Mbele

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at Concordia University, St. Paul

2012-01-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

Janury 16 is Martin Luther King Day. There will be many commemorative events around the USA, and I will be at Concordia University, in St. Pau, froml 9:30am to 3pm with fellow authors, displaying books and talking with people.

Having done some homework, over the last few years, on the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr, I have some understanding of the principles he stood for, especially around the issues of education, human equality and justice for all. When he said people should not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character, he wanted not only Whites but also Blacks and everybody else to abide by that principle.

As a writer and educator committed to such ideas, to making a positive difference in the world, I look forward to meeting people at Concordia University on January 16, and exploring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

African Trickster Tales at Gustavus Adolphus College

2012-01-12T21:27:00.000-08:00

Today I went to Gustavus Adolphus College to give a talk on The Trickster. Professor Paschal Kyoore is teaching a course on African Tricksters, and he invited me to visit the class, especially since they have been reading my Matengo Folktales.

I liked the fact that this was a two-hour class, plenty of time to raise and discuss some key issues. I dwelt mostly on conceptual issues and problems around the topic of trickster, starting with the Eurocentric orientation that drives our scholarly discourses. I stated that terms such as folktale, trickster, myth, and legend are themselves problematical.

There is something special about being in a small town in central Minnesota and discussing African traditions. I have experienced this before. I have given talks on Matengo Folktales at the College of St. Benedict, as I mentioned on my Swahili blog, at St. Olaf College, where I teach, at the School of Environmental Studies, and other venues.

Engaging students in reflecting upon human creativity in different cultures is surely one of the great joys of teaching, and I have always embraced that opportunity. Today, therefore, was another wonderful day in my life as a teacher.

Another Day With Gustavus Adolphus Students

2012-01-02T18:12:00.001-08:00

Today, I met with students from Gustavus Adolphus College who are leaving for Tanzania this week on a January term program that has been around for a number of years. Professor Barbara Zust invited me to meet the students, as she has done in the past, as part of their pre-departure orientation.

Professor Zust had the students read my Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences". My meetings with the students enable us to reflect on what I say in the book. That is what we did today.

However, I first gave an account of the genesis of the book. Readers of the book will remember that I do this as well at the beginning of the book. I then summarized the main lessons I learned in writing the book.

After those remarks, we had a question and answer session, which took most of the time. Since the students had read the book, they had many questions which gave me a chance to elaborate on various cultural issues.

Our meeting today lasted about four hours, making it the longest book talk I have ever held.

As in previous years, the students seemed all excited about their impending trip. I told them how delighted I am that they are going to my country and how valuable such experiences in foreign countries are.

We met at the Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center. Located in a rural area, it has excellent conference, lodging, and restaurant facilities.

Mmbuji Rock, Southern Tanzania

2011-12-30T19:50:00.001-08:00

Southern Tanzania has what it takes to be an attractive destination for tourists, both local and foreign. Here lies the Selous National Park, one of the largest in the world, with an incredible variety of wildlife.

The famous Maji Maji uprising against German rule, 1905-07, centered on this region, and records of it can be seen in the Maji Maji Museum in Songea town. To the west lies Lake Nyasa, with its sparkling waters and pristine beaches.

The list goes on, but one of the most magnificent but hidden treasures of Southern Tanzania is Mmbuji Rock, in the Matengo Highlands. There are several ways to get to it. As the road from Mbinga to Mbamba Bay winds its way higher into the highlands, it hits a junction going right, towards Litembo. This road, passing through coffee farms and fields of maize, wheat and beans, leads to Mmbuji Rock.

You can see Mmbuji Rock from miles away. I took the photo on the left while traveling from Mbinga to Litembo, as the landrover was going up the mountain from Kindimba, towards Manzege. You can see Mmbuji Rock in the far distance, beyond mountains covered with fields of ripened wheat.

There is much folklore surrounding Mmbuji Rock, including legends and tales of supernatural occurences, which I alluded to in an earlier post. For people interested in the folklore and culture of this area, I recommend Matengo Folktales.

Mmbuji Rock dwarfs everything else around it. Next to Mmbuji Rock, the tall trees seem like mere potted plants.

One needs to see Mmbuji Rock from different angles, from close by as well as from a distance. As the photos on this page demonstrate, Mmbuji Rock has many faces, depending on the viewer's location.Those who have seen Mmbuji Rock will agree that it defies description, and I can only say that seeing is believing. (I would like to acknowledge the sources of the photos used here and will do so soon)

Batouala

2011-11-24T09:44:00.000-08:00

I ordered a copy of Rene Maran's Batouala, and it arrived on November 14. I have known about this novel for decades. I am sure I first heard about it as an undergraduate student at the University of Dar es Salaam. I do not remember if I read it then or not.

About ten years ago, as I immersed myself in studying Ernest Hemingway, I discovered that Batouala had a significant impact on Hemingway. As a young man in Paris, Hemingway reviewed this novel favourably in the Toronto Star in 1922. This was Hemingway's first published book review. It is clear that this novel helped define Hemingway's ideas about writing, as is attested by this well-known paragraph from the review:

You smell the smells o of the village, you eat its food, you see the white man as the black man sees him, and after you have lived in the village you die there. That is all there is to the story, but when you have read it, you have seen Batouala, and that means it is a great novel.

The more I have immersed myself in Hemingway, especially his African connection, the more I have felt the urge to read Batouala, knowing that it will aid me in my effort to gain a deeper insight into both Hemingway's writing style and his life-long fascination with Africa.

Batouala was written in French. Published in 1921, it won the prestigious Prix Goncourt and sparked off a storm of controversy. I know that there are several translations of it. As I prepare to read the English translation by Barbara Beck and Alexandre Mboukou, I want to try and follow the French original at the same time, since I have a smattering of French for reading purposes. I have gone through the first page, and I am moved by Maran's writing.

Another Day at the School of Environmental Studies

2011-11-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Today, I went to the School of Environmental Studies in Apple Valley to talk with Mr. Todd Carlson's students. They are studying indigenous philosophy.

Over the years, starting in the early nineties, Mr. Carlson has invited me to speak in his class, my focus being traditional folklore.

In preparation for my visits, Mr. Carlson introduces the students to my book, Matengo Folktales. They read parts of it. As a result, they have many questions for me, which are thoughtful and engaging. They ask about such issues as recording and textualizing oral folklore, translation, folklore performance, and the meanings of the tales in Matengo Folktales.

During every visit, I tell a tale or two from Matengo Folktales. Today, as in the past, I told the "The Monster in the Rice Field," which everyone finds most intriguing.

Muslims in U.S. Colleges: The Somali Experience

2011-10-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Today, in Faribault, there was a meeting of Somali parents and youths to discuss the issue of Muslims in American colleges. Two Carleton College students organized the event. Aware of my longstanding engagement with the city of Faribault, including the Somali population, they invited me to be one of the facilitators of the conversations alongside a Somali Muslim man who has children in college, and a young Somali woman who is a college student.

We talked about admission issues, life on campus, challenges of being a Muslim on campus. I talked about the cultural differences Somali Muslims and Africans in general encounter on an American college campus, mindful of the fact that the school is both a product and reflection of its cultural context. The young woman on the panel reassured the audience, saying that though there are challenges to being a Muslim in an American college, they are not reason enough to discourage someone from going to college.

The gathering gave equal opportunity to young people and parents to air their views, expectations, and anxieties.

The parents stressed, again and again, that they want their children to succeed in school and college so they can have better opportunities in life.

It was humbling for me to hear some parents mention me as an example of what they want their children to be like. At the same time, it was a priviledge to be there as a source of inspiration and a role model for the youths. In fact, one young man recalled that I had spoken to him and his friends at the Faribault High School about five years ago and that he drew inspiration from what I had said on that day.

This was a valuable opportunity for everyone to learn and also to network.

Nuruddin Farah in Northfield

2011-10-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

This evening, at Carleton College, Nuruddin Farah gave a reading from Crossbones, his latest book, published this year. Several dozen people attended tonight's event.

I have heard Farah several times, over the years, here in the USA. It is always a priviledge to meet such a distinguished writer.

Farah started by giving the context of Crossbones--the eve of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia several years ago and its aftermath. From his reading it was clear that Crossbones brings home the sad realities and challenges that have been part of the experience of Somalia for years.

After his reading, Farah answered many questions from the audience. It was touching to hear him talk about the research he does in preparation for writing a work such as Crossbones. He paid tribute to the many people who help him.

One of the points he made is that he does not see himself as the spokesman or the voice of the Somali experience, even though many people see him as such. He insisted that nobody elected him spokesman of the Somalis. He also joked about his habit of writing trilogies, saying he is long-winded.

After his talk, Nuruddin Farah signed copies of his books. Most of his works were available. I made sure to obtain a copy of Crossbones, since I have the other books. On the left, you can see him signing my copy.

I have taught some of Nuruddin Farah's works, starting with From a Crooked Rib which I taught at Iringa Girls Secondary School, Tanzania, in 1974. I was then an undergraduate student at the University of Dar es Salaam doing my teaching practice. From a Crooked Rib was required reading in the Literature syllabus. I mentioned this to Nuruddin Farah this evening.

I have taught other works by Farah here at St. Olaf College, and I look forward to reading Crossbones.

My Online Bookstore

2011-10-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

I like the new look of my online bookstore. You can view it here. I did not create this new storefront: the credit goes to lulu. I will, however, be adding features to it, as you will see if you keep visiting it.

I started reading about online publishing more that ten years ago and soon decided to publish some of my work that way. I am still reading, to educate myself, since the field is evolving rapidly. Reading is one thing, however, but being involved in the process deepens my understanding.

When I started publishing online, the e-book phenonemon did not exist, as far as I remember. Nowadays, however, it is quickly gaining ground and might become dominant. I keep pace with these developments, making all my online books available in printed and e-book formats.

Twin Cities Book Festival, 2011

2011-10-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today, I went to the Twin Cities Book Festival in Minneapolis. This is an annual Festival, organized by the Rain Taxi
magazine.

Although I have participated in this festival as a book exhibitor for a number of years, this year I inadvertently forgot to make arrangements in time. I was in Tanzania for much of the summer, and when I returned to Minnesota, I realized that all the exhibition tables were taken. Next year I will be more alert, I hope.

Still, I drove the 45 miles to Minneapolis to see the Festival, a major event I never want to miss.

Despite the bad state of the American economy, despite all the suffering and uncertainty this is causing in people's lives, it is amazing that the Book Festival never fails to attract large numbers of people.

As always, I met people I know, such as Shatona Kilgore-Groves, seen on the left. She is a writer and educator in the African American community. This year, I published a review of her first book. At her table, I also saw her latest book, Feeling Down: How to Pick Yourself up in the Word of God.

I watched as people milled about, cheking out books and talking with authors, publishers, editors and other people in the book industry.

The whole day, from early in the morning, people come and go. I have no doubt that thousands of people attended today's Festival.

Most touching, for me, is to see parents who bring their children to these events. What a great way to bring up children. I believe all children like books. I have noted this in my own county as well and written about it.

I spent much time in the used books section on the left. There was a great variety of books here, at low prices.

Off-campus Study Open House, St. Olaf College

2011-10-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Today, here at St. Olaf College, we had what we call the Off-campus Study Open House, an opportunity for students to learn about the many off-campus study programs available to them.

St. Olaf College is noted for its commitment to study abroad, as part of its mission to promote a global perspective. Many students come to this College because of its study abroad opportunities.

Some of these programs are located in the USA but many take students abroad.

During the Open House, program advisors talk with students about their respective programs. I am an advisor for two programs run by the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) in Botswana and Tanzania, as well as the Lutheran College Consortium for Tanzania (LCCT) program. In fact, just about a month ago, I returned from Tanzania, where I led students on the LCCT program.

I doubt if there is any educator who would doubt the value of study abroad. It is, indeed, one of the best investments we can make in the lives of our students.

Book Hailed as a Cultural Diversity Resource

2011-10-07T17:10:00.000-07:00

In recent years, many immigrants and refugees have settled in Faribault, Minnesota, especially from Somalia and Central America. This has given rise to many cultural challenges, as has been happening in other communities across the USA.

This year students from the Political Science Department at St. Olaf College and one of their professors studied immigration issues in Faribault. They interviewed 39 community leaders and have produced a detailed report, available here.

I have been involved with the Faribault community for a number of years as a cultural consultant and mediator. I am delighted to see my work mentioned in the report, several times. Here is one reference:

Interviewees identified many existing print resources for cross-cultural education, including cultural sensitivity materials used by organizations like the Red Cross to train volunteers and Joseph Mbele's book Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. Respondents repeatedly pointed to Faribault's abundant "human resources," or specific individuals who are experienced in mediating between cultures to resolve conflicts. Interviewees named Joseph Mbele, ESL teachers and public school cultural liaisons as important human assets to the community. (p. 17)

This is not news to me, having been closely involved with the people of Faribault for a number of years. I should simply note that, as the report shows, Faribault's community leaders have done some really useful work on the issue of immigrants and refugees and learned lessons that can help other communities across the USA.

The Africans and Americans book is available from the St. Olaf College Bookstore, toll free number 1 888 232 6523 and online here.

Jack and the Beanstalk--as told by a two year old

2011-10-06T14:01:00.001-07:00

TPDF Saves Ship From Pirates

2011-10-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

Source: Daily News

By ROSE ATHUMANI, 4th October 2011 @ 12:24

SEVEN pirates were captured on Wednesday night after attacking an Oil prospecting ship, Sam-S-All Good, 40 kilometres Northeast of Mafia Island, the Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF) spokesman, said.

Col. Kapambala Mgawe said the seven suspects attacked the ship at around 9:00 with the intention of hijacking it. Two ships near the area; Monck and Froshiber which had TPDF forces responded to a distress call from the ship under attack.

"The two patrol ships that were in the area with TPDF troops, responded to the distress call from the oil prospecting ship and went to provide assistance and protection," he said.

On arrival at the scene, TPDF forces using search light noticed suspicious people walking up and down the ship brandishing guns.

"The TPDF opened fire in the air as a warning but the pirates did not surrender and instead fired directly at the soldiers. There was exchange of fire, the pirates were overpowered and decided to surrender by throwing their weapons in the sea and raised up their arms," Col. Mgawe explained.

He said the TPDF soldiers arrested the pirates by tying them up with a rope. "One of the pirates was injured in his right thigh, during the exchange of fire," he added.

The pirates were found in possession of 16 rounds of sub machine gun (SMG) ammunition and some pain killers. A TPDF ship has already left to pick up the pirates who are believed to be Somalis and they will be handed over to the police.

"One of our ships has already left Kigamboni today (yesterday) to pick up the pirates, we believed they are Somalis, but we cannot confirm that for sure yet, until they are brought in and handed to the police tomorrow morning," Col Mgawe explained.

