Your Chance to Review my Extra-curricular Work

In the world outside the college classroom and academic conferences, I am a cultural consultant, under the auspices of Africonexion. If you have attended any of my presentations, talked with me at a cultural festival, or used my books, especially Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, I invite you to share your experience at Public Reputation.

2017 Faribault International Festival

On October 7, I participated in the International Faribault Festival. I have attended this anual event a number ot times as an educator, writers, and cultural consultant. This was another significant event that brought together people of different cultures to share their various traditions.

In the photo on the left are two students who led the proceedings in the auditorium, calling upon and introducing music and dance performers.

There were vendors displaying various cultural items, and there were also displays by various organizations. As usual, I displayed my books and other publications as seen in the photo at the bottom of this page. I had conversations with various people.

I also enjoyed talking with members of the Faribault Diversity Coalition, an organization I had worked for as a board member for some years. They are the ones who organize and run the festival. I salute them for their commitment to promoting mutual understanding in the world.

















































































































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Afrifest 2015 is Here, August 1

Time flies, and the much anticipated Afrifest is no longer months, weeks, or days away. It is tomorrow, August 1. I wrote about it in an earlier blog post.

Stop by and experience a rich and varied display of Pan African history and culture, through exhibits, performances and interactions with people of different regions of the Pan African world and beyond, ranging from children to adults.

Afrifest, a family event, is an occasion for enlightenment and entertainment. It will take place from 10am to 9 pm, at Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

For the full festival program visit this site.

Afrifest 2015, August 1

Planning for Afrifest continues apace, as the date of the festival, August 1, approaches. The board of the Afrifest Foundation held a final teleconference on July 16 to review progress.

Our plans have continued to take shape, not only in the broad outlines I mentioned in a previous blog post, but also in the specifics. The City of Brooklyn Park, which has stepped in as a sponsor of the festival, has already started publicizing the festival in various media and avenues, in addition to paying for t-shirts. The KMOJ radio station has been broadcasting a memorable advert.

We will have soccer matches, vendors, and children's games. On my part, in addition to displaying my books and talking about my work as an author, educator, and cultural consultant, and in addition to offering a panoramic view of the global African experience, I will also share African folktales. This is a new thing for Afrifest. Using traditional tales, such as Matengo Folktales, I will offer a taste of the African contribution to world culture. Traditional tales embody and express the African ways of thinking about life, the human condition, relationships, and values.

I will share something else congruent with the mission of Afrifest. For some years, I have been studying Ernest Hemingway and discovering his life-long interest in and respect for Africa. He exemplifies the kind of ideals Afrifest stands for, especially understanding, respecting, and appreciating different cultures.

Readers and fans of Hemingway might be interested to know that they will soon be able to see a documentary, "Papa's Shadow," which features me in conversation with Patrick Hemingway, the only remaining child of Hemingway--now 88 years old--about Hemingway's life, his philosophy, his travels in East Africa and his writings based on those travels.

Afrifest is more than a cultural event in the conventional sense. It fosters understanding of Africa and the African Diaspora through exhibits and performances. A family event not to be missed, Afrifest will be held on August 1, 2015, from 10am to 9pm, at the Northview Junior High School, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.

Afrifest Foundation Board Meeting, September 13

This afternoon, I went to the Center for Families in Minneapolis to attend the Afrifest Foundation Board meeting. Four Board members participated in the meeting: Nathan White, Pablo Whaley, David Wilson, and Joseph Mbele.

We heard a report about Afrifest 2014 from Nathan White, Board Executive Secretary, noting that publicity for the event was perhaps better this year than in all previous years. The event itself went well, except that around 6pm it started to rain, prompting vendors to wrap up their activities. Even though many attendees left because of the rain, some remained for almost three hours more.

Nathan also noted that Kenyans, perhaps more than any other nationality, played a key role in the festival this year. The DJ was Kenyan, the Kenyans had a table displaying various artifacts and many festival attendees were Kenyans. They also made up the soccer team. The City of Brooklyn Park lent its support, and we noted that even the mayor came to the festival.

Nathan asserted that in terms of event planning and production, the Afrifest Foundation now has much experience and expertise. Other organizations are already seeking out the Foundation for advice on how to produce their own events. We are excited to be in a position to assume this new role.

