tag:www.funtimesmagazine.com,2005:/categories/history?page=24History | FunTimes Magazine Page 24Celebrating Africa And Its Diaspora2023-07-26T11:15:17-04:00urn:uuid:0d2492dd-4487-4376-bbdd-4d396e374b802022-08-03T16:04:13-04:002023-07-26T11:15:17-04:00African Nok Culture: A Wealth of Notable Artefacts and Inspirational Symbolism 2022-08-03 16:00:00 -0400Victoria Ezechukwu-Nwagwu<span><p>Nok culture, the archeological and cultural artifact of an African civilization that spanned from 500 BCE to 900 CE. The word Nok means “to make something” in the old Bamana language which is spoken by some hunters in Mali. The artifacts date back to 500 BCE, and are made up of terracotta sculptures, masks, and figures.</p><br><h2>How Nok Culture Came to be<br><br></h2><p>The Nok culture (or Nok civilization) is named after the Ham village of Nok in Kaduna State of Nigeria, where their terracotta sculptures were first discovered in 1928 by Colonel Dent Young. The terracotta was accidentally unearthed at a level of 24 feet (7 m) from an alluvial tin mine and the sculptures were presented to the Museum of the Department of Mines in Jos. Fifteen years later, a new series of clay figurines were discovered while mining tin. </p><br><p>The Nok culture is best known for its terracotta sculptures, which depict human and animal figures. These sculptures are thought to have been used as grave markers or for other ritual purposes. The Nok people were skilled metalworkers, and their art is characterized by its naturalistic style and use of iron.<br><br></p><p>The Nok people were able to create good-quality iron through smelting; this made them an important part of local trade networks as producers and smiths of iron tools, and likely made them fairly powerful.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>The area covered by the Nok civilisation, over 2500 years ago, currently includes language groups such as Hausa, Jukun, Berom, Afizere, Amo, Anaguta, Aten, Bogghom, Buji, Jipal, Chip, Irchip, Fier, and over thirteen others.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>The Nok culture disappeared around 500 AD, but its art has had a lasting impact on the world of African art. Today, the Nok style is still evident in the work of contemporary African artists.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/940479/fill/700x0/image3.png?timestamp=1659556562">(Image Source: en.wikipedia.org)<br><br><br><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/940480/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1659556610">(Image Source: the234project.com)<br><br></div></div></span><span><h2>Symbolism and Meaning in Nok Culture<br><br></h2><p>The African Nok culture is one of the great wealth and notable artefacts. It is also full of inspirational symbolism that can be found in many different places. One of the most obvious places to find such symbolism is in the art that the Nok people create. Much of the art the Nok people created contains elements meant to represent different aspects of their culture and beliefs. For example, many Nok sculptures depict animals or people in positions that are meant to convey a certain message or meaning.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>Symbolism is also found in their traditional ceremonies and rituals. These ceremonies often involve the use of specific objects or clothing that is symbolic of something important to the Nok people. For example, one ceremonial object that the Nok people use is a staff that is said to represent the authority of the chief. Another example is the use of feathers in some Nok ceremonies, which represent strength and power.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>The presence of symbolism in Nok culture can be seen as a way for the people to communicate their values and beliefs to others. It can also be seen as a way for them to express their creativity and uniqueness. Whatever the reason, it is clear that symbolism plays an important role.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/940482/fill/700x0/nok_20culture.jpeg?timestamp=1659556759"></div><p>(Nok terracotta figure. Image Source: en.wikipedia.org)</p><p><br></p><p>Read about another culture in Nigeria:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/07/29/406809/ile-ife-the-cradle-of-yoruba-culture-and-civilization" target="_blank"><img alt="pDrummers at Oonis Palace Ile-Ife Source a href" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/938398/fit/80x80/Drummers_at_Ooni_s_Palace.jpeg?timestamp=1659556940"></a><p></p><br></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/07/29/406809/ile-ife-the-cradle-of-yoruba-culture-and-civilization" target="_blank">Ile-Ife: The Cradle of Yoruba Culture and Civilization</a></h4>
<p>Nestled in the heart of Yoruba land in southwestern Nigeria is the ancient city of Ile-Ife. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/07/29/406809/ile-ife-the-cradle-of-yoruba-culture-and-civilization">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p></div></span><span><h2>The Role of the Women in Nok Culture<br><br></h2><p>Nok culture is rich in artefacts and symbolism, with a particular focus on the role of women. Women in Nok culture are seen as the custodians of tradition and are responsible for passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. They play a vital role in ceremonies and rituals, and their status is reflected in the art that is produced by Nok artists.</p><br><p>Nok culture places a great deal of importance on the role of women, which is reflected in the art that is produced by Nok artists. Women are seen as the custodians of tradition and are responsible for passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. They play a vital role in ceremonies and rituals, and their status is reflected in the art that is produced by Nok artists.</p><br><br><br><h2>Knowledge of Customary Law: A Tradition of Wisdom and Justice</h2><br><p>The notion of law is an important concept in all cultures. In the African Nok culture, customary law is a tradition that has been passed down through the generations. This system of law is based on the collective wisdom and experience of the community. It is not a written code, but rather a set of customs and traditions that have been followed for many years. Customary law is an integral part of the Nok culture and helps to maintain order and justice within society.</p><br><b>Source</b>:<br><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture</a></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture#Discovery">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nok_culture#Discovery</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/940483/fill/300x0/Screenshot_202022-08-03_20at_2016.00.23.png?timestamp=1659556876"></div><p>Victoria Ezechukwu-Nwagwu is the Executive Assistant to the Publisher of FunTimes Magazine. She is a communication enthusiast with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication. She is passionate about learning new things and influencing creative innovations.</p><span><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div><br></div></span><span><p><br></p><div><br></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d600bf77-9cb1-4071-8aa9-1fbde0e25a352022-07-27T11:10:57-04:002022-07-29T11:36:35-04:00Ile-Ife: The Cradle of Yoruba Culture and Civilization2022-07-29 09:00:00 -0400Sandra Lawrence<span><p>Nestled in the heart of Yoruba land in southwestern Nigeria is the ancient city of Ile-Ife. For centuries, this city has been revered as the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization. Today, it remains an important center of Yoruba life and traditions.<br><br></p><p><br></p><h3>The history of Ile-Ife<br><br></h3><p>Ile-Ife is a city located in southwestern Nigeria. The city is considered to be the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization. According to legend, Ile-Ife was founded by a man named Oduduwa, who is said to be the father of the Yoruba people. The city is home to a number of historical sites, including the famous Ooni's Palace, which is said to be the oldest building in Nigeria. Ile-Ife is also home to a number of universities and colleges, making it an important center of education in Nigeria.<br><br></p><h3>The culture of Ile-Ife<br><br></h3><p>If you're interested in Yoruba culture, then Ile-Ife is the place to be. This city is considered the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization, and there's plenty to see and do here. From exploring the ancient cityscape to learning about traditional arts and crafts, you can really immerse yourself in Yoruba culture in Ile-Ife. And of course, no trip to Ile-Ife would be complete without sampling the local cuisine! If you're looking for an authentic cultural experience, then be sure to add Ile-Ife to your travel list.<br><br></p><h3>The people of Ile-Ife<br><br></h3><p>The people of Ile-Ife are proud of their city's rich history and culture. Yoruba civilization is thought to have originated in Ile-Ife, and the city is still considered the cultural center of the Yoruba people. Visitors to Ile-Ife can see many examples of traditional Yoruba architecture, art, and crafts. The people of Ile-Ife are also known for their hospitality, and visitors are always welcome in the city.<br><br></p><h3>The economy of Ile-Ife<br><br></h3><p>If you are interested in Yoruba culture and civilization, then you should definitely check out the blog section on Ile-Ife. This city is the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization, and it is also a major economic hub in Nigeria. In this blog section, we will be discussing the economy of Ile-Ife and how it has helped to shape the city over the years.<br><br></p><h3>Ile-Ife today<br><br></h3><p>Ile-Ife is a city in southwest Nigeria and is considered the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization. The city is home to a number of historical sites, including the palace of the Ooni of Ife, which is the traditional ruler of the Yoruba people. Ile-Ife is also home to Obafemi Awolowo University, one of Nigeria's leading universities.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>Today, Ile-Ife is a thriving city with a growing economy. The city is home to a number of businesses, including a number of manufacturing and technology companies. Ile-Ife is also a popular tourist destination, with visitors coming from all over the world to experience its rich culture and history.</p><p>The city of Ile-Ife is a very special place, not just for the Yoruba people but for all of Africa. It is the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization, and it is a place that is steeped in history. If you ever have the chance to visit Ile-Ife, you will be sure to have an unforgettable experience.</p><p>There are approximately 26 US universities and colleges with a Yoruba language and culture studies department.</p><p></p><p>In a world where culture and tradition seem to varnish quicker than a body spray, Africans in South Carolina have found a means to preserve one of Nigerians oldest and most popular culture, the Yoruba culture.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/938362/fill/700x0/ile-ife1.jpeg?timestamp=1658947045"></div><p><br>The Oyotunji village in South Carolina is a Yoruba community founded by a Black American named Walter Eugene King who was born on October 5, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan, USA.<br><br>During his high school years Eugene got fascinated by the African culture. He became connected to the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe at the age of 20 which increased his love for the African culture, particularly that of the Yorubas.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/938365/fill/700x0/oyotunji.jpeg?timestamp=1658947203"></div><p><br></p><p>On August 26, 1959, Eugene became the first African born in America to become fully initiated into the Orisa-Vodun African priesthood by African Cubans in Matanzas, Cuba. Ceromonially this initiation marked the beginning of the spread of Yoruba religion and culture among African Americans.</p></span><span><p>Eugene founded the Sango Temple in New York and incorporated the African Theological Arch Ministry in 1960. The Sango Temple was relocated and renamed the Yoruba Temple the same year.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/938367/fill/700x0/yoruba.jpeg?timestamp=1658947403"></div><p> </p><p>In 1970, he founded the Yoruba Village of Oyotunji in Beaufort County South Carolina and reorganized the Orisa-Vodu Priesthood along traditional Nigerian lines. He was initiated to the Ifa priesthood by the Oluwa of Ileum at Abeokuta, Nigeria, in August of 1972. After his initiation, he was named king of Oyotunji community in 1972 with the designation, His Royal Highness Oba (King) Ofuntola Oseijeman Adel Abu Adefunmi I, born Baba Adefunmi. He later died and his son, Adefunmi Adejuyigbe took over as king.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/938370/fill/300x0/sandy.png?timestamp=1658947799"></div><span><p> Sandy is a Deaconess at the Vine Memorial Baptist Church. She is retired and has worked in the field of elementary education and adoption/foster and geriatric social work. She is founder and CEO of ICAP Inc (Intergenerational Community Alliances & Programs Inc.) a nonprofit organization. It provides workshops and motivational speaking on select topics. Sandy is an amateur Storyteller and has authored 2 adoption specialty children’s books and has published an inspirational book for women available on amazon titled "Weaving the Threads of Faith… Sisterly Encouragement 1." The Part 2 is soon to be released. She has held/holds membership in various socially impacting organizations promoting the betterment of women, children/families and seniors. She is associate publisher and advisory board member to FUNTIMES Magazine. Sandy is the mother of son, Rasheen. She lives the philosophy that “If I can help somebody along the way than my living is not in vain..” <br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div><br></div></span><div><br></div><div><br></div><span><div><br></div><div><span><br><br></span></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:d99947b6-e280-4d4e-a209-b130f8d6bde32022-07-23T13:56:37-04:002022-07-26T15:36:10-04:0013 Black Legends Who Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2022-07-27 09:00:00 -0400Boitumelo Masihleho<span><p>On July 7, President Joe Biden awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom to 17 Americans The Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. <br></p><p><br></p><p>It was established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, superseding the Medal of Freedom that was established by President Harry S. Truman in 1945 to honor civilian service during World War II. A recipient himself, President Biden laughed and joked with the new recipients as he honored them and their service to the country. In light of this prestigious event, here’s a look at some of the wonderful and deserving, and Black legends who have ever received this honor.</p><br><h2>Simone Biles<br><br></h2><p>At just 25 years old, Simone Biles has officially become the youngest person ever to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In addition to her athletic prowess, Biles is an advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault. Teasing Biles as he awarded her, President Joe Biden suggested that the nation’s most decorated gymnast in history couldn’t find room to add another piece of hardware to her 32 Olympic and World Championship medals.</p></span><span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937411/fill/700x0/image1.png?timestamp=1658596630"></div><p> </p><p>Read more on Simone Biles:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/07/15/362572/urban-athletic-fashion-through-the-decades-from-flo-jo-to-serena-williams-simone-biles-and-sha-carrie-richardson" target="_blank"><img alt="Urban Athletic Fashion Through the Decades From Flo-Jo to Serena Williams Simone Biles and ShaCarrie Richardson" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/836436/fit/80x80/urban_20atheletic_20fashion.jpg?timestamp=1658596712" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/07/15/362572/urban-athletic-fashion-through-the-decades-from-flo-jo-to-serena-williams-simone-biles-and-sha-carrie-richardson" target="_blank">Urban Athletic Fashion Through the Decades: From Flo-Jo to Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Sha’Carrie Richardson</a></h4>
<p>In celebrating Black female athletes and their contributions to the world, we are exploring urban fashion styles displayed by Black female athletes through the decades. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/07/15/362572/urban-athletic-fashion-through-the-decades-from-flo-jo-to-serena-williams-simone-biles-and-sha-carrie-richardson">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<br></h2></span><span><p></p><p>Harlem native Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most celebrated athletes and activists of our time. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, has won six championships and six Most Valuable Player Honors. Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. He has also been appointed as a US Ambassador in the past and has dedicated much of his time after sports to writing and social activism</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937412/fill/700x0/image3.png?timestamp=1658596690"></div><p> </p><div><span>Read about other Black NBA athletes:<br></span><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/05/14/400166/5-of-the-best-african-born-players-in-the-nba" target="_blank"><img alt="5 of the Best African Born Players in the NBA" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/921540/fit/80x80/NBA_20african.jpg?timestamp=1658596804" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/05/14/400166/5-of-the-best-african-born-players-in-the-nba" target="_blank">5 of the Best African Born Players in the NBA</a></h4>
<p>Here are 5 current NBA players born in Africa that are making plays on the court and finding creative ways to give back off of it. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/05/14/400166/5-of-the-best-african-born-players-in-the-nba">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><h2>Cicely Tyson</h2><br><p></p><p><span>Celebrated actress Cicely Tyson has had a long career where she has graced movie and television screens, as well as Broadway stages. Also born and raised in Harlem, Tyson was first discovered as a model for <i>Ebony Magazine</i>. Her honors include two Emmys and a Tony Award for best leading actress in <i>The Trip to the Bountiful</i>. Tyson received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2015. </span><br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937413/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1658596868"></div><p> <br>Read more about Cicely Tyson:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/02/02/344890/celebrate-the-life-of-actress-cicely-tyson" target="_blank"><img alt="Celebrate the Life of Actress Cicely Tyson" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/796250/fit/80x80/cicely_20tyson_201.jpg?timestamp=1658596885" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/02/02/344890/celebrate-the-life-of-actress-cicely-tyson" target="_blank">Celebrate the Life of Actress Cicely Tyson</a></h4>
<p>Although Cicely Tyson had an overall successful career, she sometimes struggled to find roles, as she was very specific about the ones she accepted.
