Today is my 60th Birthday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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