The Afrifest Foundation has been in contact with Liberation Clothing and Gifts, a regular vendor at Afrifest, exploring the idea of the Foundation's participation in the Black History Expo, Liberation Clothing and Gift's signature annual event, which is scheduled for February 2015. The Afrifest Foundation is thinking about hosting a "Taste of Africa" event at the Expo.

Nathan shared the view that in the future, we should make sure to invite a major performing artistic group, recalling that at the first Festival we had the late Lucky Dube performing, and, naturally, he drew a large crowd. His show was reported in the Twin Cities Daily Planet and Mshale.

We noted that there are other organizations we can work with, including religious groups which share our vision and mission to bring about greater connections within the African and African Diaspora communities and between them and people of non-African descent, by fostering social, cultural and other programs.

We will also collaborate with groups which work in the field of global health. There is, for example, an event in December, on the ebola epidemic.

We will continue to keep in mind the other dimensions of the Foundation's mission, notably, cultural and educational programming. Although these are to some extent, a part of what we have been doing during the Festival, we want to be more active in creating or exploiting opportunities focused on programs such as cultural education.

We will focus, as well, on grant writing, to enhance our activities. Also, since we have 501(c)3 status, we look forward to being the fiscal agent for other organizations. Finally, people can now donate to the Afrifest Foundation directly, with a credit card, online.

"Meet the Author" at Afrifest, August 2

Afrifest is an annual Minnesota summer festival which aims to foster awareness of the experience of people of African descent in Africa and the African Diaspora across the ages.

There are always vendors of different products and providers of various services. It is always a delight to be around them. As In the past, I will be there in my capacity as an educator, cultural consultant and author, and here are the books I will have on display.

This is a collection of ten tales from the oral tradition of the Matengo of Southern Tanzania. I recorded them in the mid-seventies, tranlated them into English, and wrote commentaries on them.
















This is a study guide to Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe's famous novel.


















I wrote this book to foster mutual understanding between Africans and Americans, with a focus on cultural differences which hinder or complicate relations between the two sides.

















This is a collection of short essays in Swahili, on economic, political, social, cultural, and educational issues, with a particular focus on the experience of Tanzania, but relevant to the rest of Africa as well.
















This pamphlet is a miniature version of ten posters I created for the first Afrifest, 2007. It highlights the African experience from the origins of the human race in Africa to the present, touching on such topics as the ancient African civilizations, slavery and the slave trade, colonialism, the struggle for independence, the arts, and pan Africanism.

For more information on the festival, check the Afrifest website.

The International Market Day, Faribault

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.

Afrifest 2010

Members of the Afrifest Foundation met again today, at the 1st Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis. The main item on the agenda was planning for Afrifest, the Pan African cultural festival scheduled for August 7, 2010.














We received reports about several matters, including confirmation of the venue and an update on exhibitors and performers. Vendors are being lined up, and an art display is in the works.













We will have a fashion show and musical performances. The Sojourner Truth Academy will do a step performance. The Pan African Historical Display will be there as well.













There will be food booths, art and craft displays, informational materials and books. There will be children's activities and games.













Afrifest 2010 promises to be an exciting and edifying event. To sign up as a volunteer, contact: volunteers@afrifest.org. Mark your calendar; spread the word, and be there.

Planning for Afrifest 2010

Planning for Afrifest 2010 got into high gear today, at the First Cup Cafe in South Minneapolis. The Afrifest board met and went briskly through the agenda, emerging with concrete plans for the annual cultural festival, scheduled for August 7 this year.
Nathan White, chair, informed us that the venue for Afrifest 2010, MEC Event Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, is confirmed. The Center for Families has agreed to be the fiscal agent for Afrifest. We approved the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation of the Afrifest Foundation.

The Afrifest Foundation starts its work with the following leaders: Nathan White, second from right (Executive Director); Joseph Mbele, right (Chairperson); Pat Gebes, second from left (Board member); LaTonya Harris, left (Secretary); Milpha Blamo, not in the photo (Treasurer); Lee Tyree, not in the photo (Board member).

Our main task now contacting artists, exhibitors, vendors, and sponsors. We are publicizing the event and inviting everyone. We have a big venue, with plenty of exhibition space. Booths are free for non-profits, $25 for artists, and $50 for vendors. For more details, visit the Afrifest website website and Facebook page.