The boat that the suspected pirates were using is believed to have drifted off, after they climbed onboard the oil prospecting ship, Sam-S-All Good.

Meanwhile, a five-day sea operation training comprising Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) member states and Kenya has been completed successfully.

Addressing journalists yesterday aboard SAS Drakensberg of South Africa, Real Admiral and Director of Marine Warfare Karl Wieswer, said the SADC summit agreed to have joint training that will make Indian Ocean safe.

"The purpose of the training is to make the waters of the EAC and SADC safe for trade," he added. Countries that participated in this initial training include Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa and host country Tanzania.

Real Admiral Wieswer said smilar training sessions will take place and will involve more countries including those landlocked and depend on the Indian Ocean for their trade.

2011-10-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

2011 PAN AFRICAN SUMMIT, MINNEAPOLIS
Africans and African Americans coming together

Come meet greet and engage your brother and sisters in a wonderful day of conversation. Together let’s talk about building relationships and wealth in our community.

Speakers: Mr. Lester R. Collins; Executive Director of Council on Black Minnesotans

Dr. Samuel Zalanga of Bethel University

Date: Saturday October 8, 2011

Location: Center for Families, 3333 North 4th Street Minneapolis, MN 55412

Time: 8:00am – 3:30pm

Cost: Free; Breakfast and Lunch provided

This summit is open to the public and it is free. Attached are event flyer, agenda and vendor registration form, please share these information to your network. Thanks and see you all October 8, 2011. A program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches.

Agenda

Saturday, October 8, 2011 8:00 am – 3:30 p.m

Theme: Wealth (Africans of the Diaspora Coming Together To Build Relationship and talk about Wealth in the sense of Economic and Culture)

Registration: 8:00 a.m. –

Social Networking/Continental Breakfast: 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

Call to Unity: 9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Welcome/Introduction

First Speaker: 9:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. (Mr. Lester R. Collins)

Break: 10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Entertainment/ Enrichment/ Performance: (African Dancing group?) 10:30 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.

Second Speaker: 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Dr. Samuel Zalanga)

Lunch: 11:30a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions: 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Panel /Facilitators: (Questions & Answers) 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Wrap Up: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Food For Thought: “What are you going to do to bring us together”?

Mission Statement: The Pan-African Council of Minnesota mission is to strengthen relationships among and between all people of African descent, acknowledge the historical brokenness between African and Caribbean born people and African Americans, and seek ways to reconcile our differences and heal the pain

Market Day at Lyulilo, Tanzania

2011-09-27T07:27:00.000-07:00

When you are at Matema Beach, on the northern side of Lake Nyasa, you will surely hear about neighbouring villages, especially Lyulilo and Ikombe. During a visit to Matema Beach, August 2, we decided to go to Lyulilo. We heard that it was market day. To get to Lyulilo, you can walk on the beach, or you can hire a canoe, as we did, for about ten dollars.

We had a smooth canoe ride.

As the minutes passed, we saw Lyulilo coming closer and closer. In a few minutes, we began to see people on the shore.

Soon we arrived at our landing spot, infront of the building on the left. From behind the building we heard music.

We went there right away and saw a group of people dancing and singing religious songs.

After watching this performance for a while, we turned back, into the main street. It was crowded with people.

This was indeed, market day. Coming to a place like this and buying anything, even if just a dozen bananas, let alone hiring a canoe, you know you are contributing to the local economy.

Lyulilo is famous as a pottery market. The pots are made at Ikombe, further up the shore. We did not get to Ikombe, but I plan to travel there next year. It should be quite an experience watching the potters at work.

The soda bottles on the left contain various types of local brew.

As usual, the sight of a white person in these remote places never fails to attract onlookers, especially the little kids, who are curious, in their own innocent way.

President Mugabe's Speech, 66th Session of the UN General Assembly

2011-09-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Iringa Regional Library

2011-09-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

This year, during a brief stay in Iringa, Tanzania, I walked by the Iringa Regional Library several times. Seeing this building brought back fond memories of my days as a student at Mkwawa High School, 1971-72, in this city. I used to come to this Library regularly, alone or with friends who were fellow Mkwawa students.

This year, I could not resist the urge to take a photo of this Library which meant so much to me in my student days. I recalled the many hours I spent reading in this Library, which was well stocked with different kinds of books and other publications, including the latest. I recalled one of the librarians, John Simbamwene, a famous novelist who wrote in Swahili and whom I adored. He was a most gentle person, very well dressed all the time. Talking with him was always inspiring.

There were bookstores as well, not far from the Library, on the same street, and I used to visit them. It was a great time to be a student in Tanzania. As students, we knew what we were doing, and we worked hard. The teachers were well trained, knowledgeable, and conscientious.

Mkwawa High School was one of the best high schools in the country. To enter Mkwawa, you needed to be an outstanding student. Although entry into the University of Dar es Salaam, the only university in the country at the time, was very competitive, half of my Mkwawa graduating class got in. Many of my classmates went on to become distinguished scientists, diplomats, writers, civil servants, professors and so on. I like to think that this Library, modest as it appears, played a role in our lives.

This year, I did not just walk past this Library. I went in and took a look. Then I had a chance to talk with the lady at the reception desk. She struck me as a person who genuinely loved the Library. When she learned that I am a professor in the USA, she asked me to help the library with books, especially in the field of English. I am always delighted to have such conversations with people who want to foster positive change in our country.

American Students at Mlimani Primary School

2011-09-21T13:52:00.001-07:00

On August 26, as part of the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania (LCCT) program, we visited Mlimani Primary School at the University of Dar es Salaam.

The LCCT program has a longstanding association with Mlimani Primary School. Students from LCCT institutions who study at the University of Dar es Salaam get the chance to teach and interact with teachers and students at Mlimani.

The Mlimani program started in the early nineties. After watching the LCCT program for a number of years, Mama Shoonie Hartwig, founder of the program, talked with Heribertha Mbele, who had been a teacher at the Mlimani School, about the idea of LCCT students doing some volunteer work at the school. The teachers at the school welcomed the idea, and that is how the program started.

The American students mostly teach English, under the guidance of the teachers. The program has worked rather well. This year, the school principal told me how much the program has meant for the school children. Learning English from native speakers is a valuable opportunity. In addition, through interacting with the LCCT students, the school children get used to white people.

A teacher took us on a tour of the school, visiting classes and looking at the buildings and the surroundings.

The LCCT students, on their part, appreciate the opportunity to broaden their study-abroad experience through working at the school. This has been a notable addition the LCCT program.

Memories of Matema Beach

2011-09-14T13:13:00.001-07:00

From the first time I learned about Matema Beach, while planning an academic trip, I wanted to go there. The few photos and travelers' reports I saw online inspired me, although they suggested that the journey to Matema Beach was not for the faint-hearted.

I finally got there in August this year. To my surprise, the journey was not rough. It did not take us up and down or round steep mountain slopes. The imposing and scenic mountains are in the distance, and sometimes quite close, but the road follows level ground all the way. It is best, however, to hire a vehicle as we did in Mbeya.

Seeing is believing. When you finally arrive at Matema Beach, you realize what a lovely place it is, the kind of place one wishes to visit again and again.

Having been told to make meal arrangements in advance, I did call the Lutheran Center two days before our arrival. They prepared exactly what we ordered, and the cooking was marvellous.

From the Lutheran Center main building to the lake shore, you pass this little gift shop. Here you can buy African fabrics, post-cards, and various souvenirs. You can also get drinks here.

Because our schedule was tight, we only spent some hours at Matema Beach. If we had more time, we could have easily stayed overnight. The Lutheran Center has accommodation facilities such as the one on the left.

Apart from hanging out on the beach, a great way to enjoy a stay at Matema Beach is to go on a canoe ride. On another day, I will write about our canoe trip from Matema Beach to the nearby village of Lyulilo, famous as a pottery market.

My Ngugi Seminar

2011-09-12T15:22:00.001-07:00

My Ngugi seminar is already underway, having started on September 9. On that day, I introduced myself, the course, and my teaching philosophy. Today I started with an overview of Africa, the cradle of the human race, language and story telling, concluding with the evolution of modern African writing. At the very end, I talked about Ngugi.

Our first text will be The River Between. Just thinking about this novel brings back memories of my days as a secondary school student in southern Tanzania, when we used to read this and other works by Ngugi, Chinua Achebe, David Rubadiri, Legson Kayira, and other African writers. We also read such writers as Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Daniel Defoe. We had, thereby, a rich and varied context for appreciating African literature.

Now, many years later, I look forward to revisiting The River Between and other works by Ngugi.
I am particularly keen on Wizard of the Crow, which I have not read before, and equally keen on exploring the intersection of African literature and politics that Ngugi exemplies so well.

From Coco Beach to Matema Beach

2011-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

What a month this has been for us three people on the LCCT program. We have visited a number of amazing places in Tanzania, starting with Dar es Salaam. On the left we are seen at Coco Beach, a famous spot in Dar es Salaam.

Coco Beach attracts large numbers of people eager to escape the hustle and bustle of Dar es Salaam, even though this is a part of Dar es Salaam. Here, for a few hours, they can relax, play, and enjoy the refreshing ocean breeze.

After two days in Dar es Salaam, we headed inland, to Iringa. There we stayed several days, visiting the city and its environs.

We also spent two memorable days in the Ruaha National Park, witnessing the great abundance of animal and bird species, some endemic to this Park. Elephants, giraffes, kudu, crocodiles, hippos, gazelles and other animals roam everywhere. You spend the night wondering what animals those are that are howling, screeching, or fighting outside your tent. Lions, which are difficult to see in other parks, abound in Ruaha National Park.

Then we were on our way again. We went to Njombe where we spent a night, in the hotel shown on the left.

On the following day, we were on our way to Mbeya. We stayed two nights.

On August 20th, we headed to Matema Beach. This is a place I had written about, eager to visit.

With its sun drenched beach, sparkling lake water and friendly, laid back locals, Matema Beach feels like paradise. It is, surely, one of Tanzania's hidden treasures.

Matema Beach reminded me of Mbamba Bay, further south on this same lake shore. I have written about Mbamba Bay, both in English and in Swahili.

Today is my 60th Birthday

2011-08-17T12:04:00.001-07:00

Today I am turning 60. I had a busy day and never really had a chance to think about it. In the morning, I was in Njombe, getting an update on the progress of Njombe University College. Then, in the early afternoon, I embarked on a journey to Mbeya, arriving only about an hour ago, this evening.

I might find a better time to talk about my birthday but a few thoughts crowd my mind right now. It is a priviledge to live up to sixty and I am grateful. I have to ask, however, what I have done with all those years. Hemingway worked very hard as a writer, receiving the Nobel Prize when he was in his mid fifties. That is a good standard by which to judge my achievements or lack thereof.

I want to think of the age of sixty as a kind of turning point. If I haven't accomplished much so far, I doubt if I will make up for the shortfall in my remaining years. Besides, I ask myself how many years I still have in this world. Could it be five, ten, or fifteen? I doubt if I will live another 60 years.

I am grateful for the good things I have learned and done and hopeful that I will have a few more years to make a positive impact on the world from which I have gained so much.

A Book Signing at the Iringa Lutheran Centre

2011-08-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

I came to Iringa, last night, with students on the LCCT program. Little did I know that I would be signing my books at the Iringa Lutheran Centre, where we are staying. Yet that is exactly what happened this evening.

We traveled from Dar es Salaam with a group of people on the Bega kwa Bega program which is based in Minnesota.

Though I did not know these people, they knew me, so to speak. David and Karen, their trip leaders, had told them to read my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, for this trip. This evening, after dinner, David and Karen offered me their copies of the book to sign, as shown above.

(Th first photo above courtesy of Bailey Putney)

A Meeting With the Ruvuma Press Club

2011-08-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

On August 4, 2011, I met members of the Ruvuma Press Club, thanks to the efforts of Mr. Christian Sikapundwa, a leading member of the Club whom I had never met but had communicated with through his blog and mine. Living in far-away America, I have found Mr. Sikapundwa's blog a valuable source of information about Ruvuma, my home region. I learned about the Ruvuma Press Club from this blog.

Knowing that I would be in Ruvuma, Mr. Sikapundwa called together members of the Ruvuma Press Club so I could meet them. We had a memorable evening get together at the Serengeti Club. We talked about many things, and I learned much about the realities of doing journalism in challenging circumstances that include inadequate resources and the perils of seeking and speaking the truth. Having listened to Dan Rather a few months ago, at St. Olaf College, I could see how universal the basic experiences of reporters and journalists are.

This was a congenial and rewarding get together, which enabled us to know one another and share personal and professional experiences. As I was simply passing through Songea on my way to Dar es Salaam, I did not have time to visit the offices of the Club. We look forward, however, to continued communication. You can read more about our meeting here and here

Back in Tanzania

2011-07-24T02:10:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Dar es Salaam on July 16. It is great to be back in Tanzania. I am enjoying my few days of rest before I get to work, when American students arrive. I look forward to showing them parts of my country and then leaving them at the University of Dar es Salaam, where they will study for one semester.

Dar es Salaam is humid but busy as a beehive, as usual. I plan to take some photos and will write some more substantive posts in the coming days.

Cultural Challenges Facing Africans in the USA

2011-06-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

The Pan African Organization of Minnesota will host a discussion on "Cultural Challenges Facing Africans in the USA," and has asked me to introduce the topic. The event, to be held at the Center for Families, June 18, is free and open to the public. Here is more information:

VENUE:
The Center for Families
3333 North 4th Street
Minneapolis

TIME:
Saturday, June 18, 2011. 12noon - 2:00pm

As someone whose consulting and outreach work revolves around issues related to cultural differences, I look forward to this event with eagerness.

A Gathering of African American Authors, Minneapolis

2011-06-11T19:38:00.000-07:00

As part of the preparations for the June 16 African American Author Event, we met today at the Center for Families, thanks to the tireless efforts of Jeffrey Groves and Shatona Kilgore-Groves, featured here on the left. They founded and run the Black Parent Group.

This was a gathering for the writers to get to know one another and their writing. There was a great diversity of life stories and dreams, challenges and successes, stories of heart-rending life experiences turned into sources for books the writing of which helped the writers heal their souls and are now available to fortify and inspire others.

The authors ranged from new ones with one book published to more experienced ones with several or more books. These ranged from personal memoirs to children's books. There was even a very young boy, who seemed to be barely six years old, who has already published a story book. He read his book, with his father at his side, to great acclaim.

This was a unique, memorable event. Everyone felt it should be the beginning of a tradition, to promote and showcase the work of people of African descent. If today's event is anything to go by, the June 16 African American Author event should be phenomenal, not to be missed.

