No, I would not have gone with a pith helmet for safari gear in Kenya. It was an unfortunate wardrobe choice for Melania Trump
Melania Trump MORE on the third stop of a four-country African tour which included Ghana, Malawi and Egypt, her , and her first time traveling to sub-Saharan Africa.
The hat conjured up images of the continent’s colonial rulers at a time when her husband’s recent verbal interventions in Africa were viewed as racist and derogatory.
The fashion faux pas afforded a visual focal point for the jarring contrast between Melania’s and the White House’s directives to cut United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by 30 percent, disproportionately impacting Africa. It generated a rallying cry. And Melania was punished for it in national commentary and on social media.
“Her attire is a signal of her understanding of what Africa is in 2018. and it’s inaccurate,” reported The New York Times.
“Melania Trump wearing a pith helmet on her trip to ‘Africa’ is more than a silly sartorial choice. It’s a reflection of her outdated understanding of Africa,” wrote Kim Yi Dionne a professor at the University of California.
“Melania trifecta– elephants, orphans and even the pith helmet,” tweeted Matt Carotenuto, a historian at St. Lawrence University.
Admittedly, it is difficult to view the first lady’s trip in isolation from all that has unfolded during the Trump presidency, the proposed budget cuts, the hurtful remarks, the restrictive immigration policy and the lack of an Africa policy.
But maybe we could cut the first lady some slack.
Look at the four-nation tour through the lens of what she was trying to achieve, versus judging her through our own expectations, colored by the insurmountable political divider that is her husband Donald J. Trump.
And perhaps we could accept Melania for who she is: a 48-year old woman, wife and mother, thrust onto the world stage, deciding to check Africa off her bucket list, and play it safely in her comfort zone.
"This was her idea," said Stephanie Grisham the spokeswoman for the first lady. "In fact, she has always envisioned Africa for her first solo international swing. She is eager to educate herself about each country – history, culture, challenges, successes."
The trip, in the works for months, was structured to keep the first lady in her lane, despite pressures to make it an apology tour for her husband’s earlier missteps.
It focused on her signature “Be Best” campaign, aimed at improving the well-being of children, and in each country, with the in-country programs anchored through the offices of the first ladies, her counterparts. The agenda included cultural/touristic sites that showcased the individuality of each nation.
Melania Trump opened her trip in the West Africa nation of Ghana, at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, where a picture of her , their smiling faces locked in discovery of each other, went viral.
Said a Ghanaian friend of mine, “the moment reminded me of how much we share in common as human beings, an easy connection with children, the smiles they bring to our faces, innate desire to see to their happiness and welfare."
While in Ghana, Melania visited the Cape Coast Castle, a 16th century fortress built by the King of Sweden to facilitate the trade of timber and gold, which later became a transshipment location for the Atlantic Slave Trade.
“It’s very emotional,” she said afterward. “I will never forget the incredible experience and the stories that I heard.”
In the land-locked southern African nation of Malawi, the first lady visited indoor and outdoor classrooms, including the Chipala Primary School in the capital of Lilongwe. As CNN noted, “The school presented an example of the state of education in the country, with only 77 teachers to educate .”
Young children in matching school uniforms, and carrying backpacks of all sizes and shapes were her constant companions throughout her stay.
In Kenya, Melania did what any first-time tourist would do, went on safari, settling for Nairobi National Park, where the Big Five are viewed against the backdrop of Nairobi’s expansive skyline.
In Egypt, she toured the pyramids and the Great Sphinx of Giza which dates back to the reign of King Khafre (c. 2575–c. 2465 bce), and at a press conference with the Great Sphinx in view, Melania responded to the pith helmet controversy,
At each stop the first lady showcased the work of USAID. In Ghana, the focus was on maternal and child health, Malawi on primary school education and literacy, Kenya it was wildlife conservation and in Egypt, antiquities preservation. USAID Administrator Mark Green who accompanied the first lady said the trip
Throughout the trip Melania was sparse in her public comments, and when she did engage, it was to express gratitude for the warm welcome she received. And for this, she was criticized.
“What would help would be is if she directly addressed her husband’s comments about the continent,” said Lauren Wright, a politics lecturer at Princeton University. The fact she didn’t do more seems significant, Wright said, reflecting the view of many commenting on the trip.
Haven’t we all been where Melania Trump has been? Choosing our battles. Trying to do the best we can with the cards that have been dealt to us? Believing we can make a difference even when the “Big Picture” is out of our control? Not, obviously, on a global scale with the media scrutinizing our wardrobe choices, but in the everyday lives we lead.
I don’t know what long-term goodwill may come from Melania Trump’s visit to Africa, what she will relay to her husband, or whether she will become an advocate for a more robust US policy towards the continent.
We can hope.
“We hope the first lady will talk to the president about what she’s seen in Africa,” said Tom Hart, the executive director at the One Campaign. “How America’s generosity saves lives, lifts people out of poverty and makes our nation a beacon of hope to millions around the world — and we hope the president’s upcoming budget proposal contains full funding for these programs.
At a minimum, Melania’s trip brought a glimpse of to the America people through her traveling media pool and her twitter posts to her 11 million followers. And maybe next time a more educated media will avoid tired clichés like calling Malawi an “obscure nation,” and describing the continent as “vast and impoverished.”
“My take from the visit is very positive,” , Malawi’s ambassador to the United States.
“We expect that the visit will also aid us in the various efforts that we are making to promote a number of tourism sites in the country, , Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah
Though I do expect more. I trust that Melania Trump was not unaware of the pressure that USAID is under to cut its budget in Africa, and that selecting Mark Green to travel with her was more than a suitable choice, it was a savvy political move, particularly as it is rumored that the White House will soon be rolling out its long-awaited Africa strategy.
Further, what I know for certain is that visiting Africa changes you. It alters your perspective and tears down stereotypes shaped by others. Everywhere in the people you meet you see untapped potential, and it makes you want to be part of it.
Africa is the place where I have formed my deepest friendships and where I tend to sport my broadest smiles. Come to think of it, I noticed that about Melania too!
K. Riva Levinson is president and CEO of , a D.C.-based consultancy that works in the world’s emerging markets, and award-winning author of "Choosing the Hero: My Improbable Journey and the Rise of Africa's First Woman President" (Kiwai Media, June 2016). Follow her on Twitter @rivalevinson
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