<span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/02/02/344890/celebrate-the-life-of-actress-cicely-tyson">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><h2>Denzel Washington</h2><p></p><p></p><p><br></p><p><span>Denzel Washington was forced to miss getting his award due to a case of Covid-19. The 67-year-old actor was noted for being one of the nation’s most acclaimed dramatists. Washington is the most nominated Black actor in Academy Awards history, with 10 overall nods and two wins for<i> Glory</i> and <i>Training Day</i>. "There's a man who couldn't be here today but wanted to be: Denzel Washington, one of our greatest actors in American history. Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Tony Awards, [and] wide acclaim and admiration from audiences and peers around the world," President Biden said during the ceremony. "He couldn't be here with us today, but I'll be giving him this award at a later date when he's able to get here."</span></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937414/fill/700x0/image5.jpg?timestamp=1658596991"></div><p> </p><p>Denzel Washington stars in one of the '8 of the Best Black Romance Movies Through the Decades' :</p><div class="media clearfix"><span class="pull-left"><img alt="8 of the Best Black Romance Movies Through the Decades" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/801970/fit/80x80/kelly-sikkema-lW1fwg7Tp0I-unsplash.jpg?timestamp=1658597025" class="media-object"></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/02/14/347283/8-of-the-best-black-romance-movies-through-the-decades" target="_blank">8 of the Best Black Romance Movies Through the Decades</a></h4>
<p>From Love Jones to Moonlight, these are some of the Black romance films to watch this Valentine's Day with your significant other. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/02/14/347283/8-of-the-best-black-romance-movies-through-the-decades">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><h2>Diana Ross<br><br></h2><p></p><p>With her 50-plus year career in several facets of the entertainment industry, Diana Ross has opened doors for many to follow in her footsteps. From theater to film, television to fashion, Ross has obtained honors in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a recipient of the Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award, and as an Academy Award nominee. She was at the White House in 2007 when she was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors.<br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937415/fill/700x0/image4.png?timestamp=1658597214"></div><p> </p><h2>Michael Jordan <br><br></h2><span><p></p><p>Michael Jordan is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards and is currently the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets. During his career, he won six championships, five MVP awards and appeared in 14 All-Star games. “MJ is still more than those moments, more than just the best player on the two greatest teams of all time – the Dream Team and the 1996 Chicago Bulls,” former President Obama said. “He’s more than just a logo, more than just an internet meme. He’s more than just a charitable donor or a business owner committed to diversity.</p><p><br></p><div><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937416/fill/700x0/image7.png?timestamp=1658597332"></div><p><br></p><p>Michael Jordan is in the list of 16 Black billionaires: </p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/02/01/389165/there-are-16-black-billionaires-in-the-world-today-three-are-women-" target="_blank"><img alt="Photo Credit Getty Images" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/896940/fit/80x80/black_20billionaire.jpeg?timestamp=1658597370" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/02/01/389165/there-are-16-black-billionaires-in-the-world-today-three-are-women-" target="_blank">There are 16 Black Billionaires in the World Today; Three are Women.</a></h4>
<p>According to Forbes, out of 2,755 billionaires in the world, only 16 are Black! <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/02/01/389165/there-are-16-black-billionaires-in-the-world-today-three-are-women-">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p></div></span><h2>Toni Morrison</h2><br><p>Toni Morrison, the renowned author and the Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Humanities Emeritus at Princeton University, was named by former President Barack Obama a 2012 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 1993, Morrison became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize in literature. In addition to earning the Pulitzer Prize for her novel <i>Beloved</i>, Morrison also became the first Black woman to receive a Nobel Prize in 1993. The president’s statement hails Morrison as “an author who in novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, gives life to an essential aspect of American reality.” Morrison passed away in August 2019 at the age of 88 from complications of pneumonia.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937417/fill/700x0/image6.jpg?timestamp=1658597468"></div><p><br></p><p>Read more about Toni Morrison:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2020/11/06/334353/toni-morrison-beloved-author" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/774606/fit/80x80/toni_20morrison.png?timestamp=1658597491" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2020/11/06/334353/toni-morrison-beloved-author" target="_blank">Toni Morrison: Beloved Author</a></h4>
<p>Morrison’s stories often told in-depth stories of the Black American experience. She discussed culture, fear, mass migration, and acceptance.
<span class="pull-right"><a href="/2020/11/06/334353/toni-morrison-beloved-author">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Fred Gray<br><br></h2><span><p></p><p><span>Fred David Gray is an American civil rights attorney, preacher, and activist from Alabama. He litigated several major civil rights cases in Alabama, including some, such as <i>Browder v. Gayle</i>, that reached the United States Supreme Court. Once described by Martin Luther King Jr. as “the chief counsel for the protest movement,” Gray has a client list that reads like a Who’s Who of the civil rights era. Referring to him as “one of the most important civil rights attorneys in American history,” Biden marveled that Gray still practices law at the age of 91. The first Black man to serve in the Alabama State legislature since Reconstruction. </span></p><p><br></p><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937419/fill/700x0/image9.png?timestamp=1658597621"></div><p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Dr. Maya Angelou</h2><br><p>In 2010, President Obama invited Angelou to the White House to present her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Before that, she received a National Medal of Arts from President Clinton in 2000 and the Lincoln Medal in 2008. Angelou was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Angelou passed away at the age of 88 in May 2014.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937420/fill/700x0/image8.png?timestamp=1658597818"></div><p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Archbishop Desmond Tutu<br><br></h2><p></p><p>South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu was known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first black African to hold the position. When he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Barack Obama, he dedicated it to all South Africans who fought for freedom and justice. “I am standing out only because millions of my compatriots are carrying me on their shoulders. The ”extraordinary symbolism” of America’s first African American president presenting the award to ”a former South African township urchin”, was humbling,” he said. Sadly, the Archibishop passed away at the age of 90 in December 2021 from his battle with prostate cancer.<br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937421/fill/700x0/image12.jpg?timestamp=1658597902"><br><br><br>Read more about Archbishop Desmond Tutu:</div><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/01/07/383571/remembering-archbishop-and-moral-compass-desmond-tutu" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/882397/fit/80x80/desmond_20tutu.jpg?timestamp=1658598178" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/01/07/383571/remembering-archbishop-and-moral-compass-desmond-tutu" target="_blank">Remembering Archbishop and ‘Moral Compass’, Desmond Tutu</a></h4>
<p>Anglican theologian and human rights activist Desmond Mpilo Tutu, revered for his tireless fight against South African apartheid, has died in Capetown, South Africa at the age of 90. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/01/07/383571/remembering-archbishop-and-moral-compass-desmond-tutu">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p><br></p><p><br></p><h2>Katherine Johnson<br><br></h2><p></p><p></p><p>Former President Obama bestowed the Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, to Katherine Johnson—a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mathematician who exhibited exceptional technical leadership, calculating and verifying trajectories that took the first Americans to space and to the moon. During her more than a three-decade-long career at NASA, she earned a reputation for mastering complex manual calculations, combining her mathematics talent with computer skills to solve problems of an astrophysics nature. Johnson passed away in February 2020 at the amazing age of 101.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937422/fill/700x0/image10.jpg?timestamp=1658597967"></div><p> </p><p>Read more about Katherine Johnson:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/02/11/345733/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-katherine-johnson" target="_blank"><img alt="International Day of Women and Girls In Science Katherine Johnson" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/798584/fit/80x80/katherine_20johnson.png?timestamp=1658597980" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/02/11/345733/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-katherine-johnson" target="_blank">International Day of Women and Girls In Science: Katherine Johnson</a></h4>
<p>In the summer of 1953, after moving closer to Langley, Katherine Goble began her career with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics West Area Computing unit. The group was compos... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/02/11/345733/international-day-of-women-and-girls-in-science-katherine-johnson">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Oprah Winfrey</h2><br><p><span>In 2013, Oprah received a Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama for being one of the world’s most successful broadcast journalists and philanthropists. The President said that the primary message of <i>The Oprah Winfrey Show</i>, which ran for 25 seasons, was always “you can —you can do and you can be and you can grow and it can be better” Winfrey, he pointed out, was living proof of this mantra.</span><br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937423/fill/700x0/image11.png?timestamp=1658598070"><br><br><br>Read more about Oprah Winfrey:</div><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/01/31/344011/media-mogul-and-philanthropist-oprah-winfrey-celebrates-her-67th-birthday" target="_blank"><img alt="Media Mogul and Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey Celebrates Her 67th Birthday" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/798587/fit/80x80/oprah_201.png?timestamp=1658598093" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/01/31/344011/media-mogul-and-philanthropist-oprah-winfrey-celebrates-her-67th-birthday" target="_blank">Media Mogul and Philanthropist Oprah Winfrey Celebrates Her 67th Birthday</a></h4>
<p>Oprah Winfrey has been breaking barriers for over 25 years. Celebrate her 67th birthday, and learn of all her accomplishments. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/01/31/344011/media-mogul-and-philanthropist-oprah-winfrey-celebrates-her-67th-birthday">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><p><br></p><h2>Ellen Johnson Sirleaf</h2><br><span><p></p><p>Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is a Liberian politician who served as the 24th President of Liberia from 2006 to 2018. Sirleaf was the first elected female head of state in Africa. Former President George W. Bush awarded her the honor in 2009 and likened the Liberian president to former South African president Nelson Mandela and other former prisoners who he said stood up to tyrannical regimes. “She loves Liberia and she loves all its people. After a cabal seized power and plunged that country into years of upheaval and corruption and civil war, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf stood up for the democratic rights of her fellow citizens. She never wavered, even though the consequences were house arrest, foreign exile, death threats, and imprisonment,” he said.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937424/fill/700x0/image13.jpg?timestamp=1658598247"></div><p> </p><p><br></p><p>Read more about Ellen Johnson Sirleaf:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/12/10/377874/5-african-politicians-who-changed-the-political-landscape-across-the-continent" target="_blank"><img alt="5 African Politicians Who Changed the Political Landscape Across the Continent" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/874488/fit/80x80/african_20politician.jpg?timestamp=1658598132" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/12/10/377874/5-african-politicians-who-changed-the-political-landscape-across-the-continent" target="_blank">5 African Politicians Who Changed the Political Landscape Across the Continent</a></h4>
<p>These leaders were heroes and heroines of their periods, prepared to risk all to confront the unknown and express change in Africa. Join us on a trip down memory lane as we look at the fi... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/12/10/377874/5-african-politicians-who-changed-the-political-landscape-across-the-continent">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><div><br><span><p><b>Source</b></p><p><a href="https://www.bet.com/article/zxvj63/presidential-medal-of-freedom-recipients-honored-at-white-house">BET</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/black-legends-receive-presidential-medal-freedom-n684891">NBC News</a></p><p><a href="https://andscape.com/features/these-black-legends-to-receive-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-from-president-obama/">Andscape</a></p><p><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/11/25/honoring-nasas-katherine-johnson-stem-pioneer">Obama White House</a></p><p><a href="https://www.essence.com/news/oprah-receives-presidential-medal-freedom/">Essence</a></p><div><br></div></span></div></span><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/776121/fill/300x0/boitumelo.jpg?timestamp=1658598458"></div><p> Boitumelo Masihleho is a South African digital content creator. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Rhodes University in Journalism and Media Studies and Politics and International Studies. She's an experienced multimedia journalist who is committed to writing balanced, informative and interesting stories on a number of topics. Boitumelo has her own <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/BoitumeloM" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">YouTube channel </a>where she shares her love for affordable beauty and lifestyle content. <br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Read more from Boitumelo Masihleho:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/07/20/406218/eight-barbies-made-after-famous-and-inspiring-black-women" target="_blank"><img alt="Eight Barbies Made After Famous and Inspiring Black Women" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937023/fit/80x80/New_20Project_20-_202022-07-20T100406.470.jpg?timestamp=1658598514" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/07/20/406218/eight-barbies-made-after-famous-and-inspiring-black-women" target="_blank">Eight Barbies Made After Famous and Inspiring Black Women</a></h4>
<p>Imagine being a young Black girl and getting the chance to wake up to your favorite Black female icons. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/07/20/406218/eight-barbies-made-after-famous-and-inspiring-black-women">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/06/05/358661/6-black-environmentalists-you-need-to-know" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/827592/fit/80x80/black_20environmentalists.png?timestamp=1658598582" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/06/05/358661/6-black-environmentalists-you-need-to-know" target="_blank">6 Black Environmentalists, You Need To Know</a></h4>
<p>This #WorldEnvironmentDay is all about ecosystem restoration. We want to highlight some Black environmentalists who have been at the forefront of saving the planet. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/06/05/358661/6-black-environmentalists-you-need-to-know">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2020/11/12/334970/princeton-to-name-residential-college-after-a-black-woman" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/775905/fit/80x80/princeton_20university.jpeg?timestamp=1658598623" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2020/11/12/334970/princeton-to-name-residential-college-after-a-black-woman" target="_blank">Princeton to Name Residential College After a Black Woman</a></h4>
<p> Mellody Hobson will become the first Black woman to have a residential college named after them at an Ivy League school, Princeton University.