African American Author Night and Read-In

2011-06-03T11:41:00.001-07:00

In Honor of Juneteenth

When: Thursday, June 16, 2011

Time: 5:30PM-8:30PM

Where: Magers & Quinn Booksellers
3038 Hennepin Ave. South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-822-4611

Event Description:

The Black Parent Group and Magers & Quinn Booksellers (M & Q) will host a local African-American (AA) Author Night and Read-In in honor of Juneteenth 2011. Come and meet inspirational AA/African authors. We will have a wide variety of books available including: Biographies, Children’s, Cookbooks, Mental Health, Financial, Parenting Guides, Spiritual, Fiction, Poetry, and many more genres for you to choose from.

Authors appearing:

· Coach Nakumbe
· Jacinta Calhoun
· Joseph L. Mbele
· Ms. Nique
· Candy Pettiford
· Charles E. Cox, Jr.
· Chaun Webster
· Deniesha Johnson
· Derrick L. Williams
· Dr. Verna Price
· Elder Mahmoud El-Kati
· Gary Armstead
· Gerald Montgomery
· Jeff & Shatona Groves
· Joyce Marrie
· Lance and Landon Sanders
· Lehman Riley
· Lynnette A. Murray-Gibson
· M. Ann Machen Pritchard
· Thomas Slater
· Tinitha Warren
· Tommy Watson
· Venita Johnson
· Zenobia L. Silas-Carson

African American Read-In: Male community leaders will read to local youth during the event.

For Information on M&Q Booksellers visit: www.magersandquinn.com

In Collaboration with the Council on Black Minnesotans and the Minnesota Humanities Center, this program is funded in part with money from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

The Black Parent Group P.O. Box 11621 St. Paul, MN 55111 612-568-6326 1-877-378-4326 © 2010

Matema Beach, Here we Come

2011-05-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been thinking a great deal about Matema Beach, a little village at the northern tip of Lake Nyasa, Tanzania. I have never visited it, but I am planning to, this summer, with students from the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania.

I normally don't blog about places I have not yet visited. I write after I have been there. From all accounts, Matema Beach is different, nothing short of bewitching. Intrepid tourists who get to Matema Beach extol its charm. I find myself dreaming of the magic of the Lake, its sparkling clear water and its gorgeous, sand laden beaches, over which the waves break repeatedly with either a hushed or mighty roar I myself witnessed at Mbamba Bay, further south.

I have been reading about Matema Beach and consulting friends. I know, for example, where to stay. There is the Matema Beach Resort and the Lutheran Center.

I look forward to adding Matema Beach to my list of favourite spots on planet earth. It is going to be quite an adventure, as others have described it, and I hope to join the growing group of bloggers who have written about it, in English, German, Swahili, and perhaps other languages. Matema Beach, here we come.

Immigrants in Faribault

2011-05-16T21:48:00.001-07:00

Today I attended a special event in Faribault, Minnesota. Political Science students from St. Olaf College presented research they have been doing under Professor Katherine Tegtmeyer Pak on issues facing immigrants and social service providers in Faribault.

These students had interviewed many individuals, and organizations, from representatives of immigrants, social service providers, religious leaders, law enforcement staff, and public officials. Two of them interviewed me, on the basis of my years of experience with the Faribault Diversity Coalition.

Apart from addressing their questions about challenges facing immigrants and the services available to them, I talked about the dynamics and ethics of field research involving human subjects. I shared with the students my own experience as well as my little paper, "Ethics in Folklore Research," published in Storied Inquiries, pp. 187-188.

It was wonderful to hear their presentations, covering a number of key areas, including the economic, social, cultural, and educational. The students knew what they were talking about, and this became particularly clear when they answered questions about their respective topics.

There are many challenges facing the immigrants, including language and cultural differences. The students highlighted these very well. From the side of social service providers, one of the main challenges is shortage of funds.

These students have gained valuable knowledge of real life issues facing a small town, which is, indeed, a microcosm of the world. I felt they have gained much more than they would have by merely doing research in a library.

I know that they have not only broadened their own horizons, but they have put together information that will be useful for various agencies, refugee organizations, and future researchers.

A report on the event appears in the Faribault Daily News.

Zambian Children Singing the American National Anthem

2011-05-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

At least in my days, African kids in sixth grade had a good knowledge of world geography. We could locate countries, railways, ports, ocean currents, mountain ranges, climatic zones, rivers, lakes, and so on around the globe. These Zambian children singing the American National Anthem have taken this tradition to a whole new level. I am truly impressed, and I hope American kids will take note.

Faribault Somali Community Services

2011-05-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today I attended a meeting in Faribault that brought together members of the Somali community, the City Administrator, and the Chief of Police. The meeting was organized and hosted by the Somali Community Services Center, a relatively new organization. It was an opportunity for city authorities to hear about the challenges facing tieh Somali community.

The Somali men and women talked about the challenges they face, including how to deal with social services providers, law enforcement, and landlords. They mentioned the need for translators, to facilitate communication. They stressed, however, that they do not want to be dependent on social services. They just want initial assistance in this new environment. After that, as hard working people who have known life in refugee camps, they will achieve success on their own.

This was a worthwhile meeting, and I hope there will be a tradition of such meetings in the future, not only with the police and city admistration but also the health services, school system, businesses, and so on.

I cherish any opportunity to participate in such gatherings and have been to Faribault a number of times, as I have written on this blog and on my Swahili blog.

For more information about the Faribault Somali Community Services Center, call (507)332-0707 or (507)210 7128; email somalixamar93@gmail.com

A Day at Shulua School, Tanzania

2011-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am in Tanzania, I visit schools, libraries and other educational institutions. It is my way of staying connected to what I love best: learning and teaching.

On June 18, 2010, I visited Shulua Secondary School, as a member of a delegation of the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania (LCCT).

The LCCT sends American students to Tanzania to study for one semester at the University of Dar es Salaam. However, the LCCT always looks for opportunities for those students to enhance their educational, social, and cultural experience in such ways as volunteering in schools or community projects. We visited Shulua School as part of this agenda.

This school is in the Kibamba area, which straddles the highway from Dar es Salaam to Morogoro. We were very well received, by teachers, students and staff. The students entertained us with songs, poetry and a short satirical play.

This boy read poetry in English, which he had composed. We heard warm words of welcome and speeches and we offered our gratitude in return.

We had a good opportunity to meet and talk with the teachers. Mr. Alfred Mdima, third from the left on this photo, is the headmaster of the school. He gave us a tour of the school, which sits on farm land owned by his family.

Shulua Secondary School is a relatively new venture. We saw ongoing building and infrastructure projects. On the left is a well, just about completed.

Thinking about my experience at this school, I recall the motto of Makerere University, an institution I have visited twice. It says: "We Build for the Future."

Youth Meeting With President Kagame

2011-04-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

SPEECH BY THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY YOUTH ORGANIZATION

(EACYO) TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME ON 8TH,

APRIL 2011 KIGALI RWANDA

Your Excellency President Paul Kagame,

Honorable Minister of Youth,

Honorable Minister of EAC affairs,

Executive secretaries of the National reconciliation and fight against genocide,

EAC Deputy Secretary General and Patron of EACYO, Mr. Alloys Mutabingwa,

Youth from East Africa,

Ladies and gentlemen,

All protocols observed

I would like to begin, on behalf of East African Community Youth Organization,

by expressing our profound gratitude for the hospitality of the Rwandan

government through the Ministry of Youth as they have actively organized all

aspects of our visit to Rwanda. We would also like to thank you for making time

to meet us despite your busy schedule, especially in the course of this week.

Your support to EACYO is greatly appreciated. We shall not take it for granted

and we shall do our best to maximize this opportunity you are giving us today.

We would also like to express our admiration for your strong and visionary

leadership. The progress since 1994 is considerable. It is a real inspiration for the

Youth, the African continent, and the world at large.

Since Rwanda joined the East African Community, the Deputy Secretary General

Mr. Alloys Mutabingwa, who you nominated, became a key spring-board and

pioneer for youth mainstreaming into EAC integration. He has also become the

first Patron of EACYO and we would like to take this opportunity to appreciate his

help and guidance. Thanks to your wise selection of team that puts your vision

into action, today the youth have space and a voice in the people-centered EAC

integration.

The youth in EAC, Africa and the entire world take you, Mr. President, as their

icon, steward and guardian.

Your Excellency, we wish to take a moment to acknowledge your support

to the Youth. Some of the measures you have put in place to ensure youth

development include the establishment of a Ministry of Youth, the creation

of a National Youth Council and structures up to grass-root level, Youth

mainstreaming in leadership at all levels, Youth in business by supporting youth

micro-finance, Education and skills development, and the support to the Council

of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), only to name a few.

Your actions reveal your faith in the youth, as well as your just appreciation of

the immense potential that we constitute as the Youth.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

To briefly introduce our organization, East African Community Youth Organization

(EACYO) is a non-governmental, non-profit making Organization which intends to

create young people’s engagement in the realization of the goals and objectives

of the East African Community, the exploitation of shared opportunities for the

benefit of the East African dwellers, and ultimately, the creation of a people-

driven East African Federation.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

The importance of EACYO is outlined in article 120 of the Treaty establishing the

East African Community, which calls upon Partner States to involve marginalized

groups, including the Youth, in activities of the East African Community. EACYO

therefore exists to operationalize Article 120 of the EAC Treaty.

All the members of EACYO are committed to give their best to build a strongly

motivated generation of citizens ready to serve their nations and the EAC region.

EACYO has to be established as a strong structure that will outlive its founding

members and serve the generations to come.

Your Excellency, as you may be aware, the period from 12 August 2010-2011

was declared International Year of Youth. It was launched with the theme of

Dialogue and Mutual Understanding. Its slogan “ Our Year, Our Voice” reminds

us that Youth can actively participate in national, regional and global decision

making processes, and lead the way towards finding innovative and sustainable

solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of today’s time. We are

gathered here to show our solidarity for peace, for a strong and sustainable EAC

of today and tomorrow.

However we still need assistance from our leaders, elder brothers and sisters.

We are looking for role-models, people who inspire and motivate us. You Mr.

President you are our role model; also Our patron, Mr. Mutabingwa, has already

done a lot in that respect and we are thankful for his continued assistance.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

A lot still needs to be done but we know that, with your support, our goals shall

be achieved.

The Youth of East Africa would therefore like to request your support for the

establishment of a regional secretariat of EACYO which will enable us to

create a regional youth network. The type of support we are requesting, Your

Excellency, is two-fold.

First, we need financial support to set up an office with all the necessary

equipment and staff to carry out the activities of the Secretariat.

Second, we need capacity-building. We have the passion and determination to

participate to the development and transformation of our region. We need to

be empowered to strengthen our capacities and our skills, to build trust and

confidence in order to fully participate and make tangible impact. Leadership

training programs would greatly help to achieve such goals.

Your Excellency Mr. President,

Our second request is for you to sponsor the East African Youth Football

Tournament. This will not only contribute to an increased visibility of the youth,

but also to and peace-building among youth of East Africa.

Your Excellency, it will be unfair if we don’t speak about Rwanda genocide.

In 2010 East African Community Youth Organization in collaboration with

the Rwanda Diaspora in Arusha Tanzania organized a walk to remember that

included over 700 youth with a theme: Rwanda genocide; never again. This

year’s messages is “upholding the truth; preserving our dignity”. We also find

that it is very important to spread this message to the Youth of East Africa and

Africa at large.Commomeration reminds us about our responsibility to promote

Peace, Call upon all those contesting for presidency in Africa to visit Rwanda

Memorial sites so that they can see how big the burden is.

I would like to conclude, Your Excellency, by reiterating our gratitude for your

support and for the opportunity you have given us to be here today. The Youth

in EAC wish to crown you for your efforts to restore faith in humanity and

confidence among the youth in Rwanda, Africa and across. We are dedicated

to follow your foot-steps, sustain your vision and use it to cause change across

generations.

May the Almighty God grant you a very long life to realize the tremendous

impact your devoted leadership continues to cause across generations. The initial

results are extremely evident with your hands-on approach and we believe

that there is more to come. Please rest assured, Your Excellency, that hakuna

kurudi nyuma bali ni kusonga mbele haraka.

Thank you.

Mrisho Gambo

Chairman

East African Community Youth Organization

P.o Box 11777

Arusha Tanzania

E-mail: mrishogambo@yahoo.co.uk

Cell: +255784337639

SOURCE: Mjengwa Blog

Peace Corps and Africa Conference

2011-03-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am a great fan of the Peace Corps, and have been for many years. So, when I learned that there was going to be a Peace Corps and Africa Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, I decided to go.

The conference, held March 24-27, brought together returned Peace Corps volunteers who had served in various countries as well as prospective volunteers, and, of course, fans of the Peace Corps like me.

This is the 50th year of the Peace Corps, and the Madison conference was one of the commemorative events taking place in different parts of the USA.

I learned a great deal from the speeches and other presentations, about the beginnings of the Peace Corps and the work of Peace Corps volunteers all over Africa. We heard tales about President John Kennedy who inspired Americans with the idea of service, and we heard about Sargent Shriver, the visionary and charismatic founder of the Peace Corps.

We heard about Kwame Nkrumah, and how he got Sargent Shriver to send the first batch of Peace Corps volunteers to Ghana in 1961. The name of Julius Nyerere came up as well and the story of how he welcomed Peace Corps volunteers to Tanganyika in those early days.

There were many people in this meeting, including ambassadors, educators, business people, writers, and students.

I got to meet some of the people who had been Peace Corps volunteers in my own country, such as Ernie Zaremba, who served in 1964-66 and appears with me in the photo on the left. Now he enjoys recording stories of former Peace Corps volunteers and visiting Tanzania to meet people who knew or benefited from Peace Corps volunteers.

I met Mark Green, who had been the U.S. Ambassador in Tanzania, 2007-2009. I met several University of Wisconsin-Madison professors I had known from my days as a graduate student, including Professor Harold Scheub, who had been my main dissertation advisor.

On the left I am standing with Wade DallaGrana, whom I got to know when I arrived in Madison in 1980. He had returned from serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Lesotho, and we used to meet often and chat. The Peace Corps meeting in Madison was a big event for us, since we got to see each other after about thirty years.

I have much to say about the Peace Corps conference, and I plan to write more about it, if only as a tribute to these amazing volunteers, whose dreams, thoughts, and feelings are squarely focused on service to others and building a better world. Being around such people is truly inspiring.

Pan African Organization Meeting

2011-03-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

We had another Pan African Organization meeting today, at the Center for Families. As in the past, today's meeting brought together Africans and African Americans, sharing ideas and experiences. Edmund Ocansey had sent our announcements stating that the focus of this meeting would be African politics and culture. That theme appears to have touched people, as it became clear during the meeting.

We did not get to this topic right away. First we had lunch, in the course of which we started talking about ourselves, introducing ourselves to the rest of the group and talking about why we are in this group.

That was Edmund's way of starting the meeting. It got people talking about their experiences, concerns and dreams in relation to Pan Africanism.

People shared inspiring experiences and ideas, and I can only mention a few. We talked about the need to educate ourselves, learn about people, understand them, truly understand them.

