Month: August 2019

Appointments

Obama Picks Nigerian-American to head foundation
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The Obama Foundation has hired Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo, a former Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics and deputy director of the National Economic Council, as its president, leading the implementation of the organization’s strategic plan and managing its organizational structures and functions.

Adeyemo, whose parents migrated from Nigeria to the US will be the first president of the Obama Foundation

Continue reading “Obama Picks Nigerian-American to head foundation” →
Culture

‘It’s very important to share our culture’: Folklorama’s 1st-ever Egyptian pavilion takes flight
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A sold-out show and a colourful, high-energy vibe set the tone Sunday at Folklorama’s first-ever Egyptian pavilion — an effort organizers say was years in the making.

More than 400 people packed into the University of Manitoba’s University Centre Multi-Purpose Room to take in performances of Egyptian dances, snack on traditional foods and a view a photography display from select parts of the north African country.

Continue reading “‘It’s very important to share our culture’: Folklorama’s 1st-ever Egyptian pavilion takes flight” →
Culture, Education

Indiana University starts course to teach Rwandan national language, Kinyarwanda
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If you are living in the United States and wish to learn Kinyarwanda – Rwanda’s vernacular, your destination has been unveiled.

Indiana University (IU) in the United States will start offering a course in Kinyarwanda, making it the 8th African language the university is teaching under its African Studies Program.

Continue reading “Indiana University starts course to teach Rwandan national language, Kinyarwanda” →
Ancestry

American actor Samuel L. Jackson travels to Africa to meet his relatives in Gabon
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By Halligan Agade

American actor and film producer Samuel L. Jackson has traced his ancestry through Finding Your Roots, an American docu-series that uses traditional genealogical research and genetics to discover the family history of celebrities.

The Hollywood veteran found discovered his roots to the Bantu tribe in the West African nation of Gabon.

Continue reading “American actor Samuel L. Jackson travels to Africa to meet his relatives in Gabon” →
Ancestry

A DNA test connected two distant cousins — and filled out a family history that slavery erased
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By María Elena Romero, Producer Joyce Hackel

Jean Kapenda always hoped to help African Americans to find their African roots. That dream came true in a very personal way. Kapenda, a criminal justice professor at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah, has been interested in genealogy and ancestry for a long time. A few years ago, he did a swab and sent it to a genetic testing site. 

After getting the results, Kapenda, who is originally from Democratic Republic of Congo, has been able to trace hundreds of relatives in the Americas, most of them the descendents of people enslaved and sent on ships across the ocean.

Continue reading “A DNA test connected two distant cousins — and filled out a family history that slavery erased” →
Visit to Africa

Omar Goes Back to Africa With Congressional Black Caucus and Takes Pelosi With Her
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By Lauren Floyd

It’s been more than two weeks since President Donald Trump told Rep. Ilhan Omar and three other congresswomen of color to “go back” to the “crime infested places from which they came” July 14.

Since then, The words “send her back” have been yelled at a Trump campaign rally and even chanted in response to a California restaurant promotion offering a free side for doing so.

That door is where “every man, woman and child walked to the slave boat, catching a last glimpse of their homeland,” according to the African American Registry, a web database of Black heritage.

Omar’s visit was part of a trip the members of the Congressional Black Caucus took to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the beginning of the slave trade from Africa to what became the present-day United States.

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A ship arrived in 1619 at Jamestown, an English settlement in present-day Virginia, carrying about 20 captured Africans in what’s documented as the arrival of enslaved Africans on the American mainland.

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Pelosi addressed Ghana’s Parliament Wednesday in what she called “a message of respect and reaffirming the U.S commitment to security, freedom and justice for all.”

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Book review

A Nigerian-American Bildungsroman, in Mormon Country Image
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A PARTICULAR KIND OF BLACK MAN
By Tope Folarin

“Task: to be where I am. / Even when I’m in this solemn and absurd / role: I am still the place / where creation works on itself.”

This verse, from the Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer’s “Guard Duty,” provides the epigraph for Nigerian-American Tope Folarin’s debut novel, “A Particular Kind of Black Man,” and echoes of Transtromer’s lucidly self-instructive poem ring throughout its pages.

