Minnesota Black Authors Expo

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On November 18, many roads led to North Minneapolis, where the Minnesota Black Authors Expo was taking place. I was there, as one of 40 authors presenting their works. It was the dream of De'Vonna Pittman and Jasmine Boulah to organize and host such an event to showcase Black writing. Working hard for four months, these dynamic ladies  pulled off a feat that impressed the many people who attended the Expo.

This event was well planned and seamlessly carried out. The picture on the left is the cover of the Expo brochure, which contained information about authors and their books.







Here De'Vonna is seen speaking, with Jasmine at her side.














Then it was Jasmine's turn to speak. These two hostesses warmly welcomed the guests and kept us engaged the whole time. There was music most of the time, performed by saxophonist Antonio Jackson.














People started coming to the Expo as soon as it was opened. if not earlier. I saw them when I arrived. I have participated in many books fairs, but the Minnesota Black Authors Expo was the one I liked the most.










What appeared to be space limitation actually fostered lively interaction among all of us. The sheer numbers of people talking simultaneously at the various tables, in seeming competition with the background music, produced an animated, delightful babel of voices which reminded me of  the typical African market as I describe it in my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences:

Crowded and noisy, the African market displays the vitality and exuberance of African life. The language of the market place is vibrant and full of humour....Like many other contexts and situations in Africa, the market is a place for building relationships (p. 95).

That African spirit of the Expo really warmed my heart.

The conversations I had with people touched me very much. These people genuinely wanted to know about the work I do relating to Africa and the African Diaspora. Several of them, upon seeing my Notes on Achebe's Things Fall Apart, told me they had read Achebe's novel.

One lady told me that she wanted to go and live in Africa. At first I thought she was just talking, but I quickly realized that she meant what she said. She wanted to move to Africa next year, and wanted me to tell her what she should do to realize her dream. I gave her some advice, including information about African Americans who have settled in countries like Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania. I promised to connect her with people who can help her further.









Here I am, at my table, with several of my books.
















Here I am with De'Vonna, who had come to my table and told me she wanted my "Africans and Americans" book.















This lady exemplified very well the spirit I witnessed during the Expo. She was eager to know about all the books I displayed and was genuinely interested in what I was saying. She bought a copy of Matengo Folktales which she is proudly displaying here.














Though I spent most the time at my table, of course, I did get to meet and talk with other writers. Here on the left, I am with Cavis Adams, author of Granddaddy, his first novel. We had an interesting conversation about our common desire for an Afrocentric focus in our works.

 Here is Penny Jones-Richardson, whose table was next to mine. We talked a great deal, having discovered that we had common interests, she being a life coach and I an educator and cultural consultant. She is the author of Thirty Days of Motivation: A Guide to Reaching Your Goals and Staying Focused.

Here I am with Rita Apaloo, author of African Women Connect, which describes how she formed and ran a networking group of African immigrant women.

My daughter Zawadi joined me at the Expo. She started accompanying me in these events from an early age. She knows what I do and is able to represent me when I am not around.

























At one point, Zawadi spotted in the crowd a lady she recognized as her older sister Assumpta's friend. She approached her and brought her to our table where she introduced us. Her name is Cali Bianca. We enjoyed our meeting.

The Minnesota Black Authors Expo was a great experience for me as an African who eagerly seeks to learn about African Americans. Teaching at St. Olaf College, a predominantly white institution, I decided, long ago, to broaden my American experience by reaching out to the African American community. I thank De'Vonna and Jasmine for helping me on that quest.

My Talk at Winona State University

On 27 June, I visited Winona State University, to give a talk I had mentioned on this blog. I spoke about Africans and African Americans, highlighting issues and challenges that have faced them historically, and which continue to influence their relationships.

I started with a discussion of the centrality of Africa as the cradle of the human race, the place where language, technology, and literature originated and evolved. The current division between Africans and African Americans did not exist then. It was brought about, primarily, by the Atlantic slave trade, which resulted in the two populations undergoing separate histories. That is the origin of the vexed relationship we witness today between Africans and African Americans.

