Throw back photo of little Jidenna and father carrying him

Jidenna Writes Open Letter “To All My Nigerian Brothers
and Sisters
To all my Nigerian brothers and sisters…
I am, always have been, and always will be proud of my Nigerian
heritage. I understand the pain and anger caused by some of the
comments I made in a recent interview, and I wanted to address
you directly. Contrary to popular belief, this interview was not
the first in which I mentioned Nigeria. In fact, I’m frequently
bragging about how Nigerians attend the world’s most
prestigious institutions, and how we are known to produce world
class doctors, entrepreneurs, innovators, lawyers, engineers,
professors, athletes and artists. Unfortunately, people tend to
leave these moments out, and, in this case, highlight
stereotypes. I would never do or say anything to intentionally
disgrace the legacy of my father nor my fatherland. But to not
relay my own story, both the good times and the bad, would be
a disservice.
My name is Jidenna, which means “to hold or embrace the
father” in Igbo. It was my father who gave me this name and
who taught me countless parables, proverbs, and principles that
made me the man I am today. These same principles helped me
to write the record “Classic Man.” When I brought home a 98
percent on a test, my father would say, “ah ah, where are the
other two points? Go and get them, then bring them back.” My
father and Nigerian culture has always stood for excellence.
While the majority of my childhood memories are beautiful, I
also have experienced the challenges that Nigeria has faced
since Independence.
When I was 5 years old, my family was robbed at gunpoint, my
mother was beaten, family members were kidnapped, and I was
shot in my foot. As is the case with all kidnapping, targeting
those who are perceived to be wealthy is the objective. In this
instance, my father was the target because of his prominence in
the community. This was a traumatic experience for my family
that would shape our entire lives and our experiences in both
Nigeria and America. As a little boy, I swore that I would never
let that happen to my family again. As my father often said,
“Once you’re bitten by a snake, you‘ll be ready to shoot a lizard!”
At the time of my father’s burial 5 years ago, my family in the
village was concerned about increased targeting for kidnapping
since the rate of abductions had increased dramatically in the
area we are from. We were traveling from America, which along
with our biracial appearance, had the potential to attract
attention and pose a threat to our security. In light of what
happened in the past and the tense climate at the time, my
family took precautions to ensure our safety. This was not an
uncommon protocol at the time. I recognize incidents such as
these are not unique to Nigeria or the African continent, and
there have been significant improvements in the region since
this period.
In the recent interview to which I’ve been referring, I shared my
family’s experience traveling from the States back home for the
burial. In this interview, I used the term “light-skinned.” When
using this term, I was actually referring to my immediate
family’s mixed or biracial appearance. See, no matter what
language I use to describe my heritage, I’m certain that someone
will feel some kind of way. This is a larger discussion not meant
for this statement, but certainly derives from our colonial past
and postcolonial present, and in the States, from the days of
slavery to the present times. My comments about skin tone
were related to the notion of perceived wealth and value, not my
personal beliefs. My point was never to imply that biracial or
“light-skinned” people are the only ones or the most targeted
group of people kidnapped, or that I myself was wealthy at the
time. Rather than focus on my perceived value, let us continue
to focus on the value of Nigeria.
There is no question that Africa is playing a pivotal role in the
future of our planet and that Nigeria, with it’s booming economy
and burgeoning middle class, is a driving force. I will continue to
play my role in the Renaissance taking place in Nigeria and
Africa at large. We may not agree on everything, but know my
heart is your heart, and my experience is part of our collective
experience.