Continue reading “A Nigerian-American Bildungsroman, in Mormon Country Image” →
Health

Millennial from Kenya is ‘sickle cell warrior’ – Florida Courier
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“Marie Ojiambo’s outstanding success as a research scientist is truly inspiring as she did not allow the challenges of Sickle Cell Disease to prevent her from achieving her professional career goals.”

BY LAUREN POTEAT

It has been more than 100 years since sickle cell disease was first discovered in America. Today, the rare hereditary blood disorder continues to affect millions of people throughout the world.

Continue reading “Millennial from Kenya is ‘sickle cell warrior’ – Florida Courier” →
Business, Communities

Former NBA star, Luol Deng, helps South Sudanese forge a path in America
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Deng, the son of a former Sudanese education minister who has returned to Africa, has become an economic force as well as a substantial taxpayer.

By Neal St. Anthony

Luol Deng, a 15-year NBA veteran and former Minnesota Timberwolf, was hanging with a bunch of South Sudanese immigrants and their kids one weekend last month.

Continue reading “Former NBA star, Luol Deng, helps South Sudanese forge a path in America” →
Uncategorized

Canadian foundation appoints Nigerian journalist BOD member
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A Nigerian journalist, Chief Femi Shodunke, has joined the Board of Directors (BOD) of a Canada based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Life of Hope Foundation.

The appointment of Shodunke, a one-time Deputy Editor of the Nigerian Compass newspaper on Sunday who is now based in Canada, was announced in a letter signed by the Foundation’s Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Anike Stella Onile.

Continue reading “Canadian foundation appoints Nigerian journalist BOD member” →
Achievements

From Agege to Harvard: Nigerian Narrates Joy, Pain of Studying Medicine in America
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Studying medicine and surgery in the United States of America is both academically and financially demanding. It’s hard for international students to get into medical schools due to several challenges. In this interview with SaharaReporters, Nigerian doctor and MBA holder, Ayobami Olufadeji, who recently completed his studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency Program, narrates his 12-year academic journey.

Continue reading “From Agege to Harvard: Nigerian Narrates Joy, Pain of Studying Medicine in America” →
Communities

Eritrean, Saheed Saleh, killed in Dayton shooting
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A Dayton man, Saheed Saleh, killed in the Sunday shooting at the Oregon District was an Eritrea native.Yahya Khamis, president of the Dayton Sudanese community, who spoke on behalf of Saleh’s family, said several members from across the state came to Dayton to pay their respects.

Continue reading “Eritrean, Saheed Saleh, killed in Dayton shooting” →
Festivals

How Nigeria and Ghana have lost to Sierra Leone in a series of Jollof Rice festivals across America
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By Staff writer

It seems the best jollof rice cooked across America may not be by Nigerians or Ghanaian but rather by Sierra Leoneans and Senegalese who have come tops across four Jollof rice competitions held across America so far.

Continue reading “How Nigeria and Ghana have lost to Sierra Leone in a series of Jollof Rice festivals across America” →
Achievements

Liberia Pays Homage to ‘Its Own’ With Independence Day Honor for VOA’s James Butty
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By Rodney Sieh

The Liberian Embassy in Washington, DC has paid homage to Mr. James Butty, the host and managing editor of the Voice of America’s breakfast show, Daybreak Africa, for his “invaluable and dedicated services to humanity and the people of Liberia.

Continue reading “Liberia Pays Homage to ‘Its Own’ With Independence Day Honor for VOA’s James Butty” →
Communities

Egyptian pavilion up and running in Folklorama
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By Libby Giesbrecht

Folklorama’s brand new addition, the Egyptian Pavilion, wants to show you why their culture is more than just pyramids and sphynxes. No, they don’t “walk like an Egyptian,” and no, they don’t live in pyramids. But these misconceptions come from a vastly rich African culture that visitors to Folklorama’s newest pavilion will certainly be entranced by.

Continue reading “Egyptian pavilion up and running in Folklorama” →
Communities

Egyptian pavilion a first for Folklorama
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By Danielle Da Silva

For the first time, Egyptian cuisine and cultural entertainment is on the itinerary for the golden anniversary of Folklorama.  