Fortunately, I have learned about these problems over the years through my involvement with Pan African organizations in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. During my talk, I referred to what I wrote in a blog post regarding misconceptions and stereotypes that Africans and African Americans hold about one another.

I emphasized that Africans and African Americans need to learn about each other's history. Africans need to learn about the African American experience, from the time of slavery, through the civil rights era, to the present time. Likewise, African Americans need to learn about the experience of Africans especially regarding the slave trade, colonialism and the struggle against it, and neo-colonialism.

Africans and African Americans need to learn about the struggles that have defined the black experience in Africa and in the Diaspora, manifested in movements such as Pan-Africanism, anti-colonialism, and the civil rights movement. Without this serious and enduring effort, the relations between Africans and African Americans will continue to be unnecessarily problematical.

NdCAD Open House

This evening, I attended an open house event at the premises of the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent in St. Paul. Founded in 1997, this network seeks to promote positive education for children and youths of African descent. Its mission embraces and engages parents and other community members in literacy programs, tutoring, and cultural enrichment. It runs a library service for children and adults.



Gevonee Ford welcomed us to the open house with a brief overview of the history and mission of the NdCAD. He eloquently explained, for example, that black children grow up in a world saturated with narratives of negativity and brokenness in the black world: from relationships to values and dreams. Without discounting the existence of problems, the NdCAD promotes the narrative that not everything is broken, and that there are positive things that need to be developed in order to build a better future.


Gevonee announced that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the NdCAD, and he unveiled the commemorative banner. The first photo above features the banner before it was unveiled.

I had visited the NdCAD for the first time on February 18. Seeing all those students, parents, volunteers, meeting rooms, books and other educational resources, not to mention photos of famous black personalities lining the walls, was an eye-opening experience. I was inspired to witness the communal spirit and the collective desire to bring about real education to the children and the community at large, rooted in an Afrocentric perspective, not in any wishy-washy or romantic sense, but a real understanding and appreciation of the central role that Africa and people of African descent have historically played in the world.


That the NdCAD has been operating for twenty years and looks confidently to the future is a remarkable story of unwavering determination and hope. It is a story that deserves to be widely known, for there is no doubt that it will inspire others as it has inspired me.

KMOJ Radio Interview: Charles Dennis and Joseph L Mbele

On February 4, 2017, I was a guest on the African Roots Connection program of KMOJ Radio, Minnesota. Program host Charles Dennis and I had a wide-ranging conversation. You can listen to it here:

https://www.dropbox.com/home?preview=Story+Telling.mp3

(photo by Zawadi Mbele)

African and African Diaspora Storytelling: February 9

Countee Cullen, a major poet of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote a famous poem titled "Heritage," which began thus:

What is Africa to me:
Copper sun or scarlet sea,
Jungle star or jungle track,
Strong bronzed men, or regal black
Women from whose loins I sprang
When the birds of Eden sang?

Countee Cullen directed our attention to Africa, the birthplace of not only Black people, but the entire human race. As a folklorist and literary scholar, I highlight the fact that Africa is the birthplace of language and storytelling.

In the last few days, I have had great opportunities to share my views in different settings, such as the Nu Skool of African American Thought, and the African Roots Connection show of KMOJ Radio.
I have been talking about the role of Africa and people of African descent in world culture.

Along the same lines, on February 9, I will make a presentation on the evolution of story telling in Africa and its continuation in the African Diaspora, particularly the Americas. Come and experience the wisdom of our ancestors, how they reflected on the world, on life, human nature, and the lessons they bequeathed to us, which can help heal our broken world and reorient us along the right path.

