Hold The Door

Yesterday, while driving back to Maryland from my UNGA attendance, the rain began to fall. I pulled into a rest area along I-95 and headed toward the restaurant section. Just ahead of me, an older woman reached for the door. When she noticed me approaching, she held it open. I quickened my pace, thanked her, and took the handle from her. Behind me was a pregnant woman and her daughter. I then held the door long enough for both of them to step inside. A gentleman walking behind them picked up where I left off, taking the door from me as I moved forward.

By the time I walked into Starbucks to grab a coffee, I looked back. The door was still open. Different people stepped forward, one after another, holding it as others passed through, especially as the rain began to fall outside. What started as a simple gesture had become a chain reaction.

Holding the door isn't new to most of us, but that moment sparked some thoughts in me. That moment stayed with me. It was more than politeness. It was a picture of what opportunity looks like.

Doors in life rarely stay open on their own. Someone has to hold them. And once you have walked through, your responsibility is to make sure others can follow.

Immigration as a Door

For African immigrants, the door is not just symbolic. It is real. It is the visa that lets you in, the scholarship that unlocks a classroom, the company you build, or the boardroom you finally enter. I will liken each of these global opportunities to open doors, and behind each one is access, mobility, and new possibilities.

But doors do not remain open on their own. If all we do is pass through and move on, the benefit ends with us. Or at least the next person has to struggle to walk through them. If we pause, extend our hand, and hold it open, others will step through, too. And they will hold it for the next person. That is how to scale progress.

Why We Must Hold the Door

History is clear. No immigrant community has risen by moving as scattered individuals. The Indian diaspora friends in Silicon Valley did not just cross borders. They built networks, mentored one another, funded each other's ventures, and turned isolated wins into a shared strength. Their success is not only personal. It is collective power. And while building together, they've given back to the country that welcomed everyone with its open arms. This is what we must do as Africans abroad (and perhaps at home). Every extraordinary immigrant who secures a visa, earns a degree, builds a company, or wins a seat at the table is standing by a door. The real question is whether we will leave it swinging behind us or hold it long enough for the next person to step through.

What Holding the Door Looks Like

Holding the door can be simple. It may mean sharing your story, so others do not stumble blindly. It may involve mentoring a young professional, making an introduction, or creating an internship that provides a first opportunity. It may mean funding a new venture or building partnerships that ripple across borders. This is not charity. It is a strategy. It is how we turn immigration from isolated stories of survival into a movement of collective rise. Holding the door ensures that the gains of one life extend to families, communities, and entire nations.

This is our Why at Agora. To hold the door of global opportunities for Africa's entrepreneurs and top talents!