The gentleman on the left said he feels he has a lot in his spirit to give to others. He wants to make a positive difference in people's lives, in someone's life, without judging that person.

This sister, originally from Togo, said she was keen to learn about the African heritage and Pan Africanism. She talked about her association with the Pan-African Women's Philanthropy Network and announced that this organization will host a conference in August.

The brother on the left, in the black shirt, talked about his visits to Ghana, a country which is very special to him. He shared a delightful personal story: how he found out, through DNA testing, that he has Igbo ancestry.

He encourages African Americans to venture out as he is doing, and explore Africa, because of the opportunities there.

At that point I shared some thoughts I have gained from my friend Professor Baruti Katembo about the need for African Americans and Africans to come together in order to explore and utilize the resources each group possesses and represents, for mutual benefit.

The gentleman seen writing on the left spoke about the need for African Americans to learn about their history in order to correct the narrow perspective that focuses solely or predominantly on the experience of slavery.

Telling African Americans only that they were slaves limits their perspective and conditions them to behave in certain ways. A broader view of their history will help them to acquire more positive self-concepts and assume new roles which will earn them respect.

The two ladies seen here are members of the board of the Pan African Organization. They came on board recently, bringing fresh energy and perspectives. On the right is Shatona Kilgore-Groves, founder of the Black Parent Group, and author of A Black Parent's Memoir, Vol 1.

As I have noted, this is only a sampling of what people shared. After all this, we got to the main item of the agenda. Edmund Ocansey gave a talk highlighting aspects of Ghana from independence to the present day. He focused on the political and cultural landscape.

I talked about cultural issues affecting Africans in the diaspora. I gave the example of Faribault, where long term residents and Somali immigrants are struggling with cultural challenges. I mentioned my presentations on cultural diversity to companies, churches, schools, colleges, and community groups.

Mindful of what everyone has said about the need to learn about ourselves, I mentioned that I record folklore and interpret it, to reveal the thoughts and values of our people. I showed my two books, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and Matengo Folktales.

Whenever I attend the meetings of the Pan African Organization, I feel I am in a classroom where I broaden my horizons. I appreciate the opportunity to extend my social network.

Ngugi: African Literature and Politics

2011-03-15T21:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I submitted to the English Department the description of a seminar I will be teaching in the Fall, 2011, titled "Ngugi: African Literature and Politics." Here is the description, now available to prospective students:

Ngugi wa Thiong’o is one of Africa’s leading writers. He is also a political and cultural activist. He has written short stories, novels and plays, as well as essays on literature, politics and language. He is the most well known champion of African language literatures. His work draws on sources as diverse as Gikuyu folklore, The Bible, Chinua Achebe, Karl Marx and Frantz Fanon. In this seminar, we will read and discuss a selection of Ngugi’s works in a chronological order, including his earliest short stories, The Black Hermit, The River Between, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, A Grain of Wheat, and Wizard of the Crow. We will explore the evolution of Ngugi’s writings, and how he has been influenced by, and in turn influenced, African writing and debates about politics, culture and language. Studying Ngugi offers a unique opportunity to understand the relationship between literature and politics in contemporary Africa.

(The photo above, featuring Ngugi and me, was taken during Ngugi's visit to Macalester College, where he gave a reading of Wizard of the Crow)

Minnesota Black Pages 2010-11

2011-03-11T12:27:00.000-08:00

The Minnesota Black Pages 2010-11, a rich source of information on businesses, products, and services pertaining especially to people of African descent, is now available. The current edition focuses on the housing crisis. In line with my abiding interest in cultural issues, I contributed an article titled "Housing as a Cultural Phenomenon", pp. 29-30.

Readers of my Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, will remember that housing is one of the issues I talk about in that book. For the Minnesota Black Pages 2010-11, I went somewhat beyond what I wrote in the book.

The Minnesota Black Pages 2010-11 also carries advertisements, and you can read about Africonexion, my consulting company, on page 28. On page 41 you can read what the Minnesota Black Pages team wrote about my Africans Americans book. Enjoy the Minnesota Black Pages 2010-11.

Teaching "Train to Pakistan"

2011-03-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

For many years, I knew about Khushwant Singh's Train to Pakistan. I knew that on the question of the Partition of the Indian sub-continent, this was the book to read. While teaching Indian Literature, I mentioned it again and again. It is only this month, however, that I have been able to read Train to Pakistan, as part of the readings for my South Asian Literature course.

Having just finished reading it, I am happy I placed it immediately after Ahmed Ali's Twilight in Delhi. There are significant overlaps between the two. I am also happy that after Train to Pakistan, we will be reading Bapsi Sidhwa's Cracking India. I have taught Cracking India, a novel that brings up some of the very issues we encounter in Train to Pakistan.

Train to Pakistan centers around the village of Mano Majra, populated by Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. They have their places of worshop there and live in harmony. As the killings in Pakistan and India grow more feverish and Muslims escape to Pakistan and Hindus to India, the village of Mano Mijra struggles with very difficult questions: whether to ask the Muslims to go or to let them continue to live in the village in accordance with age-old customs of hospitality.

Train to Pakistan is a gripping story, in many ways. I had read about the Partition and Indian Independence, but this novel gives a human face to the historical accounts, in the sense that it explores the impact of the Partition on human beings. Its exploration of bigotry and tensions between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs ought to make us take a close look at ourselves.

In discussing this novel, I mentioned various other works that contain the same theme: In the Book of Dede Korkut Muslims long for and celebrate the killing of infidels. In the Song of Roland the Christians long for and destroy Muslims. I mentioned Gassire's Lute, the West African epic in which we hear disparaging comments about the dog like Borama. I also mentioned the American bishop who said: kill a commie for Christ.

Even though, in this novel, we are encountering fictional characters, we can hear and feel what they are going through and what they are thinking about. We experience the life they live where they live; we see the sights, hear the sounds, and smell the smells. As Hemingway would say, Train to Pakistan is a true book.

Train to Pakistan is a gripping novel, whose events are foreshadowed on the very first page:

The summer of 1947 was not like other Indian summers. Even the weather had a different feel in India that year. It was hotter than usual, and drier and dustier. And the summer was longer. No one could remember when the monsoon had been so late. For weeks, the sparse clouds cast only shadows. There was no rain. People began to say that God was punishing them for their sins.

Interestingly, the trains we read about are all coming from Pakistan, laden with dead bodies of Hindus and the lucky few who are not dead. Only in the end is there a story of a train going to Pakistan. There is suspense surrounding the approach of this train, with a stunning surprise ending as Juggat Singh, whose image has all along not been particularly good, commits an unexpected, breathtaking act of heroism and bravery, foiling a well planned ambush and massacre of the Muslims traveling on this train. Juggat Singh dies as the train proceeds to Pakistan.

Teaching "Twilight in Delhi"

2011-03-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

My South Asian Literature class in now comfortably underway, in its fourth week. We started with Mulk Anand's Untouchable, which I have taught many times. We then studied Ahmed Ali's Twilight in Delhi, which I had not read before.

Reading Twilight in Delhi in the wake of Untouchable has been a valuable experience, a broadening of horizons. While Untouchable relates the experience of Indian Hindus, Twilight in Delhi deals with Indian Muslims.

Never having read a novel about the world of Indian Muslims, I found Twilight in Delhi refreshing. Fortunately, I know something about Islam, especially coming from Tanzania, a country where about half of the population is Muslim and about half Christian.

I spent considerable time explaining Islamic principles to my students, as a way of establishing the groundwork for discussing Twilight in Delhi. I described the five pillars of Islam and showed three videos: this one, which presents the Islamic call to prayer; this recitation of the Quran; and a small boy's recitation of Surah Yasin.

Twilight in Delhi deals with such themes as patriotism, love, and marriage. It portrays family life, wedding customs, healing and burial practices. From its very beginning, Twilight in Delhi exudes nostalgia for the Delhi of the past, whose grandeur and magnificence fell apart as a result of British rule.

This novel presents the fate of Delhi as a metaphor for the human condition. In ways reminiscent of existentialist writings, characters in Twilight in Delhi contemplate and talk about the meaning of life and the transience of human achievements. This reminds me of Al-Inkishafi, the classic Swahili poem, which reflects on the demise of the old famous Swahili cities, making us wonder about the meaning of life itself.

A Tribute to African American Achievement

2011-02-26T20:34:00.000-08:00

This evening I was in Minneapolis, attending a tribute to African American Achievement. The event, part of Black History Month, was held at the Greater Friendship Baptist Church.

With jokes and wisecracks and boundless energy, the master of ceremonies, seen on the left, kept the audience in high spirits throughout the evening.

Advertized under the title "Why God Made me Black" this was a rich offering of comedy, poetry, spirituals, gospel music, history and a fashion show.

There were many performers, such as this group of Gospel singers, who put up a spirited performance.

This group took us to the days of slavery. Here they are playing the part of slaves working in the field, singing spirituals.

There was a fashion show, put up by the group seen on the left, departing the stage after making their final bow to the audience. With the help of a commentator, the fashion show highlighted the history of African Americans fashion over the decades. The show included several West African costumes.

This young girl gave a solo performance of dance movements.

One of the most touching moments for me was when one of the facilitators of the event talked about the Second Chance Foundation, which seeks to give people a second chance at education and self improvement. He asked for donations, as collectors of the donations positioned themselves in front of the auditorium. It was touching to see the outpouring of generosity as people streamed forward to give their donations. I joined them.

This was an evening of entertainment and education. At one point, the facilitator asked the audience questions about African American history. For example, he asked when the first African slaves arrived in the USA. Another question was what was the first state to free slaves. There were questions also about famous inventors and artists. To this audience, the questions were rather challenging, a reminder that belonging to a certain group is one thing, but knowing the history and experience of that group requires effort.

Pan African Group Meeting, Minneapolis

2011-02-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

The Pan African Summit movement is gaining momentum in the Twin Cities. After several years of having only a small steering committee, we have reached a new level with the formation of the Pan African Council. Today we had a meeting at the Center for Families to welcome new Pan African Council members.

Chairing the meeting, Edmund Ocansey started by restating the mission and aims of the Pan African Summit and then we took turns introducing ourselves, stating our vision for the future of this organization. In this gathering of Africans and African Americans, everyone expressed the desire to see the Pan African Summit continue to grow and prosper.

We talked about the 2010 Pan African Summit noting some things we learned from the keynote speakers and from those attending. We also shared personal stories of contacts we made at the Summit, as an illustration of the value of the Pan African Summit.

One idea that kept coming up was the desire to learn about one another. The African Americans expressed the desire to learn more about Africa and Africans, and the Africans expressed the desire to learn more about African Americans. Another idea was that we should really start planning for the next Pan African Summit, to be held on October 8, 2011.

Those of us who have been on the Pan African Summit planning committee from the beginning assured the newly constituted Pan African Council of our support in all possible ways.

A Black History Event in St. Paul, Minnesota

2011-02-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

I was in St. Paul, Minnesota, this evening, with my oldest daughter, attending the Fifth Annual Black History Event, held at the Merrick Community Center. I learned about this event on Facebook and made arrangements right away to participate as a vendor.

There were introductions and greetings.

Groups of young people gave energetic and creative dance performances, amazingly choreographed.

I marveled at the displays of talent and self-assurance of the youthful performers.

I was amazed by the agility of their bodies as they executed complicated moves in perfect harmony with the music.

They sang various songs, including, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," whose words were written by James Weldon Johnson and music by John R. Johnson. It was interesting for me as an African to learn that this is the Black National Anthem.

There were people of all ages, from children to older adults.

I wanted, in part, to experience an African American celebration, and that is exactly what happened. Being among all these African Americans was quite an experience.

Although their mannerisms felt somewhat African, I could feel the difference between that gathering and an African gathering. For example, I did not hear the familiar African accents. The dances and the music were all African American. It was refreshing to see that kind of attachment to one's own traditions, a reminder of the history of struggle to define oneself and stay true to oneself.

An African celebration in the United States would be a caccophony of accents, and the dances and music would be an incredible mix of everything, from Papa Wemba to Bob Marley, with lots of Michael Jackson and Kool and the Gang thrown in. That also is good, signifying a certain global perspective.

I visited the tables of fellow vendors and gathered useful material about resources and organizations I was not aware of, which deal with such issues as education, culture and the welfare of families.

Towards the end of the proceedings, Tommy Watson, the keynote speaker, gave an inspiring message of hope, based on the incredible challenges he had faced and overcome in his own life.

I had a chance to talk with several people, including a lady who said she was originally from Mississippi. She told my daughter and me about the reality of life in the American South. My daughter, who had visited Mississippi for a few days as part of a College of St. Catherine student trip, could related to the stories better than I.

I also spoke with a gentleman who came to my table asking questions about my writings, especially on the African and African Diaspora experience. He struck me with his engaging thoughts and questions. He was both a good talker and a good listener.

Overall, the Black History Celebration was a great experience.

Teaching South Asian Literature

2011-02-16T17:42:00.001-08:00

A few months ago, I designed a course on South Asian Literature. It would focus on India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the location of one of the world's oldest civilizations, whose contributions to the world include Hinduism, the Mahabharata and Ramayana epics, and literary works in many languages. I am teaching the course this Spring.

Over the years, I have taught literary works from this part of the world, such as Gitanjali, by Rabindranath Tagore; Untouchable, by Mulk Raj Anand; Kanthapura, by Raja Rao; The Vendor of Sweets, The Painter of Signs, and The Guide, by R. K. Narayan; Nectar in a Sieve, by Kamala Markandaya; Fire on the Mountain, Baumgartner's Bombay, and Fasting, Feasting, by Anita Desai; Cracking India and The Crow Eaters by Bapsi Sidhwa.

I did not, however, teach all these works at one time or in one course. I included two or three such texts in my courses on Post-colonial Literature or Introduction to Literature. I always include a work by R.K. Narayan in my Hero and Trickster course.

The South Asian literature course is an opportunity to focus on one part of the world, exploring the dialectical and dynamic relationship between literature, history, culture, religion, and politics. I look forward to guiding my students through an exploration of not only the unique artistic contribution of each writer, but also how these writers appropriate indigenous traditions such as folklore, as well as "Western" and other foreign traditions.

Here are the works I am teaching: Untouchable, by Mulk Raj Anand; Twilight in Delhi, by Ahmed Ali; Train to Pakistan, by Khushwant Singh; Cracking India, by Bapsi Sidhwa; Anil's Ghost, by Michael Ondaatje; Reef, by Romesh Gunesekera, and The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy.

I have neither read nor taught most of these works, but I like exploring new areas of literature. One might ask: where is Kalidasa? Where are Tagore, Salman Rushdie, Anita Desai, Shashi Deshpande, Amitav Ghosh, Meena Alexander and so many other writers? How can you teach South Asian Literature without including Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children? Where are the playwrights and the poets? All these would be valid questions, but there is only so much one can do in one semester.