Copies of my books, such as the popular Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, will be available for purchase, with proceeds going towards the Afrifest Foundation. Donations for the same purpose will also be welcome. The event will be held at 5701 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, 4th floor conference room, from 6:00 to 8:00pm

For more information about me, visit Africonexion: Cultural Consultants or call 507 403-9756

Kenya Heroes' Day in Rochester, Minnesota

I returned this evening from Rochester, Minnesota, where I attended a get together organized by the Kenya Community in Rochester to celebrate Heroes' Day, popularly known as Mashujaa Day.  Mashujaa is the Swahili word for heroes. Kenyans hold this annual celebration on October 20, to honour their national heroes, from the struggle for independence to the present time.


I learned about today's gathering from Olivia Njogu, who is seen second from right in the photo on the left. She is a member of the board of the Rochester International Association, which organizes the Rochester World Festival. She met me at this year's festival, which I wrote about on this blog. Recently, Olivia read my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and wrote me, saying how much she appreciated it. I am grateful to her.


This is not the first time I have attended Kenyan events here in the U.S.A, and I have always enjoyed them, as I have written on this blog. I had the same experience today. I had hardly parked my car when several Kenyans came out to receive me. It did not matter that I knew none of them. We introduced ourselves and launched into animated conversation.













This was a family event, involving children, young people, and adults. In addition to endless conversation, joy, and laughter, there was plenty of food and African music. Kenyan music touched my soul with gentle waves of nostalgia for the times I visited Kenya, starting in 1989.
















The ladies in the photo on the left manifest the cheerful spirit that permeated the whole event.




































Most of the people who attended I had not met before, but there were several who remembered me from this year's Rochester World Festival. It was a humbling experience to be recognized that way.

This was not a wholly Kenyan affair; even though I did not get to talk with everyone, I did talk with a guy from Nigeria and another guy from Uganda.





Having established a sizeable network of friends and acquaintances among the Africans in the Twin Cities area, I am happy to see myself doing the same in the Rochester area. As a writer and educator, I know that all this is good not only for me, but also, and more importantly, for the future of our African diaspora community, for Africa, and the world.

Tempo Afric TV Celebration

On January 9, 2016, I attended a celebration of Tempo Afric TV, at Jambo Africa Restaurant in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Tempo Afric TV is the brainchild of Malick Sall, a Senegalese enterpreneur based in the Twin Cities.

People from various African countries and the U.S.A. attended the event. With Malick as host and Josiah Kibira, founder and director of Kibira Films International, as master of ceremonies, speakers--including the keynote speaker Farida Nabourema--expressed lofty sentiments about Tempo Afric TV: the road it has traveled, its growing impact in the world, and its future.

Started by amateurs, Tempo Afric TV now produces an array of programs, embracing economic, political, social and cultural issues. It showcases Africa and the African Diaspora, channeling and projecting the realities, accomplishments, and aspirations of people of African descent.

About a dozen key volunteers were recognized and awarded certificates. The photo above, by Dr. Alvine Laure, shows, from left to right, Josiah Kibira, Petros Haile, founder and director of African Global Roots, and Malick Sall.

Tempo Afric TV volunteers are passionate visionaries, committed to making a difference not only here in Minnesota and in the USA, but around the world. They seek to counter the colonial and neo-colonial legacy of marginalization and misrepresentations, mindful of the fact that we have the means now, in the form of communication technologies, to tell our own story.

I am a relative new comer to Tempo Afric TV, having been introduced to it last year by Petros Haile, who interviewed me on issues pertaining to my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. However, having attended the Tempo Afric TV event on Saturday, I am more inspired than ever to fully involve myself in its work, so noble and indispensable.

Seenaa Oromia's "The In-Between"

A few days ago, I wrote about a book event in Minneapolis featuring Seena Godana-Dulla Jimjimo and her book The In-Between: The Story of African-Oromo Women and the American Experience. Today I finished reading the book and wish to comment on it.

The In-Between is a thoughtful meditation on the predicament of the oppressed and marginalized, starting with the Oromos of East Africa and incorporating women in Oromo and African society at home in Africa as well as abroad, specifically America, which the author knows first hand. In the process, The In-Between deals with other social evils, such as discrimination, prejudice, and violence.

