Tompkinsville may be known for its relatively large Sri Lankan community, but there is a significant part of Tompkinsville’s population made up by West Africans, mainly Liberians, Nigerians, and Ghanaians. The West Africans seemed to be the most “in touch” with their ethnic traditions and culture out of the three main ethnic groups in Tompkinsville. They also seemed to be the most unified out of the three.
The African Homeland Store located on Victory Boulevard in Tompkinsville is a great example of what the West African community in Tompkinsville is all about. The store is a grocery store, but one unlike your typical grocery store. Instead of snacks, candy, soda, milk, beer, cold cuts, etc., the African Homeland Store sells solely goods imported straight from West African nations. The shelves are loaded with rice, fruits, vegetables, spices, concentrates, sauces, and pastries all of which are imported from mainly Liberia, Ghana, and Nigeria. A product called “fufu” is one of the most popular items sold in the store. Fufu is a flour-like powder, made from plantains and/or giant African yams, which is used in many different foods in African culture, such as dumplings and stews.
African Homeland Store
African Masks & Garments
In addition to the food, CDs and DVDs featuring music and movies from West Africa are on display and available for purchase. Air fresheners and scented candles are also sold there. The scents given off by the candles made the store have an incense-like smell. These imported products allow the West African community in Tompkinsville to really make it seem as if they are still in their homeland, letting them hold on to the smells and sounds of Africa. The Africa Homeland Store had many tribal masks and garments on display above and behind the counter, which are used in festivals back in Africa. None of the other stores in the neighborhood had as strong of a cultural tie to their respective homelands.
The owner of the store seems to be a leader in the West African community in Tompkinsville. The owner himself was an immigrant from Nigeria, so he has a good understanding of what the culture in western Africa is like. Other members of this community would enter the store and talk to the owner with respect, but also with a high level of comfort. Talking to the owner himself, he seemed to be very informed on what is going on in the neighborhood and he was very proud in his role in the neighborhood: keeping the West African culture alive in Tompkinsville.
The owner, like many African immigrants, came to the United States to get an education and to find work. According to the owner, there are a poor amount of job opportunities in Africa. There are many more people who are capable of working than there are jobs in Africa, so the owner decided to come to America to not only make a living, but spread the culture of his homeland here.
Before we conducted our interview with the owner, he jokingly said that he was an “African chief.” After getting to know him better, one can clearly see that this statement is not far off at all. A chief watches over his people and maintains order while also helping others with their problems. The owner takes care of the African residents in Tompkinsville; he realizes that many of the African immigrants in the area aren’t very wealthy, so he says he will often take a loss and sell products at a discount for people who are struggling financially. Africans are not the only people who come to his store; people of all backgrounds come to shop at the African Homeland Store, and each and every one of them receive a warm welcome from the “chief.” He has devoted his life to helping those less educated and less fortunate than him. He truly is the African chief of Tompkinsville.
