Chronicles from America (I): The Touchdown!
By Mohammed Dahiru Lawal
As our Aircraft, Ethiopian Air flight ET0500 began a steady descent after transitioning from cruising altitude to a lower altitude closer to the destination airport, I heaved a long sigh of relief. This was the longest I have traveled by air across the ocean and continents of the world.
From Africa to the Middle East and Europe to North America, it’s been a cumulative 24hrs 10mins of traveling which originated from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, flying across the Central African Republic to South Sudan and Ethiopia, transitioning into the middle east, hovering over the skies of Amman and Jeddah, navigating through Athens, Dublin and the Atlantic Ocean which is littered by significant features such Kennermerland; 1964, Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone, Gloria ridge, Titanic Zone; 191, Erik ridge, and Gander (Island), before gliding over Montreal and environs and then edging into the warm embrace of Washington, my final destination by Air, before proceeding via bus on a 2hrs 50mins drive to Williamsburg, Virginia my first port of call as a fellow on the Presidential Precinct institute.
About 700 young African Leaders from 17 countries across Africa have been placed by the US Department of State and IREX in various universities across the United States for the annual Mandela Washington Fellowship, but what makes the Precinct experience worth looking forward to is not just the “Presidential prestige” associated with the nomenclature and its ideals but the program modules involved, the time we get to spend at the Madison Montpelier and the opportunity to study in two distinct University’s; the William & Mary in Williamsburg and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
While James Madison’s Montpelier, which is located in Orange, Virginia, USA, was the lifelong home of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers, William & Mary happens to be the second-oldest higher education institution in the United States, founded in 1693.
It has a rich history and plays a significant role in the early years of American education and governance and some of the US Presidents who attended the institution include Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler.
On the other hand, the University of Virginia (UVA), founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 and often referred to as “Mr. Jefferson’s University,” with its rich architecture, including the iconic Rotunda and Lawn, reflecting Jefferson’s neoclassical design principles, has a notable alumni network that includes several influential figures in American history, politics, and various fields. It has also produced three US Presidents; Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Woodrow Wilson.
The metallic thud of the aircraft tyres fully deploying from the wheel well disengaged my reflections and the Washington landscape from above was a sight to behold in reverential respect mixed with wonder.
The lush greenery of healthy and abundant vibrant green vegetation is surrounded by rich and dense flourishing plant life characterized by thick foliage, and vibrant green color, sprawled out in an organised and designated manner.
One can also easily observe a mix of towering skyscrapers, sprawling suburbs, and well-defined road networks. The urban landscape stands in contrast to the natural scenery, offering a glimpse of human habitation and activity.
While appreciating the diverse and captivating beauty of the DC area from an aerial perspective, our aircraft’s tyres made contact with the runway surface followed by a controlled descent, aligning the aircraft with the runway centerline as it taxied to the gate for passengers to disembark.
Covered by a measured amount of rainfall that enveloped our arrival, the flight’s public address system came up, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. On behalf of the entire crew, I would like to welcome you to Washington Dulles International Airport. We have successfully completed our flight, and we are pleased to have safely arrived at our destination.”
” We have traveled a distance of approximately 7000 miles and the total flight time was approximately 12 hours. We hope you had a comfortable journey onboard Ethiopian Airlines.”
The voice coming from the plane was not my worry, it was how we would disembark in the rain to hop into a bus that would ferry us to the terminal gate that worried me a lot. As a child, I loved to play in the rain, but as time went by, I began to become allergic and avoided being beaten by the rain as much as possible.
As we disembarked through the jet reach steadily making for the terminal gate by following directions, I soon find myself in coach with others and I didn’t realize it was a caravan-like-bus that would take us to the terminal building by facilitating the movement of passengers between the aircraft and the terminal without having direct contact with the outside weather until we were ready to move and the driver detached the ridge by the front end and began to ride, it was super amazing!
I would later learn that the bus was dubbed the “mobile lounge” an innovative feature of the Washington Dulles terminal design by Eero Saarinen. Saarinen promoted the mobile lounge concept with a short, animated film by Charles and Ray Eames. Dulles Airport was the realization of the concepts expressed in the film. Dulles’s designers thought that by shuttling from the main terminal directly to a midfield jet ramp, they could save passengers from long walking distances amidst weather, noise, and fumes on the ramp.
In no time, we were at the international arrivals, heading towards border control. I have long harbored some worries about the treatment meted on people with my kind of skin especially those carrying a green passport. Not long ago, I read about the horrible experience of a Nigerian public speaker who was in the US for legitimate business but was unnecessarily frisked by immigration officials until they realized his social status and allowed him passage.
As a guest of the United States Government on a J1 Visa and a very clean slate (which I intend to keep), I do not expect that anything would go wrong, but then anything can happen.
However, as soon as I made my way to the border patrol queue, my apprehension melted into awe due to the level of diversity that greeted me. We have been told repeatedly about culture shock, but this was one for me.
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Besides the fact that it was one of the busiest arrivals and the longest queues I have ever seen in my travel life, the mix of different colors, ethnicity, and people who were coming into America was clear enough.
IREX and the US Department of State keeps talking to us about diversity, equity, and inclusion and even made us go through some pre-fellowship modules online that included the subject matter, it was the first thing I saw in practice as soon as I touched down in the United States!