<span class="pull-right"><a href="/2020/11/12/334970/princeton-to-name-residential-college-after-a-black-woman">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><p><br></p></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:330f985d-e8c3-46fd-bc27-4b4915c0b6992022-07-25T14:30:36-04:002022-07-25T14:35:55-04:00 DREAMS OF FREEDOM: The Threads That Hold Us Together 2022-07-25 14:30:00 -0400Beatrice Joyner<span><p> Who: The Johnson House Historic Site and The Sankofa Artisans Guild </p><p> What: Commemoration of Harriet Tubman’s 200th Birth Year </p><p> Where: 6306 Germantown Ave., Phila., PA 19144 </p><p> When: June 8, 2022 - July 31, 2022 <br><br></p></span><h3><span><a href="https://www.crea vephl.org/exhibition/dreams-of-freedom-the-threads-that-hold-us-together/" target="_blank"><b> Harriet Tubman Exhibit Overview</b></a><b> </b><br><br></span></h3><span><p>The exhibit which started at Philadelphia City Hall, is helping the city with its months-long 200th anniversary celebration of Harriet Tubman’s life.<i> Dreams of Freedom</i> is now on exhibit at the Johnson House in historic Germantown. This National Historic Landmark was an Underground Railroad Station in Philadelphia, one of few that is open to the public. It was home to three generations of a Quaker family who initially held slaves but later became active abolitionists. The Tubman exhibit will move next to Pennsbury Manor in Bucks County, the reconstructed home of Pennsylvania founder William Penn. </p><p>When Sankofa Artisans Guild issued a call for art to honor the legacy of Harriet Tubman during her 200th birthday celebration at Philadelphia City Hall, artists and crafters from around the nation responded. They met a short deadline that included winter holidays, tornados, snowstorms and a refreshed Covid pandemic. </p><p> Nearly 30 intrepid artists reached Tubman’s well-known level of determination to complete works and navigate a overwhelmed mail services. </p><p> Alongside works by Sankofa members, artists offered quilts plus a wide range of multi -media tributes from Philadelphia and nearby counties. Works came from points north-- New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island; from points south—Virginia, South Carolina, and Florida, and west-- from Michigan, Nebraska, and California. Artists were as determined as Nana Tubman to reach Philadelphia and celebrate her life. </p><p> The innovative artworks span the gamut; quiltmakers updated ancient patterns--Monkey wrench, Drunkard’s path, and rail fence in fresh African prints and batiks. They are a visual testimony to Nana Tubman’s African heritage and the value of African culture for modern quilters and crafters. Other makers recall Tubman with objects that adorned her own life—a purse, a book, a shawl. Beads & lace, yarn and paper were sculpted to fashion Nana Tubman in a variety of roles, illustrating the life of a working woman, a soldier, a hero across generations. </p><p>Tubman’s life coincided with the birth of photography. In her time, photographers captured Tubman in life stages that range from a fierce Conductor on the Underground Railroad to elderly stateswoman, draped in lace. </p><p> Artists freely sample these images, some with literal digital reproductions. Others craft their own impressions with prints on fabric, paper, stained glass, a wooden ironing board. Those artists who paint with fabric collage a vivid array of fabrics to re-imagine and bring Tubman to life. Two hundred years after her birth, Nana Tubman is dynamic in our hearts and imaginations. Her larger-than-life deeds are unmatched for their service to our people, our community, our nation, our world. In 2022, we celebrate 200 years of the legacy of Nana Harriet Tubman with <i>Dreams of Freedom: The Threads that Hold Us Together</i>. Sankofa Artisans Guild </p><p> Sankofa Artisans Guild (SAG) was established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 2019 as a diverse group came together to share their love of art, artists and art making of the African diaspora. Sankofa, in the language and symbols of the Akan people of Ghana, means “learn from the past.” Sankofa members are themselves a repository of creative spirit and force, with members who represent three generations of established painters, woodworkers, and textile artists. SAG embraces, supports, and encourages all forms of artistic expression, including quilting, the needle arts, sculpture, woodworking, poetry, mosaics, beading, leatherworking, assemblage and more. The Guild seeks to maintain a supportive environment where artists can collaborate, learn, and grow. </p><p><br></p><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/937808/fill/300x0/image1.png?timestamp=1658773948"></div><p> </p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><br></p><p><b>CONTACT</b>: </p><span>Gloria Davis<br>Sankofa Artisans Guild<br>267 210-5504 <br></span></span><a href="mailto: GloriaGLR7629@gmail.com" target="_blank">GloriaGLR7629@gmail.com</a><br><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:8f8f0af3-6d0a-4b47-92f5-3aaf4028894c2022-07-10T12:10:02-04:002022-07-13T09:39:51-04:00I CAN STEAL YOUR WIFE; The Yearly Gerewol Celebration2022-07-10 12:00:00 -0400Minna Davies<span><div>I bet I can steal your wife if you dare me. Well, not me actually, the Wodaabe tribe in Niger. So, whatever you do, try not to take your wife there on a vacation, she just might not come back with you.<br><br></div><div>A tiny subset of the Fulani ethnic group is the Wodaabe tribe. Historically, they have lived as nomads in the Sahel, moving from southern Niger through northern Nigeria, northeastern Cameroon, southwestern Chad, and the western area of the Central African Republic. The Wodaabe tribe is highly recognized for their ornate clothing and intricate cultural rituals.<br><br></div><div>The men in the Fulani tribe called the Wodaabe in Niger, in West Africa are said to think they are the most attractive group of men, the tribe's male members are thought to be extremely conceited because they constantly carry mirrors around.</div><div class="image-main"><br></div></span><span><p>In the tribe, sexual relationships between women and men are completely permissible prior to marriage, and marriages are arranged during childhood.</p><p>The men of the tribe participate in a beauty pageant-style event and wear extravagant costumes during the yearly Gerewol celebration. Guys dress up for the event in an effort to win over the wives of other men. The men prepare and get ready for the celebration for six hours beforehand so they can dance and flaunt their skills. </p><p><br></p><p>Read more about the Wodaabe Tribe:</p><p><br></p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/08/02/364438/a-peek-inside-the-wodaabe-tribe-s-culture-and-gewerol-mating-rituals-on-niger-independence-day" target="_blank"><img alt="Wodaabe men compete in a Gewerol festival Image by Dan Lundberg via Flickr httpswwwflickrcomphotos9508280N07675366895inphotostream " src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/842188/fit/80x80/gewerol.jpeg?timestamp=1657469221" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/08/02/364438/a-peek-inside-the-wodaabe-tribe-s-culture-and-gewerol-mating-rituals-on-niger-independence-day" target="_blank">A Peek Inside the Wodaabe Tribe’s Culture and Gewerol Mating Rituals on Niger Independence Day</a></h4>
<p>Happy Independence Day, Niger! On August 3rd, 1960, this West African country gained independence from the French. To celebrate the country’s independence, we are exploring the Wodaabe tr... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/08/02/364438/a-peek-inside-the-wodaabe-tribe-s-culture-and-gewerol-mating-rituals-on-niger-independence-day">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/935127/fill/700x0/image3.jpg?timestamp=1657468937">Man making up for the festival (Image source: Getty image)</div></span><span><p><br></p><p>The culture holds that the whiteness of the eye, the firm, straight bridge of the nose, and the whiteness of the teeth are indicators of beauty. Therefore, the purpose of the makeup is to emphasize these features. They use red clay to paint their faces, eyeliners to make their eyes look whiter, and lipstick that will also whiten their teeth. Additionally, they have white ostrich feathers in their hair that make them look taller.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/935128/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1657468987">The smile can be scary, but it is part an important part of the festival (Image source: Getty Images)<br><br></div></span><span><p>Three of the tribe's most attractive women are selected to evaluate as the males perform a circle-dancing dance as part of the celebration. Other ladies who are already married to other men look up to the guys they want to be their second husbands. If a guy manages to take a woman without being discovered, he is instantly recognized as her husband and the union is recognized.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/935129/fill/700x0/image4.jpg?timestamp=1657469052">A woman Admiring a man she likes at the festival (Image source Getty images)<br><br></div></span><span><p>Due to the polygamous nature of the tribe, wife theft is largely acceptable. Despite this, some men forbid their wives from taking part in the celebration out of concern that they would be taken. </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p><b>Works cited </b></p><p><a href="https://talkafricana.com/african-culture-the-wodaabe-tribe-wife-stealing-festival/">https://talkafricana.com/african-culture-the-wodaabe-tribe-wife-stealing-festival/</a></p><p><a href="https://dnbstories.com/2017/05/the-wodaabes-wife-stealing-dance.html">https://dnbstories.com/2017/05/the-wodaabes-wife-stealing-dance.html</a></p><p><a href="https://guardian.ng/life/the-wodaabe-wife-stealing-festival/">https://guardian.ng/life/the-wodaabe-wife-stealing-festival/</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/934785/fill/300x0/IMG_7548.jpeg.jpg?timestamp=1657469138"></div><div> <span>Minna Davies is a creative writer and a thespian with a degree in theatre arts from the University of Lagos. He has been privileged to have some of his works featured on Nigeria's big stages. It is important to dream, but if no one gets to see it, it is as good as dead. <br></span><br><br><br><br>Read more from Minna Davies:<br><br><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/06/08/402730/fat-is-beautiful" target="_blank"><img alt="Picture of woman after the fattening room " src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/927770/fit/80x80/image2.png?timestamp=1657469163" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/06/08/402730/fat-is-beautiful" target="_blank">FAT IS BEAUTIFUL </a></h4>
<p>It is safe to say that in this era, getting "fat" does not figure on the list of body goals. That is not the case in the Efik/Ibibio clan In Calabar. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/06/08/402730/fat-is-beautiful">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p></div><span><p> </p><div><br></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:a24039b6-488f-440b-81f5-8119b38354822022-06-30T10:41:47-04:002022-06-30T10:46:15-04:00Haiti-US and Jamaica-US Relations, and a Case for Reparations: Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part III2022-07-01 09:00:00 -0400Nana Ama Addo<span><p>‘Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations’ is a 3-part series that explores economic, social and political relations between the United States and formerly-enslaved societies, with a special focus on Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica and Haiti. <br></p><br><p>In part III of the series, we explore relations between the US and the Afro-Caribbean nations of Jamaica and Haiti, including Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa movement, Haitian Migration to the US during and after the Haitian Revolution, the US occupation of Haiti, and, subsequently, raise a case for reparations.</p><p><br></p><p>Read Part 2:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/06/30/404451/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-ii" target="_blank"><img alt=" Freetown Sierra Leone Image by Chtrede via Wikimedia Commons httpscommonswikimediaorgwikiFileFort_Thornton_-_Freetown_-_Sierra_Leonejpg " src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932404/fit/80x80/image6.jpg?timestamp=1656599630" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/06/30/404451/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-ii" target="_blank">Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part II</a></h4>
<p>US-Sierra Leone Relations Through the Centuries, The Legacy of Freed Black Repatriates in Sierra Leone, and Post-Civil War Liberian and Salone Immigrants in Philly Rebuild Resources <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/06/30/404451/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-ii">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> Read Part 1:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years" target="_blank"><img alt=" Monrovia Liberia Image by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid via Flickr httpswwwflickrcomphotoschathamhouse6011337236 " src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931319/fit/80x80/image8.jpg?timestamp=1656599709" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years" target="_blank">Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part I: Liberia at 200 Years</a></h4>