The In-Between is also a manifesto, which outlines the author's vision of what needs to be done to solve the problems she details. She calls for educating women about their rights, solidarity between men and women in pursuit of equal rights, the abandonment of negative cultural and religious beliefs and practices which perpetuate the oppression of women.

Among the most memorable aspects of the book are accounts of the suffering the author and her family experienced in their homeland, Oromia, whose existence is overshadowed in the mind of the world by the name Ethiopia. The In-Between presents an illuminating account of the complex dynamics of Oromo organizations which have been attempting to unify and mobilize Oromos in Oromia and abroad. It shows that the Oromos are not homogeneous; they have differences which some individuals, as well as their oppressors, exploit for their own interests.

This book helps outsiders to understand aspects of the country we know as Ethiopia which are not generally known, especially the conflicts among Ethiopia's ethnic groups and the domination of the Oromos by the Abbyssinian regime.

The author was born and raised in Oromia and experienced, together with her family, relatives, and people she knew, the suffering she is writing about . She came to the USA as a teenager and soon involved herself in student organizations and Oromo diaspora politics. The idea of "the in-between" refers to people like her, who find themselves caught between two worlds.

The In-Between holds much promise. It charts the  trajectory the author has set her sights on as a passionate and thoughtful activist in the cause of the oppressed and marginalized--women, children and others--from Oromia to the U.S.A. and around the world. I learned much from this book, especially its insightful and sensitive depiction of the condition of women.
 

Afrifest Foundation Board Meeting, August 27

The board of the Afrifest Foundation held its meeting--via teleconference--this evening. We started with a review of this year's Afrifest, which was held on August 2.

We noted that the event went well, with an array of vendors and activities, including children's games, drumming, storytelling, and soccer games. The attendance was greater than last year.

We are glad to have been joined by the Multicultural Kids Network, which kept the children engaged with drumming and other activities. We look forward to the participation of Multicultural Kids Network in Afrifest next year and beyond.

We talked about what we have learned from this year and what we need to do for next year. Foremost among these is the need to start our planning early, reaching out to potential sponsors, vendors, and volunteers.

We reminded ourselves about the special nature of the mission of Afrifest, which is to showcase and celebrate the cultural achievements of Africans and the African Diaspora, promote education about the historical and global African experience. Afrifest distinguishes itself from many other organizations in that it fosters education and the spirit of Pan Africanism.

We also discussed our existing relationships with organizations such as the Council on Black Minnesotans, and affirmed our desire to cultivate relationships with various African organizations in the Twin Cities and beyond.

We are grateful to our volunteers, vendors, media partners, and the City of Brooklyn Park, whose support was crucial for the success of this year's Afrifest. We look forward to Afrifest 2016.

For photos and videos of this year's festival, please visit Afrifest 2015

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.

Afrocentric Dialogues for a Peaceful World

Today I went to Minneapolis for a small meeting of several people convened by Mohamed Dini, founder and director of the Center for African Peace Research (CAPR). Four of us met, at the Somali Mall in South Minneapolis: Mohamed Dini, Ajar Quevi, Mohamed Salad Muhamad, and Joseph Mbele.

We introduced ourselves and affirmed our commitment to the goals of CAPR. We agreed to retain those goals and focus on their implementation. We affirmed the idea that came out of the last meeting: to start where we are, here in the Twin Cities.

We should work with communities, organizations, agencies, schools,and other institutions interested in, or in need of, creating cultures of peace. This will build both real life experience and more credibility for CAPR. We briefly discussed funding opportunities and agreed to consider these as the need arises.

After the meeting in the Somali Mall, three of us went to Columbia Heights to meet with colleagues from the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) of the University of Minnesota whom Mohamed Dini had contacted--Vanessa Abanu and Yuichiro Onishi. In less than an hour, we covered much ground, exploring areas of mutual interest between the AAAS program and CAPR.