My Writing Course

2011-02-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

For years, I never thought I would enjoy teaching the writing course. From one semester to the next, as I laboured through this course, my spirit seemed to steadily die, like a candle flame in its final minutes. I saw the teaching of writing as a chore.

A few years ago, however, a new awareness dawned on me. I began writing columns for newspapers, and that forced me to see writing in a way I had not done before. I used to write mostly academic papers, but writing short articles for newspapers forced me to pay attention to language in a truly special way, to see and appreciate the uniqueness of every word.

A little over ten years ago, I developed a deep interest in Hemingway as a writer and a theorist of writing. Everything Hemingway wrote about writing has inspired me greatly. In my writing classes, I invoke Hemingway the same way a preacher invokes the sacred texts. Hemingway has taught me to love my writing course.

I want my students to experience the joy I experience in revising something I wrote, progressively making it good, or very good. Above all, I want them to experience the joy of touching other human beings through writing.

The Afrifest Foundation Looks Ahead

2011-02-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

I have just returned from Minneapolis, to attend the Afrifest Foundation Open House. The Afrifest Foundation board had wanted to hold this event to inform people about the new direction that the Foundation is taking, designed to make it better than it is.

Nathan White, Executive Director, welcomed the gathering and introduced the Afrifest Foundation briefly as an organization working to bring together diverse people in Minnesota and beyond in order to learn about and celebrate the history and culture of Africans and people of African descent. Then, at his request, we took turns introducing ourselves.

Nathan continued to present an overview of the Afrifest Foundation: its origin, the dream and the journey traveled so far. He mentioned accomplishments, including successful staging of the annual Afrifest Festival, partnerships with companies, organizations and individuals. He mentioned challenges encountered along the way, such as the tendency among some Africans to focus only on their own ethnic group or country. The Afrifest Foundation has a bigger dream: promoting Pan Africanism. Nathan's introductory remarks set the tone for the meeting.

Nathan then invited me, as chairman of the Afrifest Foundation board, to offer my remarks. I talked about my experience of working with Nathan from the very beginning, and why I value stepping out of the college setting where I work, and being involved in the broader community, to both teach and learn. I highlighted the value of Afrifest for our community as a forum for learning about ourselves, our history, culture, and place in the world. I see the Afrifest Foundation as an amazing place for our young people to volunteer and do internships, activities that are highly valued in the U.S. educational system and society at large. As an educator, I contribute to the mission and vision of Afrifest Foundation through educational programming such as the Pan African historical exhibit I present during the annual festival.

I mentioned that during the Festival, I also display my books and other writings, and talk with people about African and African Diaspora culture, folklore and other subjects. I showed copies of those books around.

After my talk we had an amazing Jamaican lunch catered by S&M Catering, whose owner, Shabba, is seen on the far left, in jeans.

Then Nathan led us through the rest of the agenda: objectives, mission, keys to success, board responsibilities and new member sign up process. As the Afrifest Foundation seeks to extend its activities, it needs more board members. He invited people to sign up.

We had good conversation, sharing ideas and suggestions. Shabba joyfully reminisced about participating in Afrifest last year as a food vendor and shared ideas about promoting the Afrifest Foundation among people of various Caribbean islands. We exchanged contact information.

This was a rich and inspiring meeting, which covered much ground and left everyone with a clear sense of the importance of the mission of the Afrifest Foundation. At the end of the meeting, all the board positions were filled up. The Afrifest Foundation is poised to forge ahead in pursuit of its new vision of having not only the annual festival but several other events during the year.

For more information about the Afrifest Foundation, read this interview. There is more, such as this report of a business meeting and this record of a fashion show.

The Book of Dede Korkut

2011-01-30T16:16:00.000-08:00

I don't remember how I first heard about the Book of Dede Korkut. It could have been in my numerous readings, over the years, about the world's epics. I knew, however, that the Book of Dede Korkut was the national epic of the Turkish people, part of the Islamic epic tradition.

I had a copy of the book for several years but had only managed to glance at its first few pages. This year, I decided to read and teach it in my "Hero and Trickster" course. At the back of my mind, I wondered whether there might be connections between Dede Korkut and the Epic of Gilgamesh, and more interestingly, between it and the Homeric epics. For many years, I have pursued the relationship between the Greek epic tradition and folklore traditions around the Mediterranean and beyond, in view of entrenched, but mistaken, notions about the Homeric epics and Greek culture in general, especially around the question of origins.

There are elements in Dede Korkut that remind us of similar elements in other epics, including the Odyssey. In the story of Goggle-eye, for example, we see echoes of the Cylops story in the Odyssey. More striking, perhaps, are similarities between Dede Korkut and other Islamic epics I know, such as the Utenzi wa Rasi 'l Ghuli of the Swahili. To inspire Swahili readers, I mentioned Dede Korkut on my Swahili blog.

The Book of Dede Korkut is a window on the Oghuz Turks, how they saw and defined themselves and their place in the world. Seeing themselves as Muslims, they are always conscious of their duty to fight the infidels. Their young boys grow up waiting for the day they will go fight the infidels. In any confrontation with infidels, for whatever reason, the Muslims see themselves as fighting for Allah and the Prophet.

We can use the epic of Dede Korkut to examine our own ideologies, such as nationalism. Just as the Muslims in this epic define themselves in opposition to the infidels, just as their Muslim identity depends on the existence of the infidel, we ourselves seem to need enemies, real or imagined, to define and sustain our national identity and nationalism.

After teaching texts based on more familiar world-views, I thought Dede Korkut was a valuable source of understanding the complexity of the world and how different societies define themselves and one another. All the students in my class were non-Muslims. I kept reminding them that according to the Oghuz Turk viewpoint reflected in Dede Korkut, they and I are infidels. We are the enemy. It is valuable for all of us to know and acknowledge how others see us, especially when, as in Dede Korkut, they are so sincere. We invoked Carl Jung's concept of the shadow in efforts to understand this phenomenon.

Teaching Dede Korkut, has broadened my understanding of the epic genre. The poetry is very moving, even in translation. I wonder how much more powerful it is in the original. Aspects of the narrative technique of this epic reminded me of the drama of Bertolt Brecht. I have also learned about the global reach of Dede Korkut, extending, for example, as far as Brazil.

LCCT Visit to the University of Dar es Salaam

2011-01-17T15:56:00.001-08:00

On July 26 and 27, 2010, I was part of a four member delegation from the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania that visited the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM). We discussed with UDSM officials the current state and the future of the cooperation between LCCT and UDSM, a program that has lasted over twenty years. Under this program, many American students have studied at UDSM, and dozens of Tanzanians have visited LCCT institutions, advancing their graduate studies or enhancing their administrative skills and experience. Some of these Tanzanians are now prominent figures in government, education, and other sectors.

During our two days at UDSM, we met various officials. We had detailed discussions about key aspects of the LCCT program, such Swahili courses, the academic calender, student orientation, dormitory life, travel opportunities, safety, interaction between American and Tanzanian students, and the visiting scholar program.

We affirmed the value of the program and expressed the desire and determination to continue it, even in the face of challenges posed by the current world economic environment.

For me, this was another opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues, since I taught at the UDSM before going to St. Olaf College. Indeed, as we moved around the UDSM campus, we met a number of people who had been to the USA on the LCCT program.

People who have visited or studied at the UDSM will recognize the buildings on the left. The Arts and Social Sciences Tower is on the far left, and the Administration building is in the forefront, next to the parking lot. This is a main stop for "dala dala" minibuses going to Mwenge and Ubungo.

Here is the library, whose East Africana section contains the world's largest collection of Swahili manuscripts. This library also hold the Hans Cory collection, well known to anthropologists studying East Africa.

Here are two of the student halls of residence. On the left is Hall Two and on the right is Hall Five. As an undergraduate at UDSM, 1973-76, I stayed in Hall Five, on the seventh floor. I don't remember the room number, though. Visiting UDSM brings back fond memories of those days.

The UDSM has changed much since the days I studied there. A number of academic units and departments have grown and become faculties. The Faculty of Engineering has become the College of Engineering and Technology. The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has become the College of Arts and Social Sciences. The Faculty of Science is now the College of Natural and Applied Sciences. The Faculty of Education has become the Dar es Salaam University College of Education, a constituent college of UDSM, located miles away, in the city of Dar es Salaam. The UDSM has also established another constituent college, the Mkwawa University College of Education, several hundred miles up-country. The faculty of Medicine in down town Dar es Salaam has become the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. The list goes on.

On the left is the University of Dar es Salaam Business School (UDBS). During my undergraduate days, it used to be the Department of Commerce and Management, housed in the Arts and Social Sciences Tower, not in its present location, which was a vast parking lot for University vehicles.

Looking Back on "A Grain of Wheat"

2011-01-09T19:36:00.001-08:00

My African Literature and Politics course concluded with a study of Ngugi wa Thiong'o's A Grain of Wheat as I had noted in a previous blog post. After ranging across the African literary landscape, discussing A Grain of Wheat was, for me, a veritable return home to East Africa, to the lives of peasants similar to what I experienced in my childhood and the sounds of Swahili.

At the same time, A Grain of Wheat brought up themes we had encountered in previous texts. In A Wreath for Udomo we read about Africans in Europe, where they interacted with Europeans in the years before African independence. In A Grain of Wheat, we read the story of Mr. Thompson, an Englishman who got to know Africans in England, an encounter that inspired him to take up a career in the colonial service, ending up in Kenya.

Both A Wreath for Udomo and A Grain of Wheat recount the sadness and frustration of colonial officials about to depart the colonies on the eve of Independence. A source of joy for the Africans, Independence is a painful experience for these functionaries of the colonial system.

There are parallels, as well, between God's Bits of Wood and A Grain of Wheat. The theme of a strike, central in God's Bits of Wood, appears also in A Grain of Wheat. The strike by detainees at Lira is one of the most painful episodes in the novel as a graphic testimony of the inhumanity of the colonial system. The railway, a central feature and symbol of economic exploitation in God's Bit's of Wood, features in A Grain of Wheat as well.

One of the key themes in God's Bits of Wood is, of course, the heroic role women play in the strike. As I noted in a previous blog post, this harks back to the ancient epic traditions. A Grain of Wheat presents women of great courage as they participate in the Mau Mau uprising. In both texts, these women challenge the men to show their mettle, even putting them to shame.

In both God's Bits of Wood and A Grain of Wheat, the people struggling against oppression find themselves contending with others they consider traitors. In both novels, there are dramatic, suspenseful trials, which end in unexpected, anti-climactic ways. In God's Bits of Wood, an old man diffuses the fury of those who would put the traitors to humiliating punishment, while in A Grain of Wheat, Mugo, the person the community believed to be one of their greatest heroes, steps forward and confesses, to everyone's disbelief and shock, that he is the person who betrayed Kihika, the hero the colonizers hanged.

This outcome is as surprising to the people in the novel as it is to us readers. Ngugi succeeds in weaving a suspenseful tale with a truly unexpected ending. In the process, he deftly describes the intricacies of interpersonal relationships as they get tested by the hardships and agonizing dilemmas brought about by the state of Emergency and long periods in detention camps. While he infuses a realism in his description of events which is sometimes graphic, Ngugi's warm affection for the people and the land is unmistakable. He evokes very well the spirit of the people on the eve of independence, their hopes as well as anxieties.

Reading my students' answers to my final examination questions, I felt that they had gained a credible understanding and deep appreciation of the challenges Kenyans faced in the struggle for independence. In conjunction with the other texts, the students seem to have gained a good understanding of the social and political realities Africa faced in the twentieth century, especially in the fifties and sixties.

Blogging in Two Languages

2010-12-31T18:57:00.000-08:00

I started blogging in 2008, prompted by my two friends, Freddy Macha and Jeff Msangi. I run a blog in Swahili and another in English.

I did not quite know what I was getting into, when I started. Now I know. I have been learning a great deal through blogging, not only about blogging, but also about myself. Along the way, I have benefitted from the wisdom of more experienced bloggers, such as Subi Nukta and Michuzi.

I realize, for example, that blogging in two languages means dealing with two audiences. When I write in Swahili, I feel I am addressing fellow Tanzanians. I am comfortable writing about Tanzanian issues, often in a polemical style, because I am passionate about the issues.

When I write in English, I feel I am addressing the world. I don't even know what that means, but something tells me I am writing for the world, not just for Tanzanians. Still I want my blog to be as personal as possible, reflecting my interests, and accessible to a broad, global audience.

I will be thinking more about all this, and will write more reflections, as I do on my Swahili blog. I wonder, however, how things would be if I could blog in Matengo, my mother tongue. Alas, like most languages, Matengo is not a written language.

Multicultural Marketing

2010-12-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

As the world rapidly becomes a global village, with people of different cultures interacting in complex ways, it presents many challenges and opportunities.

For businesses, such challenges and opportunities lie in the field of multicultural marketing. I have been learning about this over the last several years, starting with a conference I attended on March 13, 2008, in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Multicultural marketing deals with a practical question: How does a business connect with people of different cultures to successfully market products and services? What is acceptable or appealing to one culture might not be to another culture. This can be as simple as the colour of a product or the sounds and images used in advertizing a product or a service. I remember how Tanzanians reacted to yellow maize flour from the USA, when it first arrived in their country. Being used to white maize flour, they did not like the yellow flour.

As a cultural consultant, I consider multicultural marketing an exciting topic, and I incorporate it in my workshops on culture and globalization.

My African American Readers

2010-12-22T18:19:00.001-08:00

Writing Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, I faced many challenges. After publishing it, I wondered how readers would respond.

I was anxious, for example, about African Americans, because I talk and warn about differences between them and Africans. I even claim that African Americans are not African but American.

In due course, Shannon Gibney, a gifted African American journalist, called, seeking to interview me about my book. We did a phone interview, and she had sharp questions. Her review appeared in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. I was touched by Shannon's honesty when she disagreed with me, and both relieved and gratified by her endorsement of the book.

Another high-profile African American response came from the Minnesota Black Pages, whose 2009/10 edition featured a colourful, full-page endorsement of "this ground-breaking book that addresses the sometimes frustrating disconnects between African Americans and African Immigrants," noting that the book's "concise and easy style will provide the reader--no matter their heritage--the knowledge to overcome a great deal of miscommunication and embarrassment" (page 47).

Needless to say, these responses have lessened my anxieties, and I thank these African Americans for sharing their opinions so generously.

Writing as Hard Labour

2010-12-15T16:54:00.001-08:00

I want to talk about writing, considering how easy it is to string together words on an empty page and form a sentence or sentences, a paragraph or an essay. We do that all the time and call it writing.

I am thinking about writing as Hemingway defined it, again and again, as hard work, "something that you can never do as well as it can be done."(1)

I could cite Hemingway's many other statements on writing, but here is one I find most memorable: "There's no rule on how it is to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly. Sometimes it is like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges."(2)

That is what I mean by writing, often painful and frustrating. From searching for the right word--and often there is no right word--to getting the sentence right, writing can be an excruciating ordeal, sheer Purgatory.