<p>In celebration of Liberia’s bicentennial, we are exploring economic, social and political relations between the US and formerly-enslaved societies, with a special focus on Liberia, Sierra... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><br><h3>A Brief Overview</h3><br><p>The impact of US-Afro-Caribbean relations is ongoing and multifaceted. In 2019, Pew Charitable Trusts reported that of 88% of the Black foreign-born population in the US, 46% were from the Caribbean. In 2017, the US Department of the Caribbean reported that 95% of Caribbean immigrants in the United States came from the Afro-Caribbean countries of Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba.</p><p><br></p><p>The contributions of Afro-Caribbean migrants and their offspring are great, with the imprint of individuals like the late Cicely Tyson, Colin Powell, Stokely Carmichael, Harry Belafonte James Weldon Johnson, Kamala Harris, Neile deGrasse Tyson, Alphonso Arturo Schomberg and more weaved into the country’s legacy.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>Although the identity of some African and Afro-Caribbean immigrants gradually blend in with the general African-American population, their history is unique, and not to be ignored. Let’s explore the legacy of Haitian and Jamaican experiences with the US, including political movements, migration, occupation and international relations.</p><p><br></p><h3>Marcus Garvey and the Back to Africa Movement</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932607/fill/700x0/image7.jpg?timestamp=1656596849"> ( Marcus Garvey. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marcus-garvey---mini-biography.jpg" target="_blank">Shahar1993 via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div><span><br><p>Marcus Garvey, the Jamaican-born activist, public speaker and businessman, was a monumental Pan-African leader. After experiencing race-based discrimination in the Jamaican school system, and his travels in the United Kingdom, Central and South America and the United States, Garvey became acquainted with issues that affected Black and working-class communities globally, and these experiences informed his activism. </p><br></span><span><p><a href="https://www.funtimesmagazine.com/2019/10/20/322561/marcus-mosiah-garvey-the-universal-negro" target="_blank">Garvey created a Black-nationalist movement</a>, and in 1914 he founded the United Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL), where he mobilized like-minded individuals through membership and multiple business initiatives that campaigned for Black economic empowerment, Black dignity and for descendents of Africa to return to the African continent. </p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932608/fill/700x0/image4.jpg?timestamp=1656596952"></div><p> ( A Black Star Line stock paper signed by Marcus Garvey. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Black_Star_Line_Stock_Certificate.jpg" target="_blank">Rblack131 via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</p></span><span><br><p>The Black Star Line, designed to provide entrepreneurship and trade-generation resources for the global African Diaspora, sailed to Cuba, Panama, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. Garvey’s goal of repatriating Blacks to Liberia through the Black Star Line was never actualized, however, Garvey’s FBI investigation, coupled with his indictment for mail fraud, resulted in his deportation from the United States. </p><br><p>Today, the UNIA continues to seek change in their communities, with a 2020 estimate of 1,000 chapters in 40 countries, and operating branches in cities like Philadelphia.</p><br><h3>US and Haiti Relations: Migration During and After the Haitian Revolution, the Creation and Impact of New Orleans Creolization and Prince Saunders</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932609/fill/700x0/image6.gif?timestamp=1656597046"></div><p> ( The Haitian Revolution and the Louisiana Purchase. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/6158278661" target="_blank">elycefeliz via Flickr</a> )</p><span><br><p>From approximately 1682 to 1763, and 1800 to 1803, France owned Louisiana as a territory and brought in slaves from its colonial islands, including Saint Domingue. The Haitian Revolution, which occurred in 1791, concerned slave owners around the globe, including those in America, who feared their enslaved populations would be inspired to revolt.</p><br><p>During this time, Afro-Haitians who migrated to states like Louisiana, and Philadelphia (which guaranteed enslaved people would be freed after six months of arriving), during and after the Haitian Revolution, were the subject of much scrutiny, as they were feared to lead slave rebellions that threatened the institution of slavery in the US. An estimated 900 Black Haitians arrived in Philadelphia during the Haitian Revolution, some being enslaved and others free Blacks or mulattos. The rising antislavery policies in Philadelphia were paradoxical to the French ideologies of slavery, but as many Black Philadelphians were free at the time, some Afro-Haitian migrants were able to be emancipated quickly, and even develop economic mobility, while others were forced to be enslaved for at least 7 years or forcibly migrated to other slave states. Enslaved Haitians resisted the institution of slavery in Philadelphia, with some running away and others retaliating against the French slaveowners. </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932610/fill/700x0/image5.jpg?timestamp=1656597112">( A Creole Cottage in Louisiana, built around 1810. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/43359512145/ " target="_blank">Jimmy Emerson, DVM via Flickr </a>)</div></span><span><br><p>Afro-Caribbeans from French colonies who migrated to Louisiana, including Haitians, formed a multifaceted society in New Orleans, and mixed with the other migrants in the area, developing a unique creole culture that is renowned even until today. </p><br><p>From 1791 to 1803, an estimated 1300 Haitians arrived in Louisiana. Haitian immigrants and other French Afro-Caribbeans in Louisiana also played a pivotal role in the Battle of New Orleans, which was fought against the British in 1813. However, the demographic remained repressed and antagonized politically, as the institution of slavery was rampant, and their rights to freedom were stifled.</p><br><p>Because of the conflicting interests of slavery, the US did not formally recognize Haiti as an independent nation until 1862, though the country supported Toussaint L'ouverture during a time of his rule. </p><br><p>Prince Saunders, the Connecticut-born scholar, is notable for his repatriation and contributions to Haiti. In 1816, Saunders traveled to Haiti and developed educational institutions for Black Haitian populations, during a time when the intellectual capacity of Blacks on the island was undermined. Saunders moved to Haiti permanently after being disillusioned with racism in the US, where he lived until his death in 1839.</p><p><br></p><p>Read more about Haiti:</p><div class="media clearfix">
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/01/01/340511/freedom-seeking-through-cultural-immersion-and-african-spirituality-in-haiti" target="_blank">Freedom Seeking through Cultural Immersion and African Spirituality in Haiti </a></h4>
<p>On Haiti’s Independence Day, we explore the country’s African history and traditional African practices that were used in tandem with physical revolt during the Haitian Revolution. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/01/01/340511/freedom-seeking-through-cultural-immersion-and-african-spirituality-in-haiti">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p><br></p><h3>US Occupation of Haiti<br></h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932611/fill/700x0/image3.jpg?timestamp=1656597200">( Port Au-Prince, Haiti, 2012. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Port_Au_Prince,_Haiti_(7664274188).jpg" target="_blank">Alex Proimos via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div><span><br><p>The US has occupied at least 80 countries, including the Afro-Caribbean countries of Cuba (Guantanamo Bay), Panama, Puerto Rico, Grenada and the Dominican Republic. From 1915 to 1934, the United States occupied Haiti, which was said to aim to develop political and economic stability in the country. The US had been considering annexing the island, including the Dominican Republic, since 1868. It was not until 1914 that the United States began military presence in Haiti, with $500,000 of Haitian funds sent to the United States bank. The US occupation of Haiti was accompanied by a political coalition between the US and Haiti, known as Gendarmerie. After multiple political endeavors, including placing a Haitian president in power, and race-based segregation and freedom of speech limiting policies, the US continued to orchestrate Haiti’s political sphere. Prolonged Haitian uprisings, unrest and economic disparity forced the US to withdraw from occupation in 1934.</p><br><h3>A Case for Reparations</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932620/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1656599323">( Juneteenth reparations rally. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juneteenth_reparations_rally_to_demand_reparations_from_the_United_States_government_(50024711522).jpg" target="_blank">A1Cafel via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div><span><br><p>In 2021, the descendants of enslaved Black people in the United States was estimated to be 47 million. The importance of economic reparations can be evidenced in the deeply rooted economic disparities among Black populations. </p><br><p>A 2016 study from the Survey of Consumer Finances reported that Black families have 10% of the wealth that White families have, with Black families net wealth being $17,000 in 2016, and White families net wealth being $171,000. A 2019 study by the American Sociological Association also reported that the median White college-educated adult makes 7.2 times more than a median Black college-educated adult.</p><br><p>In the context of slavery, globally, reparations are notorious for being awarded to slave owners. In 1862, slaveowners in the District of Columbia were paid an estimated value of $25 million for the release of more than 3,100 slaves, with enslaved communities offered today’s value of $2683 to permanently leave the United States. 400,000 acres of land, known as the 40 acres and a mule initiative, was designated as a reparative act by Abraham Lincoln after the abolishment of slavery. However, after his assassination in 1885, the act was removed.</p><p><br></p><div><span><p>In 2021, Thomas Craemer, a professor of public policy, estimated that the value of reparations to be paid to the descendents of enslaved Africans in the United States would equal approximately $20 trillion USD.</p><br><p>Some global communities who have experienced the brunt of US injustice have received reparations. In 2020, the US agreed to pay citizens of Guam reparations for hardships that indigenes experienced at the hands of Japan during the three-year US occupation, including $25,000, $15,000, $12,000 and $10,000 settlements. </p><br><p>From 1978 to 1988, the Japanese Americans Citizen’s League (JACL) campaigned for reparations, in light of Japanese-Americans being sent to concentration camps for three years during WWII. This campaign resulted in $20,000 to each survivor and an apology as part of the Civil Liberties Act, which occurred during the Reagan era.</p><br><p>Others are still campaigning for economic justice. In 2013, fourteen countries of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) issued a joint lawsuit to Britain, France and the Netherlands for slavery reparations. </p><br><p>Reparations for the descendents of African slaves in America has been called for through House Resolution 40 (HR40), a proposal launched by the late Michigan Congressman John Conyers in 1989. In 2021, the House of Representatives voted to progress the commission for full consideration. HR40 was presented at congressional hearings annually for 32 years. </p><br><p>Economic restitution for events like race-based policy brutality in Chicago and the 1923 race-riot as well as the Rosewood Massacre in Florida have been passed, but it is unclear when the US government at-large will take the issue of reparations for the descendants of slavery seriously With the appointment of <a href="https://www.funtimesmagazine.com/2022/04/12/397120/supreme-court-justice-ketanji-brown-jackson-opinion-piece" target="_blank">Judge Ketanji Brown Johnson as the first Black Female Supreme Court Judge</a>, the future of reparations may take center stage again as more diverse representation in governing positions is slowly but surely becoming a reality making room for other catalysts to follow.</p><br><br><p><b>Works Cited</b></p><p><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/garvey_marcus.shtml">https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/garvey_marcus.shtml</a></p><p><a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/res/information-backgrounder/Universal_Negro">https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/res/information-backgrounder/Universal_Negro</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-star-line-1919-1923/">https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/black-star-line-1919-1923/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prince-saunders-1775-1839/">https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prince-saunders-1775-1839/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/27/key-findings-about-black-immigrants-in-the-u-s/">https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/27/key-findings-about-black-immigrants-in-the-u-s/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/03/24/820181127/the-unlikely-story-behind-japanese-americans-campaign-for-reparations">https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/03/24/820181127/the-unlikely-story-behind-japanese-americans-campaign-for-reparations</a></p><p><a href="https://contexts.org/articles/disrupting-the-racial-wealth-gap/">https://contexts.org/articles/disrupting-the-racial-wealth-gap/</a></p><p><a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/27/14-caribbean-nationssueeuropeancountriesforreparationsoverslaver.html">http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/27/14-caribbean-nationssueeuropeancountriesforreparationsoverslaver.html</a></p><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12151">https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12151</a></p><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/there-was-a-time-reparations-were-actually-paid-out-just-not-to-formerly-enslaved-people-152522">https://theconversation.com/there-was-a-time-reparations-were-actually-paid-out-just-not-to-formerly-enslaved-people-152522</a></p><p><a href="https://blackdemographics.com">https://blackdemographics.com</a></p><p><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/affirmative-action-about-reparations-not-diversity/578005/">https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/12/affirmative-action-about-reparations-not-diversity/578005/</a> </p><p><a href="https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/bigideas/why-we-need-reparations-for-black-americans/">https://www.brookings.edu/policy2020/bigideas/why-we-need-reparations-for-black-americans/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/guam-residents-compensated-war-atrocities-decades-later">https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/guam-residents-compensated-war-atrocities-decades-later</a></p><p><a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/haitian-rev">https://history.state.gov/milestones/1784-1800/haitian-rev</a></p><p><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-united-states-first-refugee-crisis-180957717/">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-united-states-first-refugee-crisis-180957717/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41716763">https://www.jstor.org/stable/41716763</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prince-saunders-1775-1839/">https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/prince-saunders-1775-1839/</a></p><p><a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/louisiana-purchase">https://history.state.gov/milestones/1801-1829/louisiana-purchase</a></p><p><a href="https://www.wwno.org/podcast/tripod-new-orleans-at-300/2017-10-27/haiti-new-orleans-is-the-feeling-mutual">https://www.wwno.org/podcast/tripod-new-orleans-at-300/2017-10-27/haiti-new-orleans-is-the-feeling-mutual</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Paris-1763">https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Paris-1763</a></p><p><a href="http://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm@migration=5.html">http://www.inmotionaame.org/print.cfm@migration=5.html</a></p><p><a href="https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/haiti">https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/haiti</a></p><p><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/10/infographic-us-military-presence-around-the-world-interactive">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/10/infographic-us-military-presence-around-the-world-interactive</a></p><p><a href="https://www.telesurenglish.net/multimedia/US-Invasions-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean-20160725-0017.html">https://www.telesurenglish.net/multimedia/US-Invasions-in-Latin-America-and-the-Caribbean-20160725-0017.