I was later joined by other Fellows from Nigeria. We had Departed the Airport in Abuja together, prayed in Ethiopia, and didn’t see each other again until at this airport.
My phone beeped, the WiFi has successfully connected and my Dad’s message came in. Usually, at this point, there’s an adrenaline rush, you want to tell everyone back home that you have successfully arrived all at once, and at the same time be mindful of the queue ahead of you.
My Dad’s text was simple and direct, he was welcoming me to “God’s own country,” and admonishing me to stay focused and make the best of the fellowship experience, immediately after, my phone popped up with a caller, it was my boss, Mallam Yushau Shuaib, a man that has always been supportive and had nurtured me through my career since my university days.
“Ya dai Mallam,” he greeted in his typical fashion, “How was your trip?”
“It was very long but Alhamdulillah here we are. I slept, woke up, slept, woke up and I was still in the middle of nowhere…” I joked.
“I told you,” he said and we both laughed it out. We then had a brief conversation and he hung up afterward promising to talk later.
While still on the queue, after connecting my phone to the free- wifi, I quickly call my wife who I had spoken to last while I was in Ethiopia. She was shocked when I told her at the time, I arrived in the US at 8:30 am it was somewhere around the region of 2:30pm back home.
As I was telling her the interesting things I swa upon arrival, the 1988 comedy film directed by John Landis and starring Eddie Murphy’s “Coming to America” flashed through my mind and I mentioned it on passing to her.
“Well, when you are settled in your room and it’s morning, just like Akeem the crown Prince of Zamunda open the windows, start straight and scream at the top of your voice, ‘Good morning my neighbors!’” she joked and I scuffed!
While Akeem was an unwilling pampered African Prince who came to America to find true love, I am a willing conqueror who came to America to sharpen my quest to turn the tide of Journalistic practice in Nigeria through an innovative and solutions-driven leadership approach.
“Checkpoint three please sir,” the lady in uniform said to me. The checkpoints were numbered across a stretch in front of queuing arrivals.
They are the places where border control officers process and clear international arrivals at airports and are typically referred to as “immigration checkpoints” or “passport control checkpoints.” These checkpoints are designated areas within the airport where travelers present their passports, visas, and other necessary travel documents to border control officers.
The officers review the documents, verify the traveler’s identity and purpose of visit, and determine whether they meet the entry requirements for the country they are entering.
Soon the officer beckoned on me, and I went over and handed him my passport and DS2019 form. He requested me to “please” look straight at the camera while he captured me after looking at my documents. He then asked where I’d be staying while in the US, I mumbled something I wasn’t sure of as I made for my phone to retrieve the address which I didn’t keep in my head.
He raised the DS2019 form and pointed at the address bar, “is this the address?” He inquired and I quickly affirmed. How very helpful, quite contrary to my preconceived notion due to what I have read before. He handed me my passport and wished me a nice stay.
Over time, I have reflected on my expectations of the fellowship experience and what the future holds and I have almost concluded in my mind that for me, this is a path to a blueprint that leads to something transformative not just for me but for anyone whose work is associated with my proposed focus project.
The fact that this idea would be incubated at the Presidential Precinct makes me more optimistic because apart from the “Presidential” prestige associated with the nomenclature the Precinct as a hub for global leadership development, fostering collaboration and innovation in addressing pressing global challenges, is a place of “bold ideas,” as one of my colleagues, Akintunde Babatunde, Program Director at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and a 2022 fellow Presidential Precinct Alumni puts it.
I’ve kept track of some of the comments that went on the Precinct’s Social Media post, “all Mandela Fellows are attached to one University but only exceptional fellows come to the Presidential Precinct, a global institute, and also get to experience two Universities,” one user noted on Instagram.
“Presidential Precinct is not for the faint-hearted, it’s for hard workers and the disciplined,” another user wrote.
All the vibes and comments resonate with the sort of ambition I have for Journalism in Nigeria and Africa. I practically want to change the landscape and enable it as a better tool for policy and solutions-driven approaches.
I had read in the pre-arrival emails and logistics guide that we will have “Precinct staff” pick us at that airport whom we would identify with the branded placards, I never envisaged that the Program Executive herself would be at hand to welcome us.
It was very easy to spot Karen even though I didn’t know she’d be the first person I’d see, but no one would miss the distinct aura and grace she carries in a pack of crowds as she wears her warm and welcoming smile. That personality is also alive in the email she sends.
After exchanging greetings and introductions, she introduced me to the rest of the team, Grace Kluer and Onyii Eze who were also at hand.
I was given water and some snacks to refresh while I met other fellows who have arrived before me. Busisiwe Nxumalo from South Africa, Breket Diriba from Ethiopia, Anibiko Koosa from South Sudan, Houssein Osman Aden from Djibouti. Soon as Njiramanda Mbewe from Botswana joined, we took a group photo and began the onward journey to Williamsburg, Virginia..
On the way are lots of exciting attractions and destinations. The state offers a diverse range of experiences, including natural beauty, historical sites, cultural landmarks, and outdoor recreational opportunities.
Mohammed is a 2023 Mandela Washington Fellow at the Presidential Precinct, Charlottesville VA, he writes via [email protected]
