The Power of Unity Summit: Council on Black Minnesotans

Yesterday the Power of Unity Summit organized by the Council on Black Minnesotans, started in St. Paul. It continued today, and will end tomorrow. A few days ago, I mentioned this Summit.

What a memorable weekend this is, filled with discussions, displays, and performances around the experiences, struggles, and achievements of people of African descent.

Among the highlights of yesterday's events was a showing of a documentary recorded specifically for this Summit. It features a number African Americans talking about the history of the Black experience in Minnesota and ends with testimonies of a number of recent African immigrants.

The organizers made a wise and commendable decision to provide space for the expression of both the African and the African-American experience and viewpoint. This was evident right from the beginning of the Summit yesterday. The first plenary session was a conversation between Professor Mahmoud el-Kati (an African-American) and me (a Tanzanian).

The two of us, guided by moderator Adrian Mack's questions, were able to describe and discuss not only the commonalities but also the differences in the historical and contemporary experience of people of African descent. We sought to get the audience to think about the global African experience, in Africa, the Americans, the Middle East and beyond.

We highlighted, as well, the fact that there are differences, and also tensions, among people of African descent. The dispersal of people from Africa to different parts of the world led to different experiences and challenges, which have created different mindsets.

I attended several events today, including a reenactment of the story of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, seen in the photo at the top of this page, with Jamela Pettiford as Harriet Tubman and Joyce Marrie as Sojourner Truth. In the course of the Harriet Tubman story, Fredrick Douglass made an appearance. As soon as I saw the actress approaching, I knew she was playing Fredrick Douglass. We all played the role of slaves escaping from a plantation through dangerous landscapes.

The other event I want to mention is an artists' panel, seen in the photo on the left, which addressed the following issues:

What do artists need to do to build stronger relations within communities?
How can you make a living as an artist in Minnesota?
How can we increase the value of the arts in Minnesota?
Share your most enterprising idea and what you have done to make it real.
How could the State increase the value proposition for our art?

 The Summit has been a rich and varied experience, and here I am only mentioning parts of it, the parts I attended. I must reiterate, however, that I am truly pleased by the incorporation of both Africans and African Americans in the composition of discussion panels, performances, and other activities as well as the food served to participants.

The photo on the left is of Anuak dancers from the border region of South Western Ethiopian and South Sudan.

 I am grateful to be participating in this Summit. I have gained a better understanding of the Council on Black Minnesotans and discovered the Minnesota History Center which is hosting the Summit on its premises. As part of its contribution to the Summit, the Historical Society Museum decided to feature, in its bookstore, the books of writers participating in the Summit. I am one of those writers.