not because I was educated. And certainly not because I was independent, question mark, was I guess the point she was making. Self sufficient even? Either way, I’d been seen as an akata in the past because I’m half Nigerian, or because I was born in America, or because I used slang and hung out with my African American friends. Or a Nigerian realizing, I am African American. But I’m also Nigerian. 

So you want to know what I think? These few definitions represent the majority of feedback I received on and off the record. And one of the driving focuses that led me to each of these conversations was the fact that so many people were using the word and didn’t know the true definition, and that just seemed dangerous to me. Let’s check inventory of the definitions I’d share and by whom

• Nigerian college students in America, east coast specific: Wild cat, Fox, stray cat

• Nigerian college students in Nigeria, Benin Nigeria to be specific: Never heard the word before. 

• Nigerian man in Nigeria, Benin man: When abroad, got educated, came back home. Taking care of home. 

• Nigerian women in America, east coast specific: Educated, self-sufficient, independent.

This is what I think and this is what I’ve found. In 1843 and in 1916 Dr. Samualr Ajay was responsible for creating and completing the Nigerian dictionary. He is a Nigerian of the Yoruba tribe and this was the first dictionary, on record, to translate Yoruba to English. It’s been so long now, but I believe I was in grad school, a student at American University when I decided to do a little digging. American University is known for a few things but especially for its research and library of historical documents and literature. So I decided to look up the word akata in the first of its kind dictionary to come out of Nigeria. I was hoping I’d find the word listed. And I did. There it was, that word akata and its definition after, at this point, 5 or 6 years of questions, conversations and debates. The word akata means, straw hat. You read right, that’s it. Straw hat. My brain was disappointed, glad and excited all the same time. Straw hat? Not wild fox? Not a cat that strayed from home? Not even one who was educated and came back home. None of the things I’d heard over the years was attached to this word in this dictionary. Nothing deep or philosophical, just straw hat. Now what is philosophical and not worthy, is how we got from straw hat to wild fox and stray cat. Here’s where the theory takes place. There's a few things to break down and identify y’all. So hang tight, the ride is just getting started.