The Egyptian Canadian Society of Manitoba is bringing the flavours and folklore of the North African country to the University of Manitoba campus for week one of the annual cultural celebration, Aug. 4 to Aug. 10.

Continue reading “Egyptian pavilion a first for Folklorama” →
Athletics

Kenya’s Jepkosgei, Korio win 2019 Beach to Beacon
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By  Liam Nee

CAJoyciline Jepkosgei and Alex Korio, both of Kenya, won 2019 TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race in Cape Elizabeth. Jepkosgei, 25, finished in 31:05, averaging about 5-minute miles. It’s the race’s fastest time since Mary Keitany’s 30:41 course record set in 2017.

Continue reading “Kenya’s Jepkosgei, Korio win 2019 Beach to Beacon” →
Culture

Smithsonian exhibit shows how Senegalese women used jewelry to project power.
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BY PENNY DICKERSON

The measure of a woman’s worth has historically been associated with her appearance. An arguable Western society bias, the latter conceptually crosses the African Diaspora to the coast of Dakar – the cosmopolitan capital of Senegal where aesthetics both define and convey more than an affinity for fashion but transcend wealth, aristocracy, prestige and preference. 

Continue reading “Smithsonian exhibit shows how Senegalese women used jewelry to project power.” →
Education

Coming To America: The Best Student Podcasts About Immigration from NPR
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By JACQUELINE NKHONJERA

When Fahmo Abdi and her family immigrated to the United States from Kenya, they lost contact with all of their loved ones. While living in a refugee camp, Abdi’s mother decided to move her family to the United States in search of a better life. “She knew she had to work hard to provide for us and [for] her family back home,” Abdi recalls.

Continue reading “Coming To America: The Best Student Podcasts About Immigration from NPR” →
Issues

Understanding the Division Between African Americans and Africans
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By Dwayne Wong (Omowale)

The slave trade not only physically separated African Americans and Africans, but it created a psychological separation as well. At the root of this continued division between the two groups are misconceptions rooted in the narratives that each group has been given about themselves, as well as each other. As African people we continue to view ourselves and each other through the lens of the colonizer. For this reason African Americans tend to view Africans in the same manner as Europeans do, and Africans tend to view African Americans the same way. In this article I will look at the roots of where these misconceptions came from.

Continue reading “Understanding the Division Between African Americans and Africans” →
Relocated

9 Things I Wish I Knew Before Moving to Africa
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You: “I want to move to Africa!” Us: “Know these things first…”

by KAYLAN REID SHIPANGA 

In 2010, I hopped on a plane and left The Big Apple—I was moving to Africa. After 17 hours in the air, I landed in Namibia for a year of teaching English abroad. Seven years later, I’m still here! I’m now married to a Namibian and raising our two-year-old son. What an unexpected turn of events, huh?

Since moving to Africa, and over the years, I’ve picked up a few lessons throughout my unexpected journey of life in Africa. For individuals considering taking the leap of faith and moving here like I did, this article is for you. Here’s what I wish I knew before moving to Africa, in the hopes that your transition to an incredible chapter of life here will be as smooth as possible.

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Uncategorized

Nigerian-born Wale Omotosho defeats Curtis Stevens in Brooklyn, New York
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Nigerian-born junior middleweight boxer, Wale Omotoso won his first belt in America when he knocked out Brooklyn-born Curtis Stevens in the 3rd round of their scheduled 10 round fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Nigerian pugilist floored his opponent in each round and brutally cut Stevens down in the 3rd round, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Wale Omotoshos now has a 28-4, 22 KOs, 1 NC fight record.

Continue reading “Nigerian-born Wale Omotosho defeats Curtis Stevens in Brooklyn, New York” →
Communities

Itsekiri of the United States Gather in Washington DC for their 22nd Annual Convention
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 PRZen / WASHINGTON —  Over Labor Day weekend, Washington, DC will welcome 400 Itsekiri patrons and friends from around the country and the world to the 22nd Annual Ugbajo Itsekiri USA, Inc. National Convention. This year’s theme is Building Wellness and Healthy Communities.