My most recent experience of Purgatory was writing on Litembo. For a long time, I have wanted to write about Litembo, the place where I was born and raised. I remember the place well: its mountains and valleys, its villages and footpaths, and its people.

I have always wanted to put these images in words. Writing that blog post was one way to test and exercise my faculties. I wrestled with words, trying to describe the landscape, the weather at the top of those mountains, the grass, and the ancient little trees clinging to rocks, defying the cold winds.

As I revise my work, over and over, I see it getting better and better. Eventually I publish it, feeling quite good about it. I return to Hemingway's views on writing: "It is a perpetual challenge and it is more difficult than anything else that I have ever done--so I do it. And it makes me happy when I do it well." (3)

As time goes, however, I discover weaknesses in my published work, and I wonder why I did not see them earlier. Such is my feeling, for example, about my little article on accents.

How I wish I could follow Hemingway's words: "All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know." (4)

Notes

1) Larry W. Phillips, ed. Ernest Hemingway on Writing (New York: Scribner, 2004), 15.
2) Phillips, 18.
3) Phillips, 15.
4) Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast: Restored Edition, ed. Sean Hemingway (New York: Scribner, 2009), 22.

Litembo, A Memorable Place

2010-12-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

Litembo is a lovely place. I was born here. As a young boy, I walked its paths countless times, visiting homes, going to school and, on Sundays, to church. No matter where I am in the world, my heart is here.

Litembo made me who I am: the way I talk, feel and see the world.

Litembo is well known, in Southern Tanzania and beyond, because of its church and its hospital. For decades, people from far and near have flocked to Litembo Hospital, where the legendary Doctor Weyer worked, from 1961 to 1996, when she retired and returned to her native Germany. A model of devotion to serving others, she was loved by all and will always be remembered.

Several years ago, people of Litembo built a monument on a nearby mountain side, in remembrance of their ancestors killed there during an uprising against German rule. With this bit of history as an added attraction, Litembo beckons visitors, even those traveling the road between Mbinga and Mbamba Bay.

Litembo harbours cultural treasures, such as traditional Matengo ceremonies, dances, songs, games, and artifacts.

This is where, in the seventies, I recorded Matengo Folktales, an open window into the soul of the people who live here.

These tales express the experiences of the Matengo, their sentiments and outlook on life, revealing their thoughts, speculations, and questions about their environment, about themselves, about their relationships, and about the human condition in general. These tales are an important index and repertory of the Matengo artistic heritage.

Several miles from Litembo mission, as we call it, there is the awe-inspiring Mmbuji Rock, the subject of legends and other folklore. Ibuuta, Matengo fairies, live on this rock. People who live nearby report seeing unusual sights on the rock at night. The Matengo behold this rock with awe and reverence.

I recommend a hike up the surrounding mountains. The trails wind through coffee farms, fields of maize, wheat, and beans. Along the way, there are brick houses with corrugated iron roofs. As one pushes higher and higher, the houses vanish, to be replaced by both fields and uncultivated patches, the abode of colourful butterflies and birds of various kinds. Isolated trees and rocks of different shapes and sizes define the landscape.

It is cold up there, and windy. On the rocks, ancient little trees with stunted trunks and gnarled branches defy the cold winds, their roots wedged deep into the rock crevices. From that height, you can see distant places, where the horizon merges with the sky. This is not a place to spend the day, however, because of the cold winds, but it is a great place to enjoy a panoramic view of this beautiful region in Southern Tanzania.

(Litembo photo at the top of the page is from Peramiho Abbey).

Thank You, Joseph Mbele

2010-12-06T08:16:00.000-08:00

I see this blog as my private space, where I can express what I want: thoughts, sentiments, recollections, hopes, joys, anxieties, and so on. This blog post is somewhat personal.

As an author and cultural consultant, I always want to know how or whether I am connecting with my audiences. It is therefore gratifying to receive any feedback.

Several days ago, I came across a blog post titled "Thank You, Joseph Mbele," written by someone who had heard me speak at the College of St Benedict/St. John's University. I had been invited there to give several presentations, one of them to Peace Studies students and faculty preparing to travel to Eastern and Southern Africa.

I was happy to read the blog post, and was pleased that the author benefited from what I said about the differences between African and American culture. I thank the writer for this feedback, offered freely. I recall the meeting that evening: a full auditorium, with a table of my books at the back. I spoke for about thirty minutes, based on my Africans and Americans book, and then we had a stimulating question-and-answer session.

I wish to thank all my readers and audiences. I always learn something when I write or make presentations, but readers and audiences help me in that process. Some readers contact me privately, but others go public with their message, like the blogger I have mentioned and the Professional Strong Man, who ends his message with the Swahili phrase, "Asante sana," which means "thank you very much." I wish to return all these thanks, ten times over.

Teaching "A Grain of Wheat"

2010-12-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

My African Literature and Politics class is now embarking on a study of Ngugi wa Thingo's A Grain of Wheat. I read this novel for the first time around 1971-72 at Mkwawa High School, Tanzania. It was on the reading list for the Literature course.

I remember quite well the experience of studying A Grain of Wheat. Our teacher was Paul Sorenson, a Danish volunteer. Soft-spoken and focused, he led us through a methodical exploration of this novel, alongside works of criticism, such as an essay by David Cook, titled "A New Earth."

There are memories that seem to last for ever. One such, for me, and close to my heart, is the cover of the novel--both the front and the back--featured on this page.

In those days, the author's name was James Ngugi. A Grain of Wheat and Ngugi's other writings touched us in a special way. Because of our rural backgrounds, most of us could relate to the lives of Ngugi's characters.

I have just introduced Ngugi to the class, with remarks about Kenya's colonization, settlers and the alienation of land, the Kenyan people's resistance against colonialism. I dwelt on the Mau Mau uprising and the Emergency.

I mentioned Ngugi's earlier works, such as Weep Not Child, The River Between, and The Black Hermit; his advocacy of writing in African languages, his stand against imperialism and for decolonization. I look forward to rich and memorable conversations with my students about A Grain of Wheat.

Teaching "God's Bits of Wood"

2010-11-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

After discussing Ferdinand Oyono's The Old Man and the Medal, my African Literature and Politics class picked up Sembene Ousmane's God's Bits of Wood, enabling us to continue our exploration of African Francophone writing.

I was happy to introduce Sembene Ousmane, Africa's leading film maker and one of its most accomplished writers. I talked about his life, work and travels, the evolution of his writing and his decision to make films. I talked about his politics as reflected in his life, writings and films.

After years of studying epics, I now see God's Bits of Wood in terms of the epic genre. The struggle of the workers, epitomized by the strike, is a classic epic tale, reinforced by Maimouna's songs from the ancient legend of Goumba N'Diaye, "the woman who had measured her strength against that of men."

This legend foreshadows the role women play in God's Bits of Wood. Mindful, however, of the many female characters and their roles, we dwelt on specific characters: Old Niakoro, Maimouna, Ramatoulaye, Ndeye Touti, and the little girl Adjibidji, who reminds me of another little girl, Raka, in Anita Desai's Fire on the Mountain. Both are free spirits, perpetually crossing the boundaries their societies impose on girls and women.

God's Bits of Wood methodically explores the trials and tribulations of a society under siege, reminiscent, in some ways, of Albert Camus's The Plague. Both texts explore what happens or might happen to human beings under such extreme conditions, as suffering persists and intensifies, seemingly with no end in sight.

We talked about themes in the novel: oppression, discrimination, racism, religion, colonial education, the politics of language, the relationship between the old generation and the new, and between men and women. In discussing these themes, we invoked the ideas of people like Frantz Fanon and Ngugi wa Thiong'o. I gave the class plenty of time to read the novel, and I believe the experience was worthwhile.

A Visit to the School of Environmental Studies

2010-11-17T11:43:00.000-08:00

Today I visited the School of Environmental Studies (SES) in Apple Valley, to talk about folklore and the environment. Although I have visited this school many times, each visit is a new and refreshing experience.

As in the past, Todd Carson, the class teacher, invited me. I told the students today that I love and respect their school so much that I would never decline an invitation to speak there.

I discussed the evolution of language and folklore as vehicles for human survival and development. I talked about how humans have used and continue to use myths, legends, folktales, and other folklore forms to make sense of the world around them. Through incantations, rituals and ceremonies, humans have sought to influence the world.

Discussing stories of the origin of the world, I mentioned the Popol Vuh of the ancient Mayans, having just taught it in my folklore class at St. Olaf College. I also mentioned the widespread African story of how God separated himself from humans.

I talked about how story telling appropriates advances in technology, such as writing. Nowadays story telling goes on in newspapers, television, and social media such as blogs and Facebook and Twitter. In response to a question, I said that all disciplines are, essentially, forms of storytelling.

Since I visit the SES when the students are reading selections from Matengo Folktales, I always get to share some tales. Today, I told one tale from that book, "The Monster in the Rice Field."

My visits to the SES are always memorable. The students are different every year, but always delightful, brimming with intellectual curiosity. They ask great questions, and the two-hour session ends rather quickly. (Photos by Todd Carson).

Teaching "The Old Man and the Medal"

2010-11-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

My African Literature and Politics class is not over yet. We have still five weeks to go. After reading A Wreath for Udomo, we moved on to Ferdinand Oyonos' The Old Man and the Medal.

I was keen to teach this novel, having read it as an undergraduate student at the University of Dar es Salaam, around 1974, under Professor Gabriel Ruhumbika. He introduced us to Francophone literature, having studied at the University of Dakar and the Sorbonne. I deepened and extended my understanding of Francophone literature as a graduate student at the University Wisconsin-Madison, under Professor Edris Makward.

With such a background, I eagerly awaited the opportunity to teach The Old Man and the Medal. I started with a brief overview of French colonial policies, emphasizing the notion of assimilation, gave an overview of the colonial experience in Cameroon, then moved on to literary history, incorporating the oral as well as the written tradition.

I talked about Ferdinand Oyono alongside Mongo Beti, briefly mentioning and discussing their key works, as well as their place in African literature. I made sure to state that anyone looking for an engaging fictional treatment of missionary work in colonial Africa needs to read Beti's The Poor Christ of Bomba.

During class discussions, it was inevitable that we would go back to Cesaire's Discourse on Colonialism as well as Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. Fanon's chapter, "Concerning Violence," affords a framework for talking about the kind of colonial city depicted in Oyono's novel. The Old Man and the Medal provides good opportunities for discussing colonial politics around class and race, as well as for exploring indigenous African life and values.

We noted the ironies of this novel, around themes such as the friendship between Meka and the colonizers, and how Meka ends up being arrested and jailed by the same system that awards him the medal. We noted, as well, the sad ending of the novel, as Meka, in the wake of all his recent troubles and disappointments, finally declares, "I'm just an old man now..."

Iringa Fall Festival

2010-11-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today I attended the 12th annual Iringa Fall Festival at Roseville Lutheran Church. This was an occasion for members of the St. Paul Area Synod of the ELCA and Iringa Diocese, Tanzania, to review and celebrate their partnernship.

This partnership involves not only matters of faith and fellowship but also programs in such fields as education, agriculture, and health. Various other synods and congregations across the USA are involved in such programs, with partners across Africa and other parts of the world.

Early in the program today, we heard a recorded message from Bishop Owdenburg Mdegela of Iringa. He recounted the many benefits of the partnership and thanked everyone involved and looked forward to an even brighter future. We also watched a video documentary of the life and work of the late Rev. Dr. Benjamin Ngede, a powerful testimony to a truly remarkable life.

The event drew many participants.There were several guests from Iringa, whom I was delighted to meet. They came from Tungamalenga and Kihesa. I met many people who know me, from hearing me speak in their churches or other venues, or from reading my Africans and Americans book. Some had heard, from Professor Per Anderson of Concordia College, that I was taking LCCT students to Iringa next year.

One of the speakers, Rev. Don Fultz, standing with his wife Eunice in the photo on the left, surprised me by introducing me to the audience, declaring that I wrote a wonderful book. He brandished a copy, urging everyone to read it. At the end of the Festival, I was accosted by people looking for the book. Fortunately, I had some copies.

There were about a dozen speakers, on such topics as Tumaini University, Radio Furaha, Saccos, the volunteer experience, the Agricultural Institute, the Endowment Fund, and Ilula Hospital. There was even a photo contest, and booths with information about these programs as well as Tanzanian items for sale. I saw people wearing Tanzania's kitenge outfits.

Africans and Americans: A Book Talk in Faribault

2010-10-31T16:10:00.001-07:00

I have visited Faribault again and again, over the last few years, to participate in various educational and cultural events. On October 21, I went there again, at the invitation of the Buckham Memorial Library, to talk about my Africans and Americans book. I had mentioned this invitation in a previous blog post.

People came from Faribault and neighbouring towns, as well as Minneapolis. Delane James, director of the Library, introduced me.

I started with a brief account of my work at St. Olaf College: teaching global literatures in English, Folklore, and advising study abroad programs.
I noted that my interest in cultural differences developed in the course of my graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1980-86. There I experienced life in a foreign culture for the first time and began acquiring the knowledge I share in my Africans and Americans book and other writings.

I highlighted the main lessons I learned while writing the Africans and Americans book, and the lessons I learn while offering cultural orientation to Africans and Americans or while helping resolve conflicts between them.

One of these lessons is that we all grow up in our cultures with the idea that our culture is normal. We do not even think about it, just as we do not think about the fact that we are breathing.

The problem is that we tend to see our culture as the norm. We get a reality check, often a rude awakening, upon encountering a different culture. That encounter can result in problems between us and other people. Drawing upon my book, I gave examples of problems that occur between Africans and Americans.

I stressed, as I always do, the importance of learning, to know ourselves and others. We have no alternative, with the world increasingly becoming a global village and people of different cultures criss-crossing the globe and settling everywhere. Every place will feel the impact of these trends: from American cities, towns, and communities to the remotest parts of the world. I mentioned Tanzania, my own country, and the influx of foreigners there, from places as far as China.
After my talk and a period of questions and answers, there followed a book-signing, a ritual much beloved by Americans.

This was a worthwhile event. I had an attentive, engaging, and delightful audience and we were all very pleased. Delane urged everyone to organize similar events in their respective communities or places of work.

There are more photos of the event here. Milo Larson, chair of the Faribault Diversity Coalition was there, and he wrote a note on Facebook:

Great Forum by Joseph Mbele last night at the Library, always learn something new about the different cultures whenever I hear him. Everybody should see him just once, would be a more harmonious place.

At the Rural America Writers' Center

2010-10-21T13:42:00.000-07:00

My visit to the Rural America Writers' Center last evening went well. I was delighted to see the place and meet some of the people who carry on its mission. Born and brought up in a rural place, I was inspired and would like to establish such a center in my home area.

