In late February of 2023, I saw a post on the popular Facebook webpage Hot in Juba. The page reads, “Urban news, sports & entertainment from the heart of Juba city”.
If it’s one thing I know, it’s that entertainment flows naturally for us South Sudanese. When on the runway or the basketball courts, center stage or in haboba’s house, we make others laugh. I used to love sitting in a room full of my elders, because the laughs were hearty, straight from the pits of my stomach. If it wasn’t for time, you would still catch me right there in auntie’s house, like a sponge just soaking it all in.
And every South Sudanese knows it’s not just our women; it’s our men too. When you combine Juba Arabic with English and sometimes even our tribal languages, the comedic material only expands! And because we're skin folk (iykyk), we speak the same language when it comes to laughter; as in, sometimes the laugh is so heavy you start running away, attempting to brace yourself while also protecting your gut from too much pressure. I always knew if the rest of the world could understand our humor, our pride would begin to make more sense.
I’ve been following that page for years. But on one fateful day, this picture captured my attention:
If you had been following the national basketball teams around this time, you would recognize the ties to resiliency. Our people are true showstoppers, but that comes not without adversity. Whether this year of 2026 or the year we made our Olympic debut [2024], this picture reminds me of how fast impact can spread. Mothers, fathers, our youth and young adults all contribute to the way entertainment is embraced among us.
We show up to parties like decorum has no place. We pack out stands because basketball runs through our blood. We present ourselves confidently, because beautiful people belong on billboards. Our culture has always been rich in community, and we’ve created spaces where our joys can be understood among each other. You can catch us on the soccer field, the high fashion editorials, and hidden between the avenues of creativity our world so desperately needs.
South Sudanese are here to stay, taking up space far beyond what the world is prepared to witness. When we laugh and fellowship with one another, the journey to now and the resiliency of embracing self is echoed. The world better prepare.