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.history.com/news/reparations-slavery-native-americans-japanese-internment">https://www.history.com/news/reparations-slavery-native-americans-japanese-internment</a></p><p><a href="https://time.com/5609044/reparations-hearing-history/">https://time.com/5609044/reparations-hearing-history/</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/790279/fill/300x0/nana_20ama_20addo_202.jpg?timestamp=1656599494"></div><span><p> <span>Nana Ama Addo is a writer, multimedia strategist, film director, and storytelling artist. She graduated with a BA in Africana Studies from the College of Wooster, and has studied at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Nana Ama tells stories of entrepreneurship and Ghana repatriation at her brand, Asiedua’s Imprint<a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.blog/"> </a>( <a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.com">www.asieduasimprint.com</a> ).</span><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Read more from Nana Ama Addo:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/05/27/401190/covid-s-economic-shift-part-ii-the-impact-of-gig-work-on-work-life-balance-for-black-communities" target="_blank"><img alt=" Image by Kampus Productions via Pexels " src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/924474/fit/80x80/image1.jpg?timestamp=1656599544" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/05/27/401190/covid-s-economic-shift-part-ii-the-impact-of-gig-work-on-work-life-balance-for-black-communities" target="_blank">COVID’s Economic Shift Part II: The Impact of Gig Work on Work/Life Balance for Black Communities</a></h4>
<p>COVID’s Economic Shift is a three-part series that explores the future of the US labor force. In the second part of the series, we investigate the work structure of gig work, and its impa... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/05/27/401190/covid-s-economic-shift-part-ii-the-impact-of-gig-work-on-work-life-balance-for-black-communities">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/31/394208/transgender-day-of-visibility-gender-diversity-in-traditional-and-modern-african-societies" target="_blank"><img alt=" Bob Risky Image by Princess of Ara via Wikimedia Commons httpscommonswikimediaorgwikiFileBobrisky_croppedpng " src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/910718/fit/80x80/bob_20risky.png?timestamp=1656599565" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/31/394208/transgender-day-of-visibility-gender-diversity-in-traditional-and-modern-african-societies" target="_blank">Transgender Day of Visibility: Gender Diversity in Traditional and Modern African Societies</a></h4>
<p>March 31st is Transgender Day of Visibility. To dispel myths about non-heteronormative identities in traditional Africa, and ‘shake the table’ by providing an anti-colonial perspective on... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/31/394208/transgender-day-of-visibility-gender-diversity-in-traditional-and-modern-african-societies">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/05/28/357717/achimota-shs-refuses-students-admission-because-of-dreadlocks-ras-aswad-nkrabea-jamaican-repatriate-and-father-of-one-of-the-boys-speaks-on-neo-colonialism-through-hair-in-ghana" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/825743/fit/80x80/achimota_20shs.jpeg?timestamp=1656599602" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/05/28/357717/achimota-shs-refuses-students-admission-because-of-dreadlocks-ras-aswad-nkrabea-jamaican-repatriate-and-father-of-one-of-the-boys-speaks-on-neo-colonialism-through-hair-in-ghana" target="_blank">Achimota SHS Refuses Students’ Admission Because of Dreadlocks: Ras Aswad Nkrabea, Jamaican Repatriate and Father of One of the Boys, Speaks on Neo-colonialism Through Hair in Ghana</a></h4>
<p>The socio-political psyche of a post-colonial nation carries the burden of constantly negotiating a cultural paradox, one that entails indigenous and external values gnashing with friction. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/05/28/357717/achimota-shs-refuses-students-admission-because-of-dreadlocks-ras-aswad-nkrabea-jamaican-repatriate-and-father-of-one-of-the-boys-speaks-on-neo-colonialism-through-hair-in-ghana">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><span><br><br></span></div></span><div><br></div><br><div><br></div><br><div><br></div><div><br></div><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:f44c1356-a72e-4c16-8bc1-30f5da0c80202022-06-29T16:08:00-04:002022-06-29T16:08:17-04:00Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part II2022-06-30 09:00:00 -0400Nana Ama Addo<span><h2>US-Sierra Leone Relations Through the Centuries, The Legacy of Freed Black Repatriates in Sierra Leone, and Post-Civil War Liberian and Salone Immigrants in Philly Rebuild Resources<br></h2><p><br></p><p>‘Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations’ is a 3-part series that explores economic, social and political relations between the US and formerly-enslaved societies, with a special focus on Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Haiti and more. <br></p><br><p>In Part II of ‘Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations’, we explore US-Sierra Leone relations, including Black Americans’ involvement in repatriation during its inception as a colony, the Amistad legal dispute, refugee migrations to the US during the Sierra Leonean civil war, and development resources for Liberian and Sierra Leonean refugees in Philadelphia. </p><p><br></p><p>Read Part 1:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years" target="_blank"><img alt=" Monrovia Liberia Image by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid via Flickr httpswwwflickrcomphotoschathamhouse6011337236 " src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931319/fit/80x80/image8.jpg?timestamp=1656533140" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years" target="_blank">Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part I: Liberia at 200 Years</a></h4>
<p>In celebration of Liberia’s bicentennial, we are exploring economic, social and political relations between the US and formerly-enslaved societies, with a special focus on Liberia, Sierra... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/06/28/404018/examining-relations-between-the-us-and-formerly-enslaved-nations-part-i-liberia-at-200-years">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><br><h3>Freed American Blacks Charter Groups to Repatriate in Sierra Leone</h3><br><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932175/fill/700x0/image5.jpg?timestamp=1656532472">( Sierra Leonean women spinning cloth (1934-1936). Image by<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SierraLeone_Hofstra_090.jpg " target="_blank"> Camacstone via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div><span><br><p>If the centuries-long legacy of repatriation among displaced Africans were to be mapped, it would reflect patchwork-like journeys, with criss-cross voyages complicated by historical realities, notable events and evolving socio-political movements. </p><br><p>The West African, resource-rich country now known as Sierra Leone was founded by Britain in 1792. In 1787, the nation began bringing in freed Blacks arriving from London, Jamaica, Nova Scotia, Canada and more. These repatriates included exiled maroons from Caribbean countries like Jamaica and Barbados, former American slaves who fought for the British in the American revolution, illegally trafficked Africans and communities from neighboring countries. Today, the descendants of these repatriates in Sierra Leone are known as the Krio tribe. Other descendants of dispersed Sierra Leonean repatriates are known as the Saro tribe in Nigeria, the Ferdinando tribe in Equatorial Guinea and the Aku tribe in the Gambia.</p><br><p>Similar to Liberia, Sierra Leone was a nexus for repatriated Black formerly enslaved communities. While Liberian rule was mostly repatriate-led for over a century, political rule in the Sierra Leone colony was overseen by the British Government, and led by traditional Sierra Leonean rulers. Although the American Colonization Society initially sent returnees to Sierra Leone, the organization found Liberia more suitable. Ambitious freed Blacks in America, however, chartered some freed Blacks to Sierra Leone.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932405/fill/700x0/image8.jpg?timestamp=1656532539">( A Sierra Leone Company 20 cent coin from 1791. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20_cent_coin_1791.JPG" target="_blank">Geni via Wikimedia Commons</a> )<br><br></div></span><span><br><h3>Free Black Americans Resettling Other Freedmen in Sierra Leone</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932406/fill/700x0/image1.jpg?timestamp=1656532594"></div><p> ( African Americans doing a cakewalk dance. (1850-1910. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:-Group_of_71_Stereograph_Views_of_African-Americans_and_Early_Black_American_Culture,_including_Colloquial_Black_Humor-_MET_DP74773.jpg" target="_blank">Pharos via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</p><span><br><p>During the early years of Sierra Leone, freed and empowered Blacks in America helped to usher in a new era of identity and opportunity for displaced Africans. Notable Blacks that led these series of migrations include John Kizell and Paul Cuffe. </p><br><p>John Kizell was a Sierra Leone-born man who was captured and sold into slavery in South Carolina. After being emancipated through joining the British Army during the American Revolution, Kizell settled in Nova Scotia, Canada, where he and his family faced race-based repression. Kizell and his family subsequently resettled to Sierra Leone, where he helped settle a group of freed Blacks. Because he was indigenous to the area, and could speak the local language, he was able to calm tensions between the black migrants and indigenes.</p><br><p>Paul Cuffee, a free-born merchant born in Massachusetts, was the son of an enslaved man from Ghana and a native American woman. In the 1810s, as one of the wealthiest Blacks in the United States of his time, Cuffee began assembling and migrating freed Blacks to Sierra Leone. All the repatriates of Sierra Leone merged their customs and culture into a creole identity, based in what is now the capital of the country, Freetown.</p><br><p>US organizations like churches played roles in developing the infrastructure of Sierra Leone through infrastructure building initiatives like creating schools. Vine Memorial Baptist Church, for example, created the Vine Memorial Baptist Training School. This institution, located in Freetown, Sierra Leone, is still in operation today.</p><br><br><h3>The Amistad Case</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932407/fill/700x0/image3.jpg?timestamp=1656532664"></div><p> ( A gratitude letter to John Quincy Adams for his assistance with the Amistad case. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amistad_Correspondence.jpg" target="_blank">AmistadResearch via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</p><span><br><p>La Amistad was a Spanish ship that illegally trafficked 53 Africans from Sierra Leone in 1839 and sailed to Cuba. A mutiny on the ship that resulted in the Africans liberating themselves found the captives sailing in the United States, where a US sea patrol detected the ship. During the time, the TransAtlantic Slave Trade was abolished in countries like the US and Spain. Sengbe Pieh, who led the revolt, and the other Africans on the ship were imprisoned and put on trial in Connecticut. Abolitionists, including Lewis Tapan and others, organized a legal defense, and after finding someone who spoke Mende and could translate, the captives were empowered to tell their stories. The liberated captives won the case, and in 1841, Pieh and the 34 other survivors were sent back to Sierra Leone.</p><br><p>This case illustrated an evolving change of consciousness in the US political system, shaped by a complex international climate and the rise of the abolitionist movement, as people in positions of power like John Quincy Adams utilized their privilege to campaign against slavery. </p><br><h3>The Gullah People</h3><br></span><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932414/fill/700x0/image7.jpg?timestamp=1656532740">( A Gullah restaurant in South Carolina. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenspix/6528754769" target="_blank">Ken Ratcliff via Flickr</a> )</div><span><br><p>The Gullah people, descendents of enslaved communities that live in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Florida, were taken as slaves from the ‘Windward Coast’, an area in Ivory Coast and Liberia, and the ‘Rice Coast’, a rice-growing region in present day Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Due to their isolated location, the Gullah Geechee were able to maintain their customs, and today, they speak a language similar to Sierra Leonean creole, and maintain art forms that reflect their countries of origin. In recent times, Gullah communities struggle with displacement due to modern settlements in the area.</p><br><p> Read “Sierra Leone Offers Citizenship to African Diasporans with Sierra Leonean Ancestry”: </p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/08/31/367047/sierra-leone-offers-citizenship-to-african-diasporans-with-sierra-leonean-ancestry" target="_blank"><img alt="pEnslaved Gullah people at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina a href" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/849621/fit/80x80/gullah_20people.jpeg?timestamp=1656532774"></a><br><p></p><br></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/08/31/367047/sierra-leone-offers-citizenship-to-african-diasporans-with-sierra-leonean-ancestry" target="_blank">Sierra Leone Offers Citizenship to African Diasporans with Sierra Leonean Ancestry</a></h4>
