Last Day in Abidjan

Taken on iphone by Zainab Floyd.

I sat in my hotel room as I watched and listened in on conversations from men and women and the clattering of shoes hitting the pavement. I gave one last look at the view of the city before I headed to the airport. I rolled my bag down the halls of the hotel and took a taxi to the airport. The streets were silent, and there were a few cars on the highway, I thought it was odd because this highway is always full with traffic. I thought it was strange, and it was but I continued to tune into. I Donny Hathaway on my headphones as the towering buildings in the distance became smaller and smaller. As soon as I get to the airport I learn about the strike. All of the flights were canceled. I stayed an extra three days, and I used those three days to write, meet up with friends and have long walks and ending my evening with solo dinners.  Since I have returned from my trip I miss Abidjan and connecting with African women in the arts. From New York to Abidjan Black women continue to lead discussions, and foster spaces for support, creativity, and ways of being. Abidjan feels like the future, the hope, and the dream all actualized in one. Meeting with the artists, and creative entrepreneurs in Abidjan I posed a question “Are there spaces in Abidjan that are solely dedicated to women and femmes?” All of the answers remained the same “No, but there are spaces that are created by African women here and I think there should be, and there will be.”-Anna-Alix Koffi. There are a lot of exciting exhibitions and new spaces that are being created in Abidjan by African women and I am thrilled to be a witness of.