The AAAS program is planning to revamp its curriculum and foster more engagement with the community. We can work together in the areas of coalition building, fostering unity among disparate African and African Diaspora organizations, including student associations to help promote pan Africanism. The resources and methods we can use include performances, workshops and outreach programs.

One of our most memorable conversations concerned the opportunities our collaboration is bound to create for students, especially internships. Through participating in our programs, students will gain first-hand experience of real life issues affecting our communities--such as conflicts--and ways of addressing them. In many ways, such as demographic and cultural, the Twin Cities and adjacent areas are a microcosm of the world.

(The photo above, taken at the Big Marina Grill & Deli in Columbia Heights, features, left to right, Mohamed Salad Muhamad, Mohamed Dini, Joseph L. Mbele, Vanessa Abanu, Yuichiro Onishi).

Memories of Afrifest, Minnesota, 2014

Afrifest 2014 took place on August 2, in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, as planned, and I was there. As has been the case in the past, this was an occasion to interact with different people. There was a steady stream of people coming and going. They talked with vendors, saw products on display, and learned about various services.

One of these people was Jeffrey Lunde, the mayor of Brooklyn Park. I was happy to chat with him for a few minutes. I told him I was quite sure I had heard him speak, some years back, at an African event.

Mayor Lunde has a particular interest in Liberia, a country he has visited. It is interesting that he is mayor of a city which hosts the largest number of Liberians in the U.S.A.

As a vendor, I displayed my books and got to interact with different people who came to my table. They asked questions, shared their perspectives, and picked up copies of free publications. Some bought books.

I enjoyed the questions people asked. One question that stands out in my mind was whether
African Americans are Americans. I have been asked this question again and again by African Americans, when they looked at the title of my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. My answer has always been that African Americans are Americans, and this is the position I take in my book. I plan to deal with this issue in a future blog post.

As is the case year after year, I met old acquaintances as well as new people. I shared my knowledge, experience, and vision with them and at the same time learned a great deal from them. This alone makes my participation in Afrifest worth all the time and effort.

In the late afternoon, around 5 p.m., the stream of visitors grew noticeably, attracted by an impending soccer match between East Africans and West Africans. I did not stay to watch the match. Still recovering from a long illness, I felt tired and embarked on the journey back to Northfield.

Afrifest Went Well, Including a Visit by Senator Al Franken

It was a sunny day today in Minnesota and Afrifest 2013 took place, as planned, at the Northview Junior High School in Brooklyn Park.

As promised, there were children's games. There was not an idle moment for them. In addition to the games, the children  got to learn a little bit of African drumming. I stopped by several times to take pictures, and on one of those occasions, I was able to hear the master drummer telling the children the place of the drum in traditional African culture. I heard him talk about how Africans used the drum to communicate messages.















The "gates" were open at noon, and people came and went throughout the rest of the day.












There were a number of vendors, such as Liberation Clothing and Gifts & which was also present at last year's Afrifest.













Wells Fargo, a major sponsor of Afrifest, was there, just as in the past. Many festival volunteers came from Wells Fargo. They were very visible in their red t-shirts.

The festival proceeded against the backdrop of music from different parts of Africa. The DJs did a remarkable job, playing a wide variety of African music.













Here is the food stand. Their food, including rice and chicken, was terrific.









As an educator, I share knowledge about the African experience. In addition to my books, I hung posters on the fence behind me. These posters--text and pictures--deal with Africa, Africans, and African diaspora across the ages. They describe and discuss Africa as the origin of human beings, the evolution of African kingdoms, slavery and the slave trade, with particular emphasis on the global nature of slavery and the slave trade, not just the trans-Atlantic dimension. There are posters on colonialism, the struggle against it, panAfricanism, contemporary challenges and future prospects.

A few minutes after 4:30, Senator Al Franken (Democrat, Minnesota) showed up. There was much excitement as people crowded around him to greet him and talk with him. What a generous and gentle man. He genuinely appears to enjoy meeting people. Everyone who wanted to take pictures with him did so. It was a truly memorable day.