.jpg)
Mohammed Naseehu Ali:
A “Prophet” Deserving His Honor
By Linda A. Annan
His father sent him off to the United States hoping he'd study Economics, eventually hold a high office like Kofi Annan, or perhaps work for the U.N. Instead he chose what sated his passion the most—writing. Now, he has a book published by Random House, a novel in the works and is exploring other opportunities awaiting him.
Mohammed Naseehu Ali was born in Kumasi, Ghana on December 5, 1971 into a Hausa family, a society with whom he strongly identifies and to which he is very proud to belong. Hausa is Chadic, spoken as a first language by about 24 million people and as a second language by about 15 million more, making it the language with the largest number of speakers. Native Hausa speakers are prevalent in the African country of Niger and in northern Nigeria, but the language is widely used beyond the population of its speakers and on a much larger scale in West Africa, particularly amongst Muslims. Ali is on a personal quest to document the story of the Zongo (Hausa) population in Ghana. To him, it is important to tell the story of Hausas so that a thousand years from now archeologists can discover a story of a people who once had a civilization in West Africa.
“The Hausa people have been in Ghana since the mid-1800s but still they're marginalized…they're not considered citizens,” he said of the mind-boggling situation. He criticizes the way history has been mishandled and passed down to generations, particularly that of Africa. “They have Shakespeare…and they spend millions reminding you they have a culture dating back to the 1600s. Africa, show me, where is it?” he suspiciously asks as he further condemns the oral tradition which some claim to be the African way of passing down history and culture.
This avid writer did not spring into who he is today without an edification to whet his writing passion. On October 14, 1988, 17-year-old Ali came to the United States to attend Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan where he studied writing. This decision and choice of profession, however, became a point of contention between father and son, causing Ali to spend three years without talking to his father. “I remember going to Ghana and not going home to see my dad because of this.” Still, Ali was undeterred. His passion for the Arts ran deeper than the six-figure career he was expected to pursue. His bitter experience growing up as a young African artist born into a family and a community that discouraged major concentrations outside of Medicine, Law, Nursing and other “money- making” courses drove him to address some of these and other societal issues in his writing.
In1994 while still in college, Ali wrote a piece for Essence Magazine entitled “Blacks are Capable of Prejudice Too.” The magazine later changed the title to “Blacks are Racists Too,” stirring up anger in some Black nationalists in LA. Ali appeared on the Donahue show during its final year in New York and came face- to-face with his not-so- happy fans. “My point was for us to look at the bigger picture when it comes to racism; because it does go on between blacks as well,” he explained, but his point was misconstrued. Ali's desire to communicate his perspective in a broader light led to his fascination with the book of ten essays, The Prophet of Zongo Street, in which he addressed ideas he was unable to articulate on a one-pager in Essence magazine. The book is now taught in such universities as Columbia and NYU; the latter used the book for two classes in 2005. “I think it's my calling to bring that out to America…I think America needs to know that it's not a rosy situation going on with African Americans, Africans and Jamaicans,” he said of the issues he raised in his article, “Blacks are racist too.”
As the saying goes, “No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” Before and after he got a book deal, Ali went through a period of discouragement from the main group from which he came, the Hausa group in the Bronx. Instead of supporting his work and acknowledging his accomplishment, they resorted to spending time connecting the reality of the stories Ali told in his book. The closest words of encouragement were: “So what, he's got a book...” Ali believes that he would have been unable to make it as a developing artist if had he stayed with his father or family. “I would've been discouraged; they tried a lot to discourage me,” he said bitterly. Ali criticizes the narrow-mindedness and stiff environment created by families and cultures that do not encourage kids to explore other hidden talents buried in the Arts. “It's not only in Africa, even here parents try to dissuade their kids from going into the Arts, telling them they're not going to make any money,” he said, disappointment clouding his voice. Even though he does encourage aspiring artists of every kind to tear themselves from the credo or crib as he puts it, he does add that all artists eventually go back to where they came from as that is the place from where they pull their material. “A lot of times these artists would want to be a part of their people and where they come from but they can't; even though they're writing about the people, painting about the people and the music they sing are for the people,” he said longingly. In spite of all this, Ali goes back to the Bronx, but this time to sniff around, smell and hear things, as he put it.
Before Ali's big break as a writer he diverted to music, a move that caused him to abandon writing. This only lasted for a short while because his obsession with the book of ten essays still kept the fire burning until a friend from Bomb Magazine published an excerpt of his stories. A week after the publication, he received an email from Random House, 3 weeks later he got a book deal and the rest is been history.
Now, Ali sits back as he waits to garner the fruits he has richly sown for so long and with such determination. He has won a fellowship with the Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, an international fellowship program of the New York Public Library open to academics, independent scholars, and creative writers such as poets, playwrights, and novelists. He will be holding office for 9 months at the Center's main office on 5th Ave. New York.
Ali is also working on his first novel about polygamy entitled The Diary of an Orphan, based on his parents' love story. To top it all off, he maintains a great relationship with the New Yorker magazine and will be lecturing at their 2006 annual festival held from October 6-8.
Through all his struggle to become the successful writer he dreamed of, Ali has never allowed negativity to overshadow his capabilities and he has pushed himself beyond not only the expectations of others but also his own. “I don't know how I could've made it,” he said with a silent gratitude in his voice.
Ali currently holds a full-time job with Lexis Nexis as a Senior Publishing Analyst with its Editorial Publication, and lives at Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, with the three ladies in his life: a wife of 6 years and two daughters, ages 5 and 2.
NATURAL HAIR AT THE WORK PLACE
Posted: July 12, 2010
CUT YOUR LOSSES
Posted: June 09, 2010
WHEN TO CALL IT QUITS
Posted: May 21, 2010
SHATTERING THE GLASS CEILING
Posted: Apr. 22, 2010
WISH THERE WERE MORE OF YOU?
Posted: Apr. 5, 2010
NAME ISSUES
Posted: Mar. 25, 2010