<p>Through a partnership with African Ancestry and African American businessman Diallo Sumbry, who also played a monumental role in creating Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ campaign, the country’s ... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/08/31/367047/sierra-leone-offers-citizenship-to-african-diasporans-with-sierra-leonean-ancestry">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><br></span><h3><br>Mass Exodus: The Sierra Leone Civil War, the Liberian Civil Wars, and Migration to the US</h3><br><br><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/932415/fill/700x0/image4.jpg?timestamp=1656532817"></div><p> ( Sierra Leonean youth. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/our-planet/5615391529" target="_blank">Land Rover Our Planet via Flickr</a> )</p><span><br><p>Liberia and Sierra Leone, West African countries that were established due to the need of a place to settle freed Black slaves, have entertwined histories. These neighboring countries have similar histories of imbalance and corruption that led to civil wars in both countries. </p><br><p>The battle for control over Sierra Leone’s diamonds, prolonged economic distress, and chaos from neighboring Liberia’s civil war led to Sierra Leone’s civil war. During the 11-year civil war (1991-2002), where 50,000 people were killed and two million displaced, a mass exodus occurred, with populations fleeing to varying countries, including other West African countries like Ghana, and the United States.</p><br><p>Read “Sierra Leone: The Curse of Abundance, Resistance and a History of Diaspora Repatriation”: </p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/04/27/354268/sierra-leone-the-curse-of-abundance-resistance-and-a-history-of-diasporan-repatriation" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/817568/fit/80x80/Sierra_20Leonean_20woman_20smiling.jpeg?timestamp=1656532774" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/04/27/354268/sierra-leone-the-curse-of-abundance-resistance-and-a-history-of-diasporan-repatriation" target="_blank">Sierra Leone: The Curse of Abundance, Resistance, and a History of Diasporan Repatriation</a></h4>
<p>Today, in 1961, the West African country of Sierra Leone achieved independence from the British. Let’s celebrate the country’s independence by exploring the role of abundant natural resou... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/04/27/354268/sierra-leone-the-curse-of-abundance-resistance-and-a-history-of-diasporan-repatriation">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><br><p>In 2001, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania reported that Liberia and Sierra Leone populations were in part the most populous African refugees in Philadelphia. In 2004, RefWorld reported that approximately 3,000 Sierra Leonean refugees were in developed countries, including the United States, and in 2010, Liberians made up the highest population of African immigrants in Philadelphia.</p></span><h3><br></h3><h3><br>From Refugee to Resilient: Sierra Leone and Liberian Communities in Philadelphia </h3><span><br><p>According to Pew Charitable Trusts, the Black population in Philadelphia’s Black immigrant population, which consists of mostly African and Caribbean immigrants, has increased over 156% between 2000 and 2019. </p><br><p>Some refugees continue to struggle with pathways to citizenship in the US. The US government initiative, the Liberian Refugee Immigrant Fairness (LRIF) program, was launched in 2019 to provide Liberians who have been in the US since 2014 and are not citizens the opportunity to obtain permanent resident status, or a green card. </p><br><p>African communities in Philadelphia are also contributing to provide other African immigrants in need with resources. SouthWest Philadelphia is known for its African immigrant population, and the cultural, social, economic and political resources being built among community members for West African immigrants, including Sierra Leoneans and Liberians, to thrive, are integral pillars in the community. </p><br><p>Read “Civic Engagement Through Language and Transportation Access for Elderly Immigrants”: </p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2020/05/03/322493/civic-engagement-through-language-and-transportation-access-for-elderly-immigrants" target="_blank"><img alt="Civic Engagement Through Language and Transportation Access For Elderly Immigrants" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/745969/fit/80x80/MCFS-elders-1.jpg?timestamp=1656532912" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2020/05/03/322493/civic-engagement-through-language-and-transportation-access-for-elderly-immigrants" target="_blank">Civic Engagement Through Language and Transportation Access For Elderly Immigrants</a></h4>
<p>Aging related loneliness is an unfortunate and national epidemic that can contribute to factors such as declining health, lif... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2020/05/03/322493/civic-engagement-through-language-and-transportation-access-for-elderly-immigrants">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><br><p>African Family Health Services AFAHO, launched by Tiguida Kaba, offers African and Caribbean immigrants a series of resources like the African Youth Empowerment Program (AYEP), Adult Education programs, health services, the AFAHO wellness clinic, the language translation & interpretation program, and the AFAHO - Africa program. </p><br><p>The African Cultural Alliance of North America (ACANA), founded by Liberian Voffee Jabateh, is a non-profit organization that provides African and Caribbean immigrants with resources to resettle, including legal/immigration resources, health services, a corridor development program and arts and culture events.</p><br><p>Read “ACANA Launches Project Baobab”: </p><p><br></p><br><p>Stay tuned for part III of ‘Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations’, where we explore Haiti-US and Jamaica-US relations in history and migration: US occupation of Haiti, Louisiana’s Haitian population and Marcus Garvey’s Back to Africa movement.</p><br><br><p><b>Works Cited</b></p><p><a href="https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/liberian-refugee-immigration-fairness">https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/liberian-refugee-immigration-fairness</a></p><p><a href="https://whyy.org/articles/biden-action-on-liberian-immigrants-has-community-in-philly-hopeful/">https://whyy.org/articles/biden-action-on-liberian-immigrants-has-community-in-philly-hopeful/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/fastfacts.pdf">https://www.hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/fastfacts.pdf</a></p><p><a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/sierra-leone-gains-independence-from-the-uk/">https://aaregistry.org/story/sierra-leone-gains-independence-from-the-uk/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/British-West-Africa#ref218356">https://www.britannica.com/place/British-West-Africa#ref218356</a></p><p><a href="https://acanaus.org/about-us/">https://acanaus.org/about-us/</a></p><p><a href="https://hsp.org/history-online/exhibits/extended-lives-the-african-immigrant-experience-in-philadelphia/from-africa-to-philadelphia">https://hsp.org/history-online/exhibits/extended-lives-the-african-immigrant-experience-in-philadelphia/from-africa-to-philadelphia</a></p><p><a href="https://www.e-ir.info/2012/10/25/the-causes-of-the-sierra-leone-civil-war-underlying-grievances-and-the-role-of-the-revolutionary-united-front/">https://www.e-ir.info/2012/10/25/the-causes-of-the-sierra-leone-civil-war-underlying-grievances-and-the-role-of-the-revolutionary-united-front/</a></p><p><a href="https://borgenproject.org/sierra-leone-refugees/">https://borgenproject.org/sierra-leone-refugees/</a></p><p><a href="https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/liberians-and-liberia/">https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/liberians-and-liberia/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2022/02/04/philadelphia-black-immigrant-population-pew">https://www.axios.com/local/philadelphia/2022/02/04/philadelphia-black-immigrant-population-pew</a></p><p><a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2018/06/07/philadelphias-immigrants">https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2018/06/07/philadelphias-immigrants</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Sierra-Leone">https://www.britannica.com/topic/history-of-Sierra-Leone</a></p><p><a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/krio-people-of-sierra-leone-a-brief-article/">https://aaregistry.org/story/krio-people-of-sierra-leone-a-brief-article/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.history.com/topics/abolitionist-movement/amistad-case">https://www.history.com/topics/abolitionist-movement/amistad-case</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/lowCountryA.htm">https://www.nps.gov/ethnography/aah/aaheritage/lowCountryA.htm</a></p><p><a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/40b459468.html">https://www.refworld.org/docid/40b459468.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/141017-gullah-geechee-heritage-corridor-lowcountry-coast-sea-islands-sweetgrass">https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/141017-gullah-geechee-heritage-corridor-lowcountry-coast-sea-islands-sweetgrass</a></p><p><a href="https://hsp.org/history-online/exhibits/extended-lives-the-african-immigrant-experience-in-philadelphia/extending-communities-inside-and-out">https://hsp.org/history-online/exhibits/extended-lives-the-african-immigrant-experience-in-philadelphia/extending-communities-inside-and-out</a></p><p><a href="https://ejatlas.org/conflict/displacement-of-gullah-islanders-usa">https://ejatlas.org/conflict/displacement-of-gullah-islanders-usa</a></p><p><a href="http://www.vinememorialbaptistchurch.org/history.html">http://www.vinememorialbaptistchurch.org/history.html</a></p><br><br><br><br><br><br></span><br><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/790279/fill/300x0/nana_20ama_20addo_202.jpg?timestamp=1656533011"></div> <span>Nana Ama Addo is a writer, multimedia strategist, film director, and storytelling artist. She graduated with a BA in Africana Studies from the College of Wooster, and has studied at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Nana Ama tells stories of entrepreneurship and Ghana repatriation at her brand, Asiedua’s Imprint<a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.blog/"> </a>( <a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.com">www.asieduasimprint.com</a><span> ).<br></span></span><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>Read more from Nana Ama Addo:<br><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/22/393427/world-water-day-the-global-crisis-of-groundwater-pollution-and-strategies-for-improvement" target="_blank"><img alt=" Image by Nestle via Flickr httpswwwflickrcomphotosnestle20568651135 " src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/908561/fit/80x80/water_20day.jpeg?timestamp=1656533056" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/22/393427/world-water-day-the-global-crisis-of-groundwater-pollution-and-strategies-for-improvement" target="_blank">World Water Day: The Global Crisis of Groundwater Pollution and Strategies for Improvement</a></h4>
<p>Water is an integral part of survival, and the deadly issue of access to clean drinking water continues to plague at-risk communities. For example, every minute a child dies from diarrhea. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/22/393427/world-water-day-the-global-crisis-of-groundwater-pollution-and-strategies-for-improvement">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/15/393010/for-the-love-of-the-game-march-madness-2022-and-basketball-as-a-gateway-to-success" target="_blank"><img alt=" Photo by Mdia from Pexels " src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/907121/fit/80x80/march_20madness.jpeg?timestamp=1656533078" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/15/393010/for-the-love-of-the-game-march-madness-2022-and-basketball-as-a-gateway-to-success" target="_blank">For the Love of the Game: March Madness 2022 and Basketball as a Gateway to Success</a></h4>
<p>For many inner-city youth, basketball is a gateway to access achievements, opportunities, and a better life. In 2015, Derrick Z. Jackson reported that Black men at Division I (DI) univers... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/15/393010/for-the-love-of-the-game-march-madness-2022-and-basketball-as-a-gateway-to-success">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/17/393135/celebrating-ghana-s-independence-with-ahaspora-s-ghana-action-forum-2022-bridging-home-and-abroad-for-development" target="_blank"><img alt="Celebrating Ghanas Independence with Ahasporas Ghana Action Forum 2022 Bridging Home and Abroad for Development" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/908100/fit/80x80/ghana_20action_20forum.png?timestamp=1656533094" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/17/393135/celebrating-ghana-s-independence-with-ahaspora-s-ghana-action-forum-2022-bridging-home-and-abroad-for-development" target="_blank">Celebrating Ghana’s Independence with Ahaspora’s Ghana Action Forum 2022: Bridging Home and Abroad for Development</a></h4>