After being introduced, I described my work in the classroom and in the world, emphasizing the teaching of global literature in English and Folklore as well as consultancy work in cultural matters, especially those affecting Africans and Americans.
I talked about Matengo storytelling and told the tale of "The Monster in the Rice field," included in Matengo Folktales.

Then I talked about the importance of understanding cultural differences, citing my experience with Africans and Americans. Most people present read their works, prose and poetry, and shared stories. They bought copies of Africans and Americans and Matengo Folktales. We had wonderful conversation, which we continued later at a nearby restaurant.

The Rural America Writer's Center is a congenial meeting place for writers, with a nice small library. Writers read their work here. The Center also publishes The Green Blade, a magazine featuring established and emerging writers.

My Reading at the Jon Hassler Theater, October 20

2010-10-20T08:33:00.001-07:00

This evening, from 7:00pm, I will be at the Jon Hassler Theater, as the featured writer for this month's Rural America Writers' Center Third Wednesday event. Here are excerpts from the announcement from the Center:

Joseph Mbele will be the featured writer at this month's Rural America Writers' Center Wednesday event. In his first book, Matengo Folktales, Mbele has translated ten folktales of Southern Tanzania (from his mother tongue of Matengo), having recorded them in the mid-70's. In his most recent book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences--Lulu Press 2009, Mbele, having lived a significant part of his life on both continents, provides sociological insights on both cultures in the hopes of preventing cultural misunderstandings which might "poison or ruin relationships between Africans and Americans."...In conjunction with his most recent book, Mr. Mbele's more recent interests and engagements are associated with providing cultural orientation to Americans traveling to Africa and for Africans living in America...Mr. Mbele will be reading excerpts from his recent book on Wednesday, October 20th at 7:00pm at the Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview, Minnesota.

My Book Talk: Faribault (Minnesota), October 21

2010-10-18T07:44:00.000-07:00

On October 21, I will go to Faribault, Minnesota, to talk about my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and sign copies.

Sponsored by the Buckham Memorial Library and the City of Faribault, the talk and book signing will be held in the Buckham Memorial Library, from 6:30 to 7:30pm. I have spoken in Faribault a number of times, as reported, for example, here and here, and I look forward to the October 21 event.

Delane James, director of the Buckham Memorial Library, posted the following invitation on Facebook:

Dear Friends:

I hope you will be able to join us in the Great Hall at 6:30 p.m. as St. Olaf Professor Mbele speaks about his book, Africans and American: Embracing Cultural Differences.

Professor Mbele visited with our library staff last spring and we all agree... he is incredible! We are thrilled to be hosting this event and hope you can make it!

--Delane

The Twin Cities Book Festival, October 16

2010-10-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I attended the Twin Cities Book Festival in Minneapolis, an annual event organized by Rain Taxi. It was another memorable day of meeting people, talking about books, writing, publishing and many other things, as I wrote on my Swahili blog. Here are photos from the event, the two at the top showing my book display.

The Twin Cities Book Festival Approaches

2010-10-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

The Twin Cities Book Festival is just around the corner, October 16. I look forward to being there, as usual, meeting writers, publishers, editors, and book lovers. It has always been a treat.

As an exhibitor, using the Africonexion label, I have all my books ready. I look forward to talking with people about my experiences as an educator, writer, and cultural consultant. I will write about it all on this blog, as I have always done. For more information about the Festival, read here.

The 2nd Pan African Summit, Minneapolis

2010-10-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today, after many months of planning, we had the Pan African Summit, at the Center for Families. Dozens of Africans and African Americans attended. We listened to presentations that offered much food for thought. These were followed by honest and enlightening discussions. This summit was in certain ways better than the first one, and I cannot even pretend that I will be able to present an adequate report of it here. I will only touch on some of its highlights. I plan to return to it again and again in future blog posts.

The proceedings started with opening remarks by Edmund Ocansey, chair of the Pan African Summit planning committee. He stated the purpose of our gathering, recalling the journey we had traveled since the first summit, and described the schedule we were going to follow during our proceedings for today.

Then he introduced the keynote speaker, Gerald Montgomery, and called him to the podium. A former U.S. marine and a holder of a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering Technology, Gerald is a member of the planning committee, as you can see in various previous posts on this blog. He is also a writer and a keen analyst of the African and African American condition.

Gerald spoke about Geo-Africanism, a concept he has been developing to help people of African ancestry come to terms with their origins and identity. He noted that when people say they are of Irish descent, for example, we accept it without any problem, but when an African American says he or she is of African descent the issue becomes problematical. Geo-Africanism is a concept that gives African Americans the chance to claim their ethnicity. Gerald wants African Americans to learn how to be African. They should seek to know African countries. After eating some African food, they should go online and learn about the people and the country it came from. Echoing a theme from the first summit, Gerald said African Americans owe Africans a welcome to the USA. He wants Africans to be a bit more forthcoming and open minded towards African Americans.

Dr. Kofi Mensah a distinguished scientist in the process and product development division of the General Mills company, gave a slide presentation on Pan Africanism, its history, ramifications and challenges in a time perspective, as well as its potential as a force in the world today and in the future.

He noted, for example, that other groups with common heritage are forming alliances and networks. The people of African descent need to do the same, to achieve unity and work towards their collective advancement.

He stressed the importance of education: Africans should learn about African Americans and vice versa, through seminars, courses and one-on-one interactions.

Pam White, CNP, the Founder and President of the Health Empowerment Resource (HER), recounted her own life story of growing up as a disadvantage girl who became a teenage mother, resentful when people told her to go back to Africa. Later someone taught her about her African heritage, about kings and queens, and restored her pride in her African heritage.

She went on to study and became a women's health-care nurse practitioner, finally starting her own clinic for "women of color, and underserved populations." HER seeks to empower and assist women in learning how to live healthier and longer by reclaiming their self-respect and a sense of balance.

Pam offered a compelling account of the specific health issues and challenges of "women of color" arguing that it is important that patients have the opportunity to be served by people who share their cultural and other background. (Photo on the left by Edmund Ocansey)

After the presentations, we split the gathering into two: an African group and an African American group. We had done the same during the first summit. This time, however, we had an African facilitator for the African American group, and an African American facilitator for the African group. Each group was requested to discuss the issues they had concerning the other group.

Before we split, however, we had a delicious lunch, with African and African American food. (Photo on the left by Edmund Ocansey)

There were tables for vendors, and organizations and individual businesses had an opportunity to showcase their products and services. In addition to everything else, books, brochures and other literature are a valuable resource for the kind of dream the Pan African summit is pursuing. (Photo on the left by Edmund Ocansey)

Some of the issues mentioned in the first summit came up again. For example, an African American said that Africans come to the USA, take "our jobs," take the wealth and return to Africa. They do not seem concerned about the problems and struggles of African Americans. They do not, for example, concern themselves with the blacks in prisons: they don't visit them or do anything to help out. I think this is a topic for a whole meeting.

An African American lady complained about Africans talking in their languages even when she is around. For example, she visits an African store or hair salon, and the Africans just keep talking in their language, not caring that she doesn't understand. She wonders whether they are talking about her, and why they don't respect her as a client. I think this is a legitimate complaint.

It is always good, when we gather to explore such complex and difficult issues as the relations between Africans and African Americans, to have some moments of relaxation. Accordingly, halfway through the proceedings, Ghanaian drummers came and put up a spirited performance. We danced an relieved some of the solemnity and tension of the dialogue.

I learned a great deal during this summit, as I had during the first one. Africans and African Americans need to recognize that they have a very long way to go to understand one another and to fully acknowledge their different histories and experiences. Whether they like it or not, these different histories and experiences have shaped and continue to inform their different mindsets and outlooks, which can cause misunderstandings and most unpleasant confrontations.

Teaching "A Wreath for Udomo"

2010-10-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

When I started teaching Peter Abrahams's A Wreath for Udomo in my African Literature and Politics course, over a week ago, I did not know what would happen. I might have read this novel as a young man, back in Tanzania, but I am not sure. Whatever the case, I had never taught it.

We are now about halfway through the novel, and what an experience it has been. Having started with Cesaire's Discourse on Colonialism my students and I now read A Wreath for Udomo in the light of that classic. It is interesting to see how a writer of fiction approaches the very problems and issues Cesaire raises in his political discourse, to discover and explore the overlaps and intersections between the two texts. What Cesaire discusses in a general theoretical way acquires concrete expression in the individual and collective experience of Abrahams's characters.

When I designed this course, I wanted the readings to project the spirit of the fifties as the Africans, suffering under colonialism, mobilized themselves and fought for independence. A Wreath for Udomo meets that goal very well.

Peter Abrahams is a skillful writer. His prose is engaging, and there are many passages in his novel that I have found impossible not to read and re-read, because of their descriptive power. Here is one:

The door near which Udomo stood opened quietly. A little black man, not much more than five feet tall, stood framed in it. The others didn't notice him for a while. His face was long and lean, tapering to a point at the chin. His long thin black fingers were strong and restless. His huge mop of kinky hair was a crown about his face. He had big pop-eyes. The lids drooped over them like an owl's, giving him a sleepy appearance (p. 31).

This book provides a sense of what living under colonialism and struggling for independence was like for Africans in the fifties and earlier. But this book is not only about the past; it is very much about today's Africa, which dwells in both the past and the present, so to speak. Abrahams captures this duality very well in his description of the African market:

The market was old, timeless Africa; loud, crowded and free. Here, a man sat making sandals from old discarded motor-car tyres; there, another worked at an old sewing machine, making a nightgown-like affair while the buyer waited; a little further on an old goldsmith worked at his dying art, but using, now, copper filings instead of gold to fashion the lovely trinkets women wear the world over; elsewhere a woman sold country cloth fashioned with such fine art that only Africans think of it as a garment of utility. Trade was slow and loud everywhere. This was as much a social as a shopping centre (p. 148)

The description does not end there. By observing the dynamics of the market, Abrahams reveals key aspects of African culture. I was delighted to read this passage, recalling what I wrote about the African market in my Africans and Americans book.

We are halfway through A Wreath for Udomo, even though we have spent more than a week on it. I decided that spending a lot of time on a book like this would help the class build a good framework for understanding not only key aspects of the African experience but also other texts we are going to read.

A Discount on My Books

2010-10-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

A facility has been installed at Lulu.com, where I publish my books, to enable me to reduce the price of those books. As a tribute to my readers and fans, I am glad to offer a discount for this month.

The books are listed on the right of this page as well as here. You can see the discount by clicking the "Add to Cart" or "Buy" button.

This offer ends on October 31.

International Studies Open House, St. Olaf College

2010-09-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Today was International Studies Open House at St. Olaf College. This is an opportunity for faculty and staff involved in study abroad programs to showcase the programs to interested students: the academic environment, subjects offered, how previous students have rated them, safety issues, housing arrangements, opportunities for homestays and travel.
Over 70 percent of St. Olaf students study abroad, and the College is nationally ranked in this respect.

I have been involved as an advisor on programs that send students to Africa, such as LCCT, ACM Botswana, and ACM Tanzania. I enjoy talking about Africa and about my country, Tanzania. It is a priviledge to help Americans go there, and sometimes I take them there.

I tell the students that one of my greatest interests is offering cultural orientation to Americans going to Africa, as I report on this blog from time to time. For example, read here, and here.

Teaching African Literature and Politics

2010-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

This semester I am teaching a new course, "African Literature and Politics," which I designed some months ago. It explores the intersection between Literature and Politics in Africa in the 50s and 60s, a very important period in African history.

Word War II had just ended, and the winds of nationalism were blowing across Africa. The struggle for independence gained momentum in the 50s, and the 60s, known as Africa's Independence Decade, saw most African countries gain independence.

The course involves studying writings--both political and literary--which capture the spirit of the times and the aspirations of the Africans. These include political speeches and essays by such writers as Kwame Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, and Peter Abrahams, as well as works of fiction by Amos Tutuola, Chinua Achebe, and Sembene Ousmane.

During the 60s, more writers appeared, in both the political and literary arenas, such as Julius Nyerere, Wole Soyinka, and Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who focus on the realities and challenges of independence.

The list of readings includes writers from the African Diaspora, such as Aime Cesaire and Frantz Fanon. We have already discussed Cesaire's Discourse on Colonialism. We are now reading A Wreath for Udomo, by Peter Abrahams.

It is interesting to be discussing Peter Abrahams in this course, after teaching his Mine Boy in a different course--South African Literature. One realizes that a new course is truly a new context, which affords the opportunity to see a writer or a text in a new light.

A Meeting of the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania

2010-09-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

On September 18, the advisory board of the Lutheran Colleges Consortium for Tanzania (LCCT) met at St. Olaf College. Consisting of Concordia College, Luther College, Pacific Lutheran University, and St. Olaf College, the LCCT runs an exchange program with the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).

Students from these colleges go to study in Tanzania for a semester, and UDSM faculty and administrators spend about four months on LCCT campuses, for research and other professional activities. The program started in the mid-eighties and has involved dozens of Americans and Tanzanians.

For many years, the LCCT program was unique among the American programs linked to the UDSM, because it was based on reciprocity, a feature that was noted and much appreciated by all.

The LCCT board consists of people who have an interest in study abroad programs, an interest in Tanzania or Africa as such. We have done research in Africa, taught or written about Africa, led students on study programs in Africa, hosted or mentored African visitors and students on the LCCT campuses. In various ways, we contribute to African studies.

Each of the LCCT institutions takes turns administering the program. At the September 18 meeting, Luther College handed over the administration of the LCCT to St. Olaf College.

As a Tanzanian, I am pleased that many Tanzanians in academic and leadership positions have benefited from this program. Working on the board is a labour of love. We all value the work we do, knowing how important it is to the education of our students and to the UDSM. I wonder if I am a naive idealist, but I believe programs like the LCCT help build a better world.

My Articles in "Kwanza Jamii"

2010-09-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Early last year, Maggid Mjengwa, owner of Mjengwa blog, invited me to write a column for Kwanza Jamii, a weekly paper he was starting. For most of the year, I wrote this column. The paper appeared in print and online. The print version ended at the end of the year, but Kwanza Jamii online continued.

Today I went online and saw that two articles I wrote for Kwanza Jamii are leading in the categories of "most discussed" and "most read." My "Safari za JK Nje ya Nchi" has been "most discussed" for many months. Although a handful of readers agreed with my arguments or engaged in civil discourse, most railed against me, with some resorting to "ad-hominem" attacks, instead of dealing with the arguments, a trend that Professor Matondo roundly criticized.

The article that has climbed to the top of the "most read" list is "Tutabadilika JK Akienda Rwanda?" This is a pleasant and welcome development. There is a widely held view in Tanzania that readers of newspapers prefer sensational news, reports of scandals and similar stories, not serious writing. My article appears to challenge this view, even though it has taken many months for it to reach the top spot.

