Afrifest Twin Cities is Here Again, August 10

Afrifest 2013 is just around the corner, August 10. A pan-African educational and cultural festival designed to educate and connect people, Afrifest has been around for seven years now, its crowning achievement being an annual festival showcasing the history, politics, arts and culture of people of African descent.

Over the years, Afrifest has featured musical performances, fashion shows, vendors and educational displays. There are a lot of activities and games for children.

I have always been touched to see children meet and play with children from different countries and cultures. Afrifest is an opporttunity for them to cultivate a pan-African consciousness at an early age.

In these seven years, through my involvement with Afrifest, I have met and learned about many many people: Africans, African-Americans and others. I cherish the connections I have made.

Every individual, whether from Africa, the Caribbean or the USA or elsewhere has unique experiences and perspective. Talking to each of them is like going through a valuable educational experience. Equally important is the opportunities I have to share my own experiences and perspective as an African, a writer, educator and cultural consultant.

On the left is the booth of Liberation Clothing & Gifts from Afrifest 2012. I bought a lovely Bob Marley T-shirt here.

From the beginning, I have involved my own children in Afrifest, because I know the social and educational value of such involvement. They get to meet different people and see the displays representing different countries and cultures.

I always set up a table, as one of the vendors, on which I display my books and other educational materials. My children enjoy assisting me. They are able to talk to people about my writings and my work as an educator and cultural consultant. They are able to speak to the media on my behalf, as can be seen in the photo on the left.

As a member of the Afrifest Foundation board, I wish to invite everyone  to Afrifest 2013. Just to give you a sense of the diversity of Afrifest offerings this year, there will be a soccer tournament, health and wellness fair, vendors, food, and games for children. As a parent, who firmly believes in the value of events and programs such as Afrifest, I encourage all parents to bring their children to Afrifest 2013. For more information, visit the Afrifest website