Continue reading “Itsekiri of the United States Gather in Washington DC for their 22nd Annual Convention” →
Uncategorized

Miss African Roots Will Deepen The Conversation About African Heritage In America —Cindy Makita
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By Newton-Ray Ukwuoma

Meet the new Miss African Roots 2019, Cindy Makita. Born and raised in South Africa, Cindy Makita has a Congolese heritage. She moved to Miami, Florida in 2014 to attend Florida International University. In 2018 she graduated Magna Cum Laude, as a Worlds Ahead Graduate and as an Honors student.

Miss African Roots is a unique, bi-annual pageant competition which promotes a sense of community, confidence, and pride for the motherland of Africa within the United States.

Continue reading “Miss African Roots Will Deepen The Conversation About African Heritage In America —Cindy Makita” →
Uncategorized

Travel Diary: Rachelle Salnave and Her Daughters Are Welcomed Home To Ghana In the Year of Return
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“No one had to tell us—we felt at home!”

By Rachelle Salnave  In OkayAfrica

Haitian-American indie filmmaker shares the gift she gave her daughters of traveling to Ghana, West Africa for the first time during The Year of Return.

Staying at Agoo Hostel in Nima was a page out of the 1980’s American TV series, The Love Boat—except the characters were Ghanaian!

“Akwaaba! Welcome home my sistahs,” is a phrase we were told not just at Agoo, but throughout our entire Ghana girls trip. Akwabba is not just this country’s motto—it’s the vibe in Ghana.

Continue reading “Travel Diary: Rachelle Salnave and Her Daughters Are Welcomed Home To Ghana In the Year of Return” →
Festivals

Ghanaian culture celebrated with daytime festival at Crotona Park, in New York
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Revelers gathered in Crotona Park Saturday to celebrate the culture and heritage of Ghana. Ghana Fest highlighted the sights and sounds of Ghana. Vendors sold traditional Ghanaian products, like clothing and food.

The daytime festival gave people a chance to learn about the country.

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Ancestry

Moving to Ghana ‘healed my ancestral trauma’ – Sicley Williams
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This month marks 400 years since the first African slaves arrived in the United States and the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade. Overall some 12 million enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic. This year is also Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’, an initiative launched by the Ghanaian government to encourage the African diaspora to come back to Ghana.

Sicley Williams moved to Accra from Atlanta in the US back in 2017. She told Newsday’s Bola Mosuro what about her personal reasons for making the move.

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News

Fake news on social media is eroding trust in media, especially in sub-Saharan Africa
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Study finds that significant amount of educated people in Sub-Saharan Africa distrust news on social media platforms

By  University of Houston

As many as 90% of Kenyans, 93% of Nigerians and 76% of South Africans believe they are exposed to false news about politics on a fairly regular basis. This is the findings of a study by Dani Madrid-Morales, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Houston’s Jack J. Valenti School of Communication and Herman Wasserman at the University of Cape Town.

Continue reading “Fake news on social media is eroding trust in media, especially in sub-Saharan Africa” →
Festivals

African Diaspora Film Festival Returns to GW
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by Eve M. Ferguson

The African Diaspora International Film Festival returns to the Marvin Center at George Washington University from Aug. 9-11, celebrating “the human experience of people of color around the world.”

This year showcases heroes of African diaspora history, from the opening night with “Ali’s Comeback: The Untold Story,” directed by Art Jones, to the closing night film, “The Robeson Effect,” in which actors Danny Glover and Ben Guillory, friends for more than 50 years, tell how actor Paul Robeson affected their lives, leading to the creation of the Robey Theater Company in Los Angeles.

Continue reading “African Diaspora Film Festival Returns to GW” →
African Politics

Somalia’s President Gives Up US Citizenship, But Unclear Why
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The office of Somalia’s president says he is giving up his United States citizenship but it is not immediately clear why.

A statement posted on Twitter on Thursday says President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed made the decision voluntarily, with lawyers involved. It says Somalia’s constitution allows for dual citizenship.

Continue reading “Somalia’s President Gives Up US Citizenship, But Unclear Why” →