Every year around February, newsfeeds fill up with well-known African-American names, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. And while learning about their lives is critical, this Black History Month, Heartland Alliance is going a different route. This year, we are seeking out history-makers that aren’t necessarily found in the textbooks, but who are making history right here and right now.
Meet Kissima Sylla, Director of Finance and Administration for Heartland Alliance International in Côte d’Ivoire. When Kissima started working with HAI in 2010, high-quality and stigma-free health care services did not exist for the LGBTQI+ community in Côte d’Ivoire. Today, under Kissima’s leadership, Heartland Alliance has been able to expand and deliver additional social services, including mental health and legal aid.
Black History is World History. Learn about someone new!
Describe a truly equitable and free society. How is it different from now? What are we still missing?
In a truly equitable and free society, everybody has the same chance to reach their full potential. There is no deprivation whatsoever, and no discrimination or racism.
Unfortunately, our current economic system does not prioritize the well-being of people. So, we need to focus on creating a new economy centered on human rights and protecting the environment. And to do that, we need transformative leadership and grassroots organizing.
How are you working toward this vision? How does your work at HA support this? How can others work toward this?
My work with Heartland Alliance International supports this vision. As a manager in Côte d’Ivoire, it gives me great pride to be able to share with others that the backbone of the Alliance is our commitment to social justice. It informs and guides my interactions with staff, participants, and partners.
Though I believe it’s not costly or difficult to be respectful towards others, I think each of us have to believe that for ourselves before we can inspire others to do the same.
Sankofa is a word in the Akan Twi and Fante languages of Ghana that translates to “Go back and get it.” Sankofa symbolizes the importance of knowing and learning from our past to guide our future. Where should we look to in our past to help guide us to that vision?
I’m a strong believer in Sankofa. I pull my inspiration from a family story that dates back to the 1930s in Côte d’Ivoire. Despite violence and persecution under French colonial rule, my father and other community leaders were able to rebuild our religious faith.
Today, through a collective spiritual setting, our elders recall heroic stories from those times in Soninke – the
community’s ancestral language. Our community’s lesson from the suffering is that the primarily goal of life is to be dedicated to others – ton prochain. And so, my family and my community are where I find my inspiration to continue the fight for social justice.
Are there individuals or events that could help us achieve our goals of equity and opportunity for all?
Yes! There are many amazing people whose stories can create a better future for all. For me, there is one person who personifies a holistic set of values and ideals that we should all model. Nelson Mandela. I believe his story will live on forever.
Do you have a favorite book or song that you would like to share with our readers? Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)