<p>On the eve of Ghana’s 65th independence, March 3rd, 2022, FunTimes attended Day 1 of the Ghana Action Forum, hosted by Ahaspora at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The Ghana Action Fo... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/17/393135/celebrating-ghana-s-independence-with-ahaspora-s-ghana-action-forum-2022-bridging-home-and-abroad-for-development">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><br><br><br><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:95a60289-e2b6-40df-9861-b173dbe7e6c02022-06-27T10:49:10-04:002022-06-27T10:49:47-04:00Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations Part I: Liberia at 200 Years2022-06-28 09:00:00 -0400Nana Ama Addo<span><p><i>“If you want to know the end, look at the beginning”</i> -African proverb</p><br><p>Displacement, complex identities and the quest for ‘home’ are remnants of the TransAtlantic Slave Trade that the descendants of the enslaved continue to grapple with. In countries settled by formerly enslaved communities like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Haiti, political ideologies, journeys towards liberty, and advancement are both blessed and burdened by innovation, and marred by neo-colonial ideologies.</p><br>Read 'The Origin of African Slavery and the Emergence of TransAtlantic Slave Trade':<br></span><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/02/24/390556/the-origin-of-african-slavery-and-the-emergence-of-transatlantic-slave-trade" target="_blank"><img alt="Credit Wikimedia Commons" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/900641/fit/80x80/The_history_of_slavery_and_the_slave_trade__ancient_and_modern_-_the_forms_of_slavery_that_prevailed_in_ancient_nations__particularly_in_Greece_and_Rome__the_African_slave_trade_and_the_political__14598547047_.jpeg?timestamp=1656340762" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/02/24/390556/the-origin-of-african-slavery-and-the-emergence-of-transatlantic-slave-trade" target="_blank">The Origin of African Slavery and the Emergence of TransAtlantic Slave Trade</a></h4>
<p>The trans-Atlantic slave trade was the most significant long-distance forced movement of people in recorded history. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/02/24/390556/the-origin-of-african-slavery-and-the-emergence-of-transatlantic-slave-trade">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><span><p>In celebration of Liberia’s bicentennial, we are exploring economic, social and political relations between the US and formerly-enslaved societies, with a special focus on Liberia, Sierra Leone, Jamaica, Haiti and more. </p><br><p>In Part I of ‘Examining Relations Between the US and Formerly Enslaved Nations’, we delve into the motivations and impacts of former slaves’ repatriation to Liberia, and traverse two centuries of international relations between the United States and Liberia, including infrastructure-building and aid initiatives, allyship and the manifestations of relationships cultivated between indigenous Liberians and repatriated ex-slaves. </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931318/fill/700x0/image1.jpg?timestamp=1656338664">( ‘Remarks on the Colony of Liberia and the American Colonization Society’, written by Bermudan-Canadian abolitionist Charles Stuart in 1832. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/32388600090" target="_blank">BiblioArchives/LibraryArchives via Flickr </a>)</div></span><span><br><br><h2>The Creation of Liberia as a Haven for Formerly Enslaved Blacks </h2><br><p>Liberia is a West African country with a blended culture, composed of indigenous African tribes like the Gola, Kissi, Kru, and Mande, and Americo-Liberians or Congoes, who are descendents of formerly enslaved populations from the United States and the Caribbean. This year, Liberia celebrates its bicentennial, given that the first formerly enslaved repatriates arrived in Liberia in 1822. US-Liberia relations, since the inception of the country as a “colony”, reflects American consciousness, the guise of democracy, exclusion, and indigenous-settler tension. </p><br><p>The American Colonization Society (ACS) was founded in 1817 by Robert Finley, Henry Clay, Bushrod Washington (nephew of George Washington) and Francis Scott Key, to strategically extradite emancipated Black populations, at a time when the emergence of formerly enslaved Black communities threatened America’s system of slavery. </p><br><p>Other factors that led to the founding of the ACS include Africans illegally trafficked to the US after the abolishment of the slave trade, the rise of anti-slavery ideologies, slave rebellions and diasporic groups of freed Blacks in America. The ACS was composed of both slave-supporters and abolitionists. </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931322/fill/700x0/image5.jpg?timestamp=1656338811">( Americo-Liberians. Image by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Americo-Liberians.jpg#file" target="_blank">Wikiaddict8962 via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div></span><span><br><p><br></p><p>In 1820, the first group of freed Blacks were sent to Sherbro Island, Sierra Leone, with ACS representatives. During that time, Britain established a colony for freed Blacks, Sierra Leone, and had begun sending formerly enslaved populations there. However, the living conditions in Sherbro Island were unfavorable, so the ACS sought an alternative location. Cape Mesurado, an area on the coast of Liberia, was allotted for the ACS for repatriation as a “colony” in 1821. </p><br><p>By 1867, the ACS sent more than 13,000 freed Blacks to Liberia, who mostly settled on the coastal lands. In the 1890s, the ACS focused on developing the “colony”, including incorporating formal education and self-sustaining systems, for the natives. The Booker T. Washington Institute, for example, was founded in 1929. Miss Georgia E.L. Patton, MD, a formerly enslaved woman from Tennessee who moved to Liberia between 1890 and 1900, noted in a letter that she sought to practice medicine in the “colony”.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931323/fill/700x0/image3.jpg?timestamp=1656338952">(Liberian women attend math and literacy class. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/un_photo/4622495110" target="_blank">United Nations Photo via Flickr</a> )<br><br><br><br>Learn about Black Women Poets including Liberian poet, Patrice Juah:</div></span><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/21/393377/world-poetry-day-poems-from-prolific-black-women-poets-to-expand-your-worldviews" target="_blank"><img alt="World Poetry Day Poems from Prolific Black Women Poets to Expand your Worldviews" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/908316/fit/80x80/world_20poetry_20day.png?timestamp=1656340947" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/21/393377/world-poetry-day-poems-from-prolific-black-women-poets-to-expand-your-worldviews" target="_blank">World Poetry Day: Poems from Prolific Black Women Poets to Expand your Worldviews</a></h4>
<p>March 21st is World Poetry Day. In celebration of rhetoric, artistry, and female poets of the African diaspora, we are highlighting prolific poets from around the world and their work. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/21/393377/world-poetry-day-poems-from-prolific-black-women-poets-to-expand-your-worldviews">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><span><h2>Indigenous-Expat Tension, and Social, Political and Economic Inequality</h2><br><p>Indigenous Liberians faced discrimination at the hands of this new system. Helen Nah Sammie, Publisher of the Community Voices Newspaper in Liberia, gives insight into the relationships between Americo-Liberians and indigenous Liberians:</p><br><p>“During those days, (indigenous) people had to change their names to get education. Now things are changing. You will hear native names and people want to know the meaning of that. I want to know whether we talk about reconciliation, because I see the country as really divided. People look at the Americo-Liberians and how they brought that aggression. They had aggression in them (perhaps) because of how they were treated in America, and they brought that aggression back to the people in Liberia. It’s a big process that we have to talk about, because that is why the country can not get to the level that people want it to be.”</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931325/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1656339251">( Indigenous Liberian chiefs of the Krahn tribe, between 1900-1940. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Kran_medicijnmannen_gekleed_in_kaftans_van_chiefs_TMnr_60032657.jpg" target="_blank">Collectie Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</div></span><span><br><p><br></p><p>It is rumored that after the first ACS group landed in Liberia and left Sherbro Island, ACS members forced a local chief to sell land to them at gunpoint. In a twisted turn of events, freed expatriates became plantation owners and overseers, with indigenous Liberians working in plantations similar to the conditions of the enslaved in America, with little pay. Indigenous groups revolted against the Americo-Liberians, but with the support of the US, Americo-Liberians were able to establish themselves in the land.</p><br><p>Siatta Johnson, President of the Female Journalist Association of Liberia, says: “A lot of the settlers still had their roots in the US and they still do today. So, in my opinion, they weren’t seeing Liberia as a home to stay in, they were seeing Liberia as a farm. It put a deep dent in the infrastructure and economy of Liberia. Before the civil crisis, Liberians with lots of money were not investing or banking in the country. They were not keeping their resources in Liberia, which is a debatable topic. We know there are lots of positives and negatives.” </p><p><br></p><p>Jehudi Ashmun, a politician and representative of the ACS, designed the Liberian legislative system akin to the United States political system, and African-American repatriates were placed in political positions.<br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931327/fill/700x0/image9.jpg?timestamp=1656339390"></div><p>( Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a free, Virginia born mixed race settler became the first President of Liberia. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Jenkins_Roberts,_president_liberia.jpg" target="_blank">Story Liberia via Wikimedia Commons</a> ) </p><p><b><br></b></p><p>American ideals of democracy were weaved into Liberia’s political system. When Liberia gained independence in 1847, the country was governed by Americo-Liberians. Native Liberians were excluded from the political process, as they were required to legally own a specific amount of land and money to vote. Indigenous Liberians were granted citizenship in 1904, however, they were denied the right to vote until 1946. The True Whig Party, a political party that dominated Liberian politics until 1980, was almost exclusively Americo-Liberian or Americo-Liberian descended. </p><p><b><br></b></p><p>Throughout this time, Liberia continued to rely on financial assistance from the ACS and the United States. In 1926, the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, an American corporation, opened a rubber plantation in Liberia, and the US, and the elites of Liberia were the main benefactors. Between 1940 and 1946, the US Forces established a base in Liberia.</p><p><br></p><p>Christiana Jimmy or Winnie Saywah Jimmy, Liberian journalist and Acting Managing Editor of the<i> Inquirer Newspaper</i> of Liberia, says: “The US-Liberia relationship dates back to 1819. When we talk about emancipation, and bring it back to Liberia, it is hard to explain. It’s hard to find that freedom because it starts with the settling of the slaves. Ownership continued to drive our political system. The struggle of equality and who owns Liberia is all interchangeable. We still struggle with that today. If we look at Liberia and how it came to be a nation, it was by indirect supervision. Some individuals still struggle to have ownership. Because of that, we cannot define freedom. If you look at the economy now it is strained, and because of that, freedom cannot be useful or flexible for us.”</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931335/fill/700x0/image4.jpg?timestamp=1656340389"></div><p>( John Russworm, a Jamaican-born, mixed race abolitionist settled in Liberia. Image by <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Russwurm.jpg " target="_blank">Cliff from Arlington, Virginia via Wikimedia Commons</a> )</p><p><br></p><h2>Continued Marginalization, the First Indigenous Rule, and the Liberian First and Second Civil War</h2><br><p>The marginalization of native Liberians continued for over 150 years, and although some Americo-Liberian or Americo-Liberian mixed presidents focused on reform for indigenous groups, change was slow and the indigenes continued to experience economic lack while Americo-Liberians flourished. This divide led to a violent coup d’etat in 1980, spearheaded by Krahn sargent Samuel K. Doe, and led to the murder of Americo-Liberian president William Tolbert. Doe became the first indigenous Liberian to be president, and was supported by the US after the coup. </p><p><b><br></b></p><p>Doe’s rule of the country was marked by corruption, ethnic violence, political persecution, and economic mismanagement. Due to international backlash, Doe was influenced to lead an election, which he won in 1985. The elections were said to have been rigged, and Doe’s mismanagement and favoritism of his ethnic group, the Krahn, continued.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>The same year the Cold War ended, in 1989, Liberian politician Charles Taylor and his army of rebels (the National Patriotic Front of Liberia or NPFL), stormed Liberia and catalyzed a Civil War. Despite the centuries long allyship, the US did not intervene in this seven-year long war, in which an estimated 30,000 people were killed, and half of the population displaced. Prince Johnson, a Liberian politician and former rebel leader of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL) in Liberia’s first civil war, executed Doe and broadcasted it on TV. Johnson is currently a senator in Liberia.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931337/fill/700x0/image7.jpg?timestamp=1656340482"></div><p> ( Prince Johnson, Liberian politician and rebel leader in Liberia’s First Civil War. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/tlupic/7128814131" target="_blank">Travis Lupick via Flickr</a> )</p></span><span><br><p>In 1996, when the first civil war ended, Charles Taylor became the president of Liberia. However, peace was short-lived, as a second Liberian Civil War erupted in 1999, when Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), a guerrilla group, supported by Guinea, laid siege on the country. </p><br><p>In 2003, near the end of the second civil war, 200 American soldiers arrived in support of ECOWAS efforts to broker peace in Liberia. In 2005, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the president of Liberia, and first African female president.</p><br><br><br>Read about FunTimes' previous event about US-Liberia Relationship:<br></span><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/02/03/389431/us-liberia-relationship-a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-u-s-relationship-with-countries-inhabited-by-emancipated-people-focus-on-liberia" target="_blank"><img alt="US-Liberia Relationship A roundtable discussion on the US relationship with countries inhabited by emancipated people - Focus on Liberia" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/897696/fit/80x80/SPOTLIGHT_20ADS_20-_20US-LIberia_20-_20800_20x_20600.jpg?timestamp=1656340897" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/02/03/389431/us-liberia-relationship-a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-u-s-relationship-with-countries-inhabited-by-emancipated-people-focus-on-liberia" target="_blank">US-Liberia Relationship: A roundtable discussion on the U.S. relationship with countries inhabited by emancipated people - Focus on Liberia</a></h4>
