Lalia

In this episode, we explore the story of 10-year-old Lalia from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and her family. She takes us on a journey to explore her Senegalese and Malian-Canadian heritage. Lalia shows us that the flags of Mali and Senegal are similar, as they were once linked by the same federation.

An avid scout and roller skater, Lalia explains the importance of roller skating for African-American communities during the civil rights era, led by Martin Luther King Junior, who was also a scout, an example she follows. Next, Lalia goes grocery shopping with her mother and younger sister in an African market to help her mother prepare a traditional dish, mafé, as well as bissap, a popular drink made from hibiscus. Lalia aspires to become a hairdresser when she grows up, and explains in detail the different types of braid that were symbols of identity in various African countries and ethnic groups, such as the Fulani to which she belongs.