Tag: African culture

Culture

Odunde, largest African American street festival, goes virtual for 45th anniversary

BY SINEAD CUMMINGS | PhillyVoice

The largest African American street festival in the country annually takes place in Philadelphia. Typically held on the second Sunday in June, Odunde draws large crowds supporting and celebrating African culture.

The festival’s concept originates from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa. Odunde is a Yoruba word that means “Happy New Year.”

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Opinion

Why were US Democrats wearing Ghana’s kente cloth?

By BBC

When US Democrats in Congress proposed legislation to reform the police following weeks of protests over the death of African American George Floyd at the hands of a white officer, commenters on social media only wanted to talk about one thing: what they were wearing. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and other Democratic lawmakers were draped in scarves made from a cloth of colourful geometric Ghanaian designs called kente.

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Communities

Has African art finally found a place in New York?

By Nick Ogutu | African Education in Focus

As one of the proprietors of Harlem Artisan Market, I know this is a difficult to answer because African art and culture is so rich, diverse and deep that it could occupy the entire city itself. As part of an initiative for Safari Yangu and a few street vendors, Harlem Artisan Market opened its doors in December 2018 as a pop-up indoor market on 105 west 125th street in Harlem. Safari Yangu is an organization that was founded in 2017 by a group of volunteer students at Columbia University. Its purpose is to empower immigrants through advocacy and create different platforms to tell their unique stories.

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Culture, Education

Carleton University’s Institute for African Studies Celebrates 10 Years of Impact

By Tyrone Burke | Carleton Newsroom

In 2009, Carleton became home to the first stand-alone, degree-granting Institute of African Studies in Canada. It brought together scholars who were studying Africa in a diverse set of disciplines to pursue a coherent, Africa-focused research program.

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People

It’s Angélique Kidjo’s Birthday, and Her Country’s Too

She is probably Africa’s most widely respected international vocalist, and one of its hungriest synthesizers of culture and ideas.

By Giovanni Russonello|The New York Times

The Beninese vocalist Angélique Kidjo was born into one of the most hopeful moments of the 20th century. Just two weeks after her birth in 1960 — in Ouidah, Dahomey — her country finally gained independence from France. It was one of 17 African nations to declare independence that year.

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Culture

‘Taste of Africa’ slated for Rusk library
  • By Jo Anne Embleton

RUSK – Arts, crafts and delicious cuisines from the African and African-American culture are the focal point of “A Taste of Africa Arts and Culture” exhibit, slated from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Rusk Public Library, 207 E 6th St.

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Arts

Buffalo Museum of Science exhibits ancient Egyptian artifacts

By: Mustafa Marie 

The Buffalo Museum of Science in America dedicated a dimmed room to display ancient Egyptian mummies alongside their unique coffins and gold-plated bandages.

The curators at the museum said that the mummies date back to the Greco-Roman era. They further stated that the Egyptian artifacts displayed at the museum span back to the year 332 BC.

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Culture

African culture celebrated at Heritage Fest Miami

The Black History Month event was held S at the Arsht Center.

Sheron Williams, sales director of Concerned African Women Inc., shed some historic light on African head-wrapping to show Black women have been “fly” for centuries.

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Entertainment

CBS’s ‘Bob Hearts Abishola’ Rings True To These Nigerian Viewers

By ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO

“There’s a white man at the door.”

In the new CBS comedy Bob Hearts Abishola, those words cause a flurry of concern for an immigrant Nigerian family living in Detroit.

“Tell me, when has that ever been good?” demands Auntie Olu, played by Shola Adewusi.

The white man she’s referring to is Bob — a stocky, 50-year-old guy played by Mike & Molly actor Billy Gardell. He’s come to Olu’s house in search of her niece Abishola, portrayed by Nigerian actress Folake Olowofoyeku. At first, Olu and her husband assume something has gone terribly wrong. But their worries are soothed when they realize Bob is interested in asking Abishola out.

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Culture

Diaspora Showcase brings African culture to Tucson

By Rogelio Mares

The history of African Americans in Tucson is rich, full of names, dates and titles.

During segregation if you were black you could only learn that history at the Dunbar Academy.

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