On both counts, I have reason to be pleased. I have a record of provoking debate and controversy, from my early school days, as principal speaker in debating clubs. In writing for Kwanza Jamii, I sought to stimulate debate. I subsequently gathered my articles and published them as book titled CHANGAMOTO.

"Changamoto," a Swahili word, means something that stimulates or provokes thinking. The book came out just a few months ago. I am pleased that my first reader in Tanzania is excited about it, as I reported here. This reader's response and the online evidence indicate that the book will provoke strong reactions, generating, I hope, not only heat, but also light.

Lushoto: A Tanzanian Town

2010-09-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

I wish I could write a fitting tribute to Lushoto, a small town nestled in the Usambara mountains of northeastern Tanzania. Though small, Lushoto is quite well known, in Tanzania and beyond.

I have visited this town several times, mostly to research local folklore about Osale Otanga and Paulo Hamisi, famous outlaws who operated in this area in the 1950s. Still, I like this town so much that I would come for any other reason.

This region attracts tourists from around the world, and there are several programs here dealing with tourism.

Downtown Lushoto is a hub of activity. The market is here, the bus stop, stores, and other businesses.

There are many places to stay, and new ones keep coming up. This year, I stayed in this hotel, near the District Office.

This church, just across the road from the police station, has become for me a kind of icon.

A walk in downtown Lushoto is refreshing, because of the cool climate and minimal traffic.

Whenever I am here, I seek vantage points from which to enjoy a panoramic view, the rich blend of trees of different kinds, houses, hills, the cloud-laden skies. I enjoy the peace and quiet, and wonder if anyone can ever tire of visiting this place.

Where to Get my Books

2010-09-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

From time to time, people ask me where they can get my books. I also realize that not everybody is able, or willing, to shop in a certain way, such as online. There are several ways to order these books:

1) Online, Enter here

2) St. Olaf College Bookstore, Fax 507 786 3779, tel: 1-888-232-6523

3) Africonexion (info@africonexion.com, tel: 507 403 9756)

The books are also available in Tanzania:

1) Arusha (Kimahama Literature Center)
tel: 0786242222

2) Dar es Salaam (Sinza)
tel: 0754 888 647 or 0717 413 073

3) Bagamoyo
tel: 0754445956

4) Karatu (Bougainvillea Lodge)
tel: 0754576783

5) Longido (Cultural Tourism Program)
tel: 0787855185

6) Mto wa Mbu (Cultural Tourism Program)
tel: 0786373099

Children at the Tripod Media Exhibition, Dar es Salaam

2010-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

As I wrote in a previous blog post, on June 24-25, I participated in an educational and careers fair in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, organized by Tripod Media. I sought, among other things, to introduce Africonexion, my small consulting business, to Tanzanians.

One of the most exciting experiences I had was observing the children who came to the exhibition. These were mostly school children. It was pleasant to watch them as they moved from booth to booth, alone, in pairs, or in groups. Like children everywhere, they openly displayed their excitement and curiosity. They made Diamond Jubilee Hall come alive.

The booth of the Tanzania House of Talents was a popular spot for the children, especially when the live music was on.

Those who came to my booth enjoyed browsing through my books. They were particularly interested in CHANGAMOTO, my Swahili book, since they could read it.

It was touching to see how genuinely interested these children were in books. I kept thinking why, as the children grow up and become adults, they lose this attachment to books. Our society is failing these children.

For the two days I participated in the exhibition, I talked with these children. I sought to inspire them, encouraging them to study hard. I told them to read widely, not just for the exams. They listened and I hope they will follow my advice.

One of the exhibitors was the Furniture Center. The children had a great time trying out the desks and chairs, pretending they were in a real classroom. When I saw this, I thought about the many schools in Tanzania which lack desks, chairs, books and other facilities. There is no valid reason for a country like Tanzania, rich as it is in resources, to have this problem.

The woman in a red head covering impressed me very much. She came with her son to the exhibition, and she asked me some questions. I wish all parents would do the same, accompanying their children to such educational events. It is good for the children and for the future of our country.

The International Market Day, Faribault

2010-08-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today was the International Market Day, in Faribault, Minnesota. This is an annual cultural festival organized by the Faribault Diversity Coalition.

It has been just a week since I returned to Minnesota from Tanzania, but as soon as I arrived, I got a reminder from Milo Larson, chair of the Coalition, about this important event. He wanted to be sure that I would be there, with my books.

You see him here helping set up my table. I believe in the work of the Coalition and will always support it.

As in the past, there were vendors of food, crafts, and other products. There were games, music, and informational resources.
There were Aztect dances, as in the past, attracting a large audience.

I met some new people today, such as this lady, who, it turns out, had studied, like me, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

What's more, she had taken an African storytelling course with Professor Harold Scheub, my dissertation advisor. It is, indeed, a small world.
This guy bought Africans and Americans and wanted to take a picture, with me holding Matengo Folktales.

My Arusha Readers

2010-08-25T09:39:00.001-07:00

Visiting Arusha is always a treat. There are many people to meet, places to visit, and things to do. One of my joys is meeting my readers. There are quite a few: Americans, Europeans, Tanzanians, and others.

This summer, I spent several days in Arusha. I met my friend, Thomas Ratsim. He and J.M. Tours, the company he works for, have been steadfast fans of my Africans and Americans book. Many American travelers with J.M. Tours have heard about this book from Thomas.

The guys in the photo, taken in the Tarangire National Park during my Hemingway course, summer of 2008, were all with J.M. Tours. They had read Africans and Americans, and they regaled me with tales of how it helps them deal with tourists.

I visited the Arusha Times, which once carried an excerpt of my book. I met Linda, an American fan of the Africans and Americans book, whom I have known for some time, and who offers cultural orientation for foreigners in Arusha. Knowledgeable and experienced, she urged me to write a sequel. Thanks to readers like her, I am working on one.

I met Ingrid, a European teacher I did not know before. She works with school children and likes story telling. She was familiar with my Africans and Americans and Matengo Folktales, and she shared some interesting perspectives on both teaching children and cultural differences.

There are other places I would have liked to visit, and other people I would have liked to meet, if I had more time. One is the Peace House School, where I once gave a talk on the issues I raise in the Africans and Americans book. There, Africans and Americans work side by side. The director thought it would be a good idea for them to have on-going book discussions as a way of learning about their cultural differences.

I would have visited the office of the Global Service Corps, an American organization that sends volunteers to Tanzania and recommends Africans and Americans on its website. I have visited their office several times in the past and seen copies of the book there, for volunteers.

I wish to thank all my readers. Their continuing engagement with my work both inspires and sustains me.

A Mosque Near Ground Zero

2010-08-21T03:07:00.000-07:00

I have been here in my country, Tanzania, for the last two months. In the last few days, I have been following the controversy raging in the USA around the idea of building a mosque near Ground Zero, New York.

As a Tanzanian, I am saddened by the ignorance and Islamophobia that I see among many Americans. Here in Tanzania, we have mosques, churches and other places of worship everywhere. We know they have a right to be there. At the University of Dar es Salaam, for example, the mosque and the church are only a few yards apart, and everyone is comfortable with that situation.

As a Christian, I am used to hearing the muadhin calling Moslems to prayer, from every mosque, before sunrise and at different times during the day. These broadcasts are so much part of my life here in Tanzania that I miss them when I am in the USA, where I teach. The ignorance and prejudice I have mentioned exists also in so-called Islamic countries, and it would quickly rear its head if someone tried to build a church there.

I listened to President Barack Obama's speech in support of the idea of the mosque near Ground Zero, and I felt happy to hear the US Government defending a basic human right.

Tripod Media Exhibition, Dar es Salaam

2010-07-31T03:14:00.000-07:00

On June 24-25, I attended an educational and careers exhibition at the Diamond Jubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam. It was organized by Tripod Media, a company with a broad portfolio ranging from event promotion to video production. I do not remember how I came across the information about this event, but I saw it in the USA. I looked for more information and discovered Tripod Media and its founder, Dorothy Kipeja.

Tripod Media did a great job of organizing and advertizing the event. A number of companies and organizations participated. I got to know several. One of these was the Tanzania House of Talents (THT). I had heard about this organization but had not had the opportunity to meet them. I visited their booth, where they had live music and talked with their coordinator and got their brochure.

I saw school children who visited the the THT booth coming on stage to sing some songs. This was a pleasant thing to witness. It reminded me of a similar thing I witnessed on Tanzanian TV a few weeks earlier: children joined artist Mrisho Mpoto in singing his songs as he was performing in the street. What a remarkable display of synergy between artist and audience.

On this day, I also got to know the Proactive Employment Solutions, which describes itself as “a private labour recruitment agency based in Dar es Salaam.” I also got to know the Tanzania Schools Collection, an enterprise that seeks to list and profile educational institutions in Tanzania, with the intention of extending the coverage to East Africa and beyond.

I took this opportunity to present Africonexion, my cultural consulting company to the Tanzanian public. I had a booth where I displayed my books and talked with people about the work of this company and its vision for the future, which includes establishing itself in Tanzania, East Africa and elsewhere.

I was impressed by the diversity of the people who did come: different races, ages, and backgrounds. I hope that in the future more people will attend such events, including government officials, professionals, graduates, entrepreneurs and job seekers.

The Amazing Vuvuzela

2010-07-23T04:23:00.001-07:00

As the 2010 World Cup drew near, South Africa got more and more in the limelight. I was in the USA, watching, as a debate emerged about the vuvuzela, a plastic horn blown by South African fans during soccer matches. Some people called for the banning of the vuvuzela from the World Cup, arguing that they could not stand the noise of the vuvuzela. I was amused, knowing that the Africans would not succumb to such demands. I recalled what I had written in my Africans and Americans book about how Africans differ from Americans in their attitude to loud music. Africans want their music loud.As it turned out, the vuvuzela not only reigned during the World Cup but it also spread to various parts of the world. I was in Tanzania during the World Cup, and I was not surprised to see that the vuvuzela had arrived in my country.People who had traveled to South Africa had brought the vuvuzela to Tanzania, and it was spreading rapidly. It features at soccer matches. I saw the vuvuzela on giant billboards around the country.

At Kimara in Dar es Salaam, I saw a small place called Vuvuzela Hair Salon. As an icon, the vuvuzela was quickly becoming a feature of popular culture, speech and jokes.During the World Cup, I read that people from Europe and elsewhere who traveled to South Africa for the World Cup took the vuvuzela home as a souvenir. Not everyone likes the vuvuzela, though. A few days ago, I read a report about efforts to ban the vuvuzela from a sporting event in New Zealand.

On July 11, I was in a bar called Sawai Grand, in the Sinza area of Dar es Salaam. It was packed with soccer fans. We were watching the final of the World Cup between Holland and Spain. That day, I saw the vuvuzela for the first time. The bar owner, a friend of mine, had brought it from South Africa. He handed that vuvuzela to me. I held it and blew it, again and again.

If you think the vuvuzela makes too much noise in a soccer stadium, wait until you hear one in a packed pub. Blowing that vuvuzela I felt its magic and knew that the vuvuzela was here to stay and conquer the world.

At Dar es Salaam University: Talking About Online Publishing

2010-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have visited the University of Dar es Salaam several times this month and last month. On July 8, at the initiative of Professor Saida Othman, I met with a group of colleagues, in Professor Issa Shivji's office, to share my experience with online publishing.I enjoyed meeting these colleagues whom I have known from the early seventies, when I was an undergraduate at the University of Dar es Salaam.

I began by noting how technological advances are affecting and transforming various aspects of our lives, including business, academic work, and publishing. The internet is changing the way we do things, and traditional publishing is reeling under its impact, being forced to adapt or suffer. Costs and other factors render traditional publishing increasingly difficult, if not unsustainable.

I spoke about how I ventured into self-publishing, how I prepared and published my first book, Matengo Folktales, using print on demand technology. I talked about how, with the rapid evolution of online publishing, I explored alternative outlets and finally discovered lulu.com, where I have been publishing my latest books. I displayed two books I have published that way: Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, and CHANGAMOTO: Insha za Jamii.

In an interactive manner, we covered many topics, including manuscript preparation, copyright, marketing, bookselling and royalties. We mentioned some pros and cons of self-publishing. The technology enables virtually everyone to publish their work, leading to concerns about lack of quality control. Many in the academic world worry about the absence of peer review of such publications.

We noted the irony that not all peer-reviewed books are better than self-published ones. I find it interesting that educators in colleges and universities recommend and use my self-published books.

We discussed how online publishing might work for University of Dar es Salaam journals and how local readers would access those journals. Certain types of online publishing and bookselling renders books inaccessible to people without the means for online shopping.

I also mentioned the e-book phenomenon. I said that I have only recently entered the e-book world by turning my lulu.com books into e-books. I explained that the e-book requires an e-book reader, also known as an e reader. I find the idea of keeping hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books in a portable e-book reader attractive..We had a wonderful conversation for about two hours, exploring the opportunities, modalities, and challenges of online publishing. I write about these topics in my blogs and have also shared my ideas in CHANGAMOTO.

Workshop: Culture and Globalization, July 3

2010-06-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

Venue: Arusha Community Church
Date: July 3, 2010: 9:00am-1:00pm
Presenter: Professor Joseph L. Mbele (St. Olaf College, USA)

Workshop Theme

The world is increasingly becoming a global village, with serious implications. What is globalization? What are the consequences of globalization? What is the global village? Will the global village be a pleasant place or a place of tension and suffering? What is our strategy for coping in the global village? Globalization brings both opportunities and challenges. What are these?

Within this broad framework, this workshop will focus on the cultural dimensions of globalization. In the global village, people of different cultures will have to interact, through living or working together. We will have to deal with people whose values, expectations, ways of thinking, acting and communicating are different from ours. Are we prepared for these challenges?

As we go abroad, to do business, to live, or just travel, we will encounter cultural differences. Even if we just stay in our own countries, we will deal with foreigners, whose cultures are different from ours. We need to understand these differences, in order to be effective in our dealings with foreign companies, business partners, volunteers, tourists, students, co-workers, and friends. How prepared are we when we embark on business ventures abroad? Without cultural literacy, can we conduct effective diplomacy?

As foreign companies, enterprises and organizations move into places like Africa, should they bring their values and ways of doing things to Africa, or should they adapt to the African ways? What are the pros and cons of either strategy? Some people talk about international standards. Are these international standards, or just European and American?

Such are the questions this workshop will address, building on Professor Mbele’s experience in conducting such workshops in the U.S.A. and Tanzania. His knowledge and experience will open new doors and new horizons. The workshop will be interactive, with participants freely asking questions and contributing their own perspectives. This strategy worked well in previous workshops, and this workshop should be even better.

Registration at the conference venue: Arusha Community Church
Fee: 20,000 shillings
Inquiries: info@africonexion.com
Phone: 0717 413 073