Black History In The Making: Rwothomio Kabandole, Social Media Lead of No White Saviors
We are our ancestors’ wildest dreams come true! And in our Black History In The Making interview series, we’ll show you just how accurate that statement is. During Black History Month, we will be highlighting change-makers, way-showers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who embody the spirit of #BlackExcellence.
We continue the series with Rwothomio Kabandole, Team Member & Social Media Lead of No White Saviors. As stated on their site, No White Saviors was launched on Instagram in 2018 out of a collective frustration at the rampant abuses committed by white missionaries and development workers in Uganda and beyond. Their goals are to challenge and shed light on the violence of the White Savior Complex (WSC), and reveal African people as the heroes of their own stories.
Here, Rwothomio tells us about his experiences in the activism space, shares how he deals with censorship and racism, and reveals his biggest contribution to the culture (it’s a really good one!)
LH | Linked Inclusion
How did you get started? What or who inspired you?
RK
Personally, for me getting started wasn’t a choice I took. Many children don’t realise they are ‘Black’ on their own accord; the world makes them aware of this. Seeing how we (the Black kindergarteners) were treated in contrast to the mixed, Brown and white classmates was perhaps my first understanding of how the world works. P.S. We had Black teachers, so to imagine how immense their internalised oppression was is heart-breaking.
Throughout the years I can say that many individuals inspired me, from Miriam Makeba and Mariam Hassan to Patrice Lumumba, and only later was I able to find one who spoke to me in a way others hadn’t yet. This was Aimé Césaire.
LH | Linked Inclusion
There is no such thing as an overnight success. How long has it taken you to reach to this point? What have been some of your struggles along the way?
RK
As an entity, No White Saviors has formally been in growth since its inception in the year 2018, but informally, as an idea/conversation, it predates that. Resistance is perhaps one of the biggest struggles we face in that folks aren’t willing to be accountable or be considerate of the humanity of non-white people. Additionally, being on social media, the existence of censorship, shadow banning being prominent amongst the platforms, and their lack of protection for historically marginalised groups.
LH | Linked Inclusion
How do you keep going when you hit roadblocks?
RK
Ahhh, how do I keep going when roadblocks get hit? Well that is a question I can’t answer in a yes/no format because oftentimes in the line of work, it gets heavy so we see ourselves sort of shutdown for a bit, as there is only so much one can take. To counter that I will state that the desire to see a better world not only for us, but for those to come, drives us to keep on going.
LH | Linked Inclusion
Have you encountered racism in your career, and if so, how have you dealt with it?
RK
Yes I have encountered racism in my career. More times than I can remember and how I have dealt with it varies. I don’t have that long of a career but where it has been present, if not head on, I will admit sometimes I have had to walk away because it gets to a point where it’s all heavy. Also I will venture to curating music playlists or video games just as an escapism because we as Black people are human, it gets emotional, and we may not deal with the hate head on.
LH | Linked Inclusion
What are your proudest achievements so far, personally and professionally?
RK
Proudest achievements…personally I would say it’s been meeting (virtually & physically) some of my favourite Black people, and these were Kelechi Okafor, actor, director & businesswoman and the Kenyan singer Njoki Karu, an individual whose sound touched me when I was / am at my lowest. That is for me something I am appreciative of and consider an achievement personally. Meeting strong beautiful and impactful Black women making their mark on the world, each in their own special way.
Professionally I would say joining No White Saviors. I will highlight the ladies that constitute No White Saviors for seeing in me potential and just as a seed, giving me an environment to germinate and grow. Words can’t not define how highly regarded they are to me.
I am a stan believer in Ubuntu (community) and as such my achievements are not my own making but that of those around me and to acknowledge the impact these women have had on me, that is my proudest achievement.
LH | Linked Inclusion
What do you consider to be your biggest contribution to the culture?
RK
LOVE. The purest contribution or gift one can ever give is love—and I love us. For me the culture isn’t just a single entity, but a collection of various cultures by Black people on and off the continent, and to love each and every one of them is perhaps my biggest contribution. I may not fully understand the culture in its collective state, but I do love each and every bit of it.
LH | Linked Inclusion
Name someone from Black history and culture who inspires you.
RK
I would state Aimé Cesairé. His ideology and writings on the beauty of the Black identity are amazing, and I would encourage folks to check him out.
LH | Linked Inclusion
Have you ever felt like you are our ancestors’ wildest dreams come true? Tell us more.
RK
“I am the culmination and pride of those before me and the enlightenment and guidance of those to come.” Who I am is a culmination/sum of those before, their struggles, joy, pain etc., and as such I am merely one of their wildest dreams, and those who will come after me will take that wild dream a step higher, and so too will the next generation after that.
LH | Linked Inclusion
Why would you consider yourself and your achievements to be Black History In the Making?
RK
Whatever actions we do as Black people is in essence Black history in the making whether in context as an individual or collective. Our history is being written, and surely it is one which can’t be taken away from us as has been before. Yes I consider my achievements to be Black History in the Making.
Rwothomio Gabriel Kabandole is a team member and social media lead for the No White Saviors team. He is an avid striver for the erasure of systems sustaining inequality in any and every form, Rwothomio as an individual is passionate about change & the disruption of said systems which in turn necessitates the betterment of marginalised individuals & communities. He is a Pan-Africanist who believes that the unity of African people on the Continent and around the world is key for the liberation of Black people everywhere.
You can connect with Rwothomio on social media here: @nowhitesaviors
Lisa Hurley is a writer, speaker, and activist whose work focuses on anti-racism, texturism, and destigmatizing introversion. She is the Editor-At-Large of Linked Inclusion™.
Where necessary, content has been edited for clarity and readability. British spelling has deliberately been retained to respect the interviewee’s contribution.
© Linked Inclusion Corporation, 2022. Linked Inclusion™ provides resources to serve people who have been historically excluded. Our goal is to solve for DEI + W: Diversity Equity, Inclusion + Wellness. Visit us online at www.linkedinclusion.com, and join the professional social change management community at www.linkedinclusion.us.
"Replace exclusion with inclusion. We are stronger, faster, smarter, together."