For too many of its residents, life in Hong Kong is bleak. Like much of the world, Hong Kong has a huge, visible wealth gap. The difference here is that the gap is a lot more pronounced. In Hong Kong, there is extreme wealth and extreme poverty. Black people in Hong Kong are teachers, bankers, some travelers and a lot of refugees. I wanted to find out how these dynamics affect the black communities that are taking shape in HK right now.
You can hear Innocent’s intellect in his voice when he speaks and expresses himself. Innocent Mutanga is a originally from Zimbabwe and has been a resident of HK for over 5 years. Despite looking like a kid, he is someone who is very advanced spiritually and intellectually. In his life he has seen his fair share of adversity but this hasn’t killed his determination one bit. At present, Innocent is endeavoring to rebrand the image of Africans who live in Hong Kong. Ultimately, his work is going to reshape the image of the black man in Asia.
Over the course of our interview, we talked about some of the problems facing black people, especially Africans who reside in HK. We spoke about his campaign, ‘Dark Skin is not a Crime!’ and the related fashion show. The campaign was promoted through The Africa Center HK . The African Center is, right now, bridging the gap between people and resources in Hong Kong. This is an environment where misunderstandings between different communities are all too common. TheAfrica Center promotes fashion shows, reading circles and cultural awareness for children. The center also helps to place displaced people while teaching about Africa, its various cultures and peoples. Enjoy the interview!
Black Asia Magazine 