An Evening of African Food and Folklore

In the evening of February 28, a number of people gathered in Brooklyn Center to share African folklore. The event was a joint initiative of the Kofa Foundation and me, as founder and owner of Africonexion: Cultural Consultants. We wanted to mark the last day of Black History Month and to recognize the work of the Kofa Foundation.

The Kofa Foundation was started to support victims of the ebola crisis in West Africa. Africonexion promotes cultural awareness, helping individuals, institutions, and organizations understand and deal with issues stemming from cultural differences.



We started the evening with delicious food prepared by the Kofa Foundation. Then, I stood up to make my presentation.

As I have been doing in my recent presentations, I gave a preview of Africa as the cradle of the human race and civilization. I emphasized the significance of oral culture and its implications, to foster an appreciation of the ingenuity of non-literate people.





I illustrated African traditional wisdom through proverbs and two tales: the Haitian tale of Frog and the well featured in  Harold Courlander's A Treasury of Afro-American Folklore and "The Monster in the Rice Field," featured in my Matengo Folktales.





















Decontee Kofa, founder and director of the Kofa Foundation, seen in the photo on the left, hosted the event and announced that she would soon host a similar event. Lori, the lady in the middle, told me about the Transformative Circle, an organization that involves "diverse people coming together to foster greater understanding and appreciation for our community, cultural differences, and customs." She said she would like me to make a presentation to them.

I had brought copies of my books--Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and Matengo Folktales--and people were able to see and buy them, with proceeds going to the Kofa Foundation.

"Africans and Americans" Book Available in Tanzania

My book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, is now available at the Burunge Visitors Center (BVC), in Manyara Region, Tanzania.

The BVC was created for the management of wildlife and natural resources and for promoting education in these matters as well as tourism. As a resource center, BVC seeks to provide education on the historical and cultural heritage of the area for the local communities and visitors.

As an educator and cultural consultant, I am pleased to collaborate with the BVC. The decision by BVC to acquire my books for their shop simplifies matters for people in Tanzania wishing to buy them. They can contact BVC by email: info@burungevisitorscentre.or.tz or imborutours@gmail.com or using the phone numbers listed here:  http://www.burungevisitorscentre.or.tz/.

Memories of the World Festival, Rochester, Minnesota

On April 11, I attended the World Festival in Rochester, Minnesota, an annual event organized by the Rochester International Association.

I am drawn to such events because I value and enjoy participating in efforts to build bridges and foster understanding among the world's diverse cultures.

Over the years, I have helped organize and participated in such events, mostly in the Twin Cities area. This was the first time I was attending the World Festival in Rochester, representing Africonexion: Cultural Consultants and the Afrifest Foundation.

One of the major attractions of such events for me is encountering the unexpected. At the World Festival, for example, I stumbled upon members of the Rochester Diversity Council.

I believe I first heard about the Council when I was serving on the board of the Faribault Diversity Coalition. But I had never actually met any of its members. I was therefore delighted to meet Al Lun, who told me he was a member of the Rochester Diversity Council and promptly led me to their booth where he got us to pose for the photo featured here.

Although we did not have much time to talk, since I had to continue taking photos of the exhibitions and performances, before returning to my table, I shared a copy of my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, with a view to continuing the conversation.

I wanted very much to share this photo on my blog, since it captures our joy and excitement upon meeting. I also like the way it mirrors the diversity of the world's people, so congruent with the theme and spirit of the World Festival.

At the World Festival, Rochester, Minnesota

The World Festival took place today in Rochester. This is an annual event, organized by the Rochester International Association.

Since in the morning I was participating in the Cannon River Conference in Zumbrota, where I gave a talk on "The Dilemma of Cultural Differences: Challenges and Opportunities," my daughter Zawadi went early to Rochester and set up our table. I joined her later, after the Zumbrota conference.

The Festival took place at the John Marshall High School, and my daughter and I represented Africonexion--my consulting company--and the Afrifest Foundation of which I am the Board chairman. Both organizations were appearing at the Festival for the first time.

We displayed my books and other publications, as well as information about the Afrifest Foundation.

Before I arrived, a little after 2pm, Zawadi had spoken with many people about the work of Africonexion and the Afrifest Foundation.

We continued doing so after I joined her. She enjoys doing this and has participated in such events from the time she was quite young.









There were many people from different countries and cultures around the world. There were performances and displays in the school auditorium, and there were vendors outside the auditorium. We had our table outside.























I was delighted to meet many people I had not met before, to hear their stories, and to exchange views and experiences. I was particularly happy to meet members of the Rochester Diversity Council.

I had, for years, wanted to connect with the Council, considering that we share common interests in bringing people of different cultures together and promoting mutual understanding and positive relations among them.