<p>Join FunTimes Magazine on Tuesday, February 8th at 12:00pm EST, as we celebrate Black History Month with US-Liberia Relationship: A roundtable discussion on the U.S. relationship with cou... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/02/03/389431/us-liberia-relationship-a-roundtable-discussion-on-the-u-s-relationship-with-countries-inhabited-by-emancipated-people-focus-on-liberia">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><span><h2>Lessons for Expat Migration: Streamlining Indigenous Systems into Modern Politics and Integration vs Domination</h2><br><p>The prolonged disenfranchisement of indigenous groups, including the political, economic and social inequality that erupted in a 1980 coup, and led to the First Liberian Civil War, illustrates a fragile ecosystem built on inequality, and the dangers of unequal access to education and development. US-Liberia relations implemented a colonial-like system that did not integrate ex-slaves into the existing political systems that were in operation among indigenous tribes, but rather sought to dominate and exert authority, power and ownership in the land. </p><br><p>This system proved toxic, as the coup d’etat resulted in Liberian indigenes supporting Samuel Doe, who may not have been equipped to run a country using a western system. Political, social and economic infrastructure that focused on collaboration and integration rather than domination may have created a more even playing field for all of the inhabitants of Liberia. </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931338/fill/700x0/image10.jpg?timestamp=1656340569"></div><p> ( HE Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/chathamhouse/6011337236" target="_blank">Chatham House via Flickr</a> )</p></span><span><br><p>What does an African-based political system look like for Liberia, and how would it function in international relations and political dealings with countries like the United States?</p><br><p>Bai Best, the Managing Director of the <i>Daily Observer</i> in Liberia, is a descendant of settlers from the West Indies, one from Barbados and the other from Trinidad. He says his family adopted the language of the Pele people. In discussing past and contemporary interethnic relations, Bai says “There were always disagreements about settlers vs natives, and here we are today. Today, there has been so much intermarriages and so much of a melting pot situation that no one can really say I’m this or that because so many have blended their heritage. <b>Going forward, decolonization should be centered around how we go about celebrating the real culture of Liberia. We do have a culture but it’s not being practiced. </b></p><br><p>The Ghanaians and Sierra Leoneans have a template. They have taken that template and transposed their colonized part with their native heritage. In Liberia, we tried to do that, and if we go back as far as the 50’s or 60’s, we have records of how our people used to live and the traditions that held our communities together. When people started to send their children abroad to England and the United States, that became their identity, whereas there are other people who remained here and whatever they met here from birth became their identity.” </p><br><p>Bai stresses the importance of incorporating indigenous Liberian values into Liberia’s infrastructure: “That goes back to having us reintroduce our heritage into schools, as low as the elementary level all the way to the college level. We need to have more Liberian scholars, in terms of the practice of Liberia. We need more technocrats, scholarships and people who have a fairly broad understanding of Liberia’s history, culture and society. They are few and far (in) between now, and most of them are dying out. There’s a lot of work to be done.” </p><br><p>Stay tuned for Part II of ‘US-Liberia Relations’, where we discuss Liberian and Sierra Leonean expatriate communities who are rebuilding in the United States after surviving civil wars.</p><p><br></p><p><b><br></b></p><p><b>Works Cited</b></p><p><a href="https://www.aaihs.org/the-american-colonization-society-200-years-of-the-colonizing-trick/">https://www.aaihs.org/the-american-colonization-society-200-years-of-the-colonizing-trick/</a></p><p><a href="http://slaveryandremembrance.org/people/person/?id=PP048">http://slaveryandremembrance.org/people/person/?id=PP048</a></p><p><a href="https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam004.html">https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/afam004.html</a></p><p><a href="https://www.loc.gov/collections/maps-of-liberia-1830-to-1870/articles-and-essays/history-of-liberia/1820-to-1847/">https://www.loc.gov/collections/maps-of-liberia-1830-to-1870/articles-and-essays/history-of-liberia/1820-to-1847/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Colonization-Society">https://www.britannica.com/topic/American-Colonization-Society</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cuffe-paul-sr-1759-1817/">https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/cuffe-paul-sr-1759-1817/</a></p><p><a href="https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=2796&context=honorstheses1990-2015">https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=2796&context=honorstheses1990-2015</a></p><p><a href="https://aaregistry.org/story/the-americo-liberian-community-a-brief-story/">https://aaregistry.org/story/the-americo-liberian-community-a-brief-story/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/groups-organizations-global-african-history/americo-liberians/">https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/groups-organizations-global-african-history/americo-liberians/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tumult-and-transition-in-little-america-92437262/">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/tumult-and-transition-in-little-america-92437262/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/8638091613/in/photolist-e2MPxj-2m7De3B-cn1Neo-c3Sc-3brkWN-b7goA-MZEKw-cuMsr9-cuMuYJ-7JuRAc-6STizU-eajtG2-4LaQ4P-owjNAZ-yAngLP-KXMsxu-x7eSux-ovX9yK-ova26K-8PBdP4-ovP9qe-2bWG5Hy-QUYHW5-PhAhSp-2cYkKLo-PhAieM-oy61CD-Tkbah-PhAjJv-odd9VG-4L5uqN-4L5zYN-4L1tPp-4L5Puq-4L1qbZ-oeSQme-otTNPh">https://www.flickr.com/photos/elycefeliz/8638091613/in/photolist-e2MPxj-2m7De3B-cn1Neo-c3Sc-3brkWN-b7goA-MZEKw-cuMsr9-cuMuYJ-7JuRAc-6STizU-eajtG2-4LaQ4P-owjNAZ-yAngLP-KXMsxu-x7eSux-ovX9yK-ova26K-8PBdP4-ovP9qe-2bWG5Hy-QUYHW5-PhAhSp-2cYkKLo-PhAieM-oy61CD-Tkbah-PhAjJv-odd9VG-4L5uqN-4L5zYN-4L1tPp-4L5Puq-4L1qbZ-oeSQme-otTNPh</a></p><p><a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/freed-u-s-slaves-depart-on-journey-to-africa">https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/freed-u-s-slaves-depart-on-journey-to-africa</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Liberia/History">https://www.britannica.com/place/Liberia/History</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/american-colonization-society-1816-1964/">https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/american-colonization-society-1816-1964/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Firestone-Tire-and-Rubber-Company">https://www.britannica.com/topic/Firestone-Tire-and-Rubber-Company</a></p><p><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2017700539/">https://www.loc.gov/item/2017700539/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce5823.html">https://www.refworld.org/docid/4954ce5823.html</a></p><p><a href="https://sites.tufts.edu/atrocityendings/2015/08/07/liberia-first-civil-war/">https://sites.tufts.edu/atrocityendings/2015/08/07/liberia-first-civil-war/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/first-liberian-civil-war-1989-1996/">https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/first-liberian-civil-war-1989-1996/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/second-liberian-civil-war-1999-2003/">https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/second-liberian-civil-war-1999-2003/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/essays/uspolicy/">https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/liberia/essays/uspolicy/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Ghankay-Taylor">https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Ghankay-Taylor</a></p><p><br><br><br><br><br><br></p><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/790279/fill/300x0/nana_20ama_20addo_202.jpg?timestamp=1656341114"></div><p> <span>Nana Ama Addo is a writer, multimedia strategist, film director, and storytelling artist. She graduated with a BA in Africana Studies from the College of Wooster, and has studied at the University of Ghana and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Nana Ama tells stories of entrepreneurship and Ghana repatriation at her brand, Asiedua’s Imprint<a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.blog/"> </a>( <a href="http://www.asieduasimprint.com">www.asieduasimprint.com</a> ).</span><br><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Read more from Nana Ama Addo:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/02/19/390520/celebrate-national-soup-month-with-these-cultural-dishes-of-the-african-diaspora" target="_blank"><img alt=" L to R Image by Omotayo Tajudeen via Pexels Image by Kampus Production via Pexels Photo by Jeanetta Richardson-Anhalt from Pexels Image by ZSM via Wikimedia Commons httpscommonswikimediaorgwikiFileLight_soup_with_fufuJPG She-crab soup Image by Jo Anna Barber via Wikimedia Commons httpscommonswikimediaorgwikiFileShe-Crab_Soupjpg Image via Flickr httpswwwflickrcomphotoskiryu4727926080inphotostream Pepper Pot Image by Simon Abrams via Wikimedia Commons httpscommonswikimediaorgwikiFilePepperpot_16135006279jpg " src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/900146/fit/80x80/natl_20soup_20month.png?timestamp=1656341302" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/02/19/390520/celebrate-national-soup-month-with-these-cultural-dishes-of-the-african-diaspora" target="_blank">Celebrate National Soup Month with these Cultural Dishes of the African Diaspora</a></h4>
<p>Happy National Soup Month! The benefits of soup are numerous and provide the body with nutrients and soothing warmth during the cold months. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/02/19/390520/celebrate-national-soup-month-with-these-cultural-dishes-of-the-african-diaspora">Read More »</a></span> </p></div></div><p><br></p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/04/22/397715/covid-s-economic-shift-part-i-the-place-of-black-communities-in-gig-economies" target="_blank"><img alt=" Image by Kindel Media via Pexels " src="//cdn1.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/915672/fit/80x80/delivery_20future_20work.jpeg?timestamp=1656341192" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/04/22/397715/covid-s-economic-shift-part-i-the-place-of-black-communities-in-gig-economies" target="_blank">COVID’s Economic Shift Part I: The Place of Black Communities in Gig Economies</a></h4>
<p>In part 1 of the series, we explore changes brought by the ‘great resignation’, and utilize qualitative and quantitative research to determine the impact of the ‘gig’ economy during the C... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/04/22/397715/covid-s-economic-shift-part-i-the-place-of-black-communities-in-gig-economies">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/08/31/367047/sierra-leone-offers-citizenship-to-african-diasporans-with-sierra-leonean-ancestry" target="_blank">Sierra Leone Offers Citizenship to African Diasporans with Sierra Leonean Ancestry</a></h4>
<p>Through a partnership with African Ancestry and African American businessman Diallo Sumbry, who also played a monumental role in creating Ghana’s ‘Year of Return’ campaign, the country’s ... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/08/31/367047/sierra-leone-offers-citizenship-to-african-diasporans-with-sierra-leonean-ancestry">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p><span><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><br></span><div><br></div><br><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:124afbe9-c2b3-4ecc-8711-20cb3d5e9b532022-06-27T09:32:08-04:002022-06-27T09:32:35-04:00Djibouti Independence2022-06-27 09:30:00 -0400 Anand Subramanian<span><p>Djibouti was ruled by a Sultan in the nineteenth century. Still, by 1862, the French had begun purchasing land to support its coaling station at Obock after reaching an agreement with Afar leaders. During the 'Scramble for Africa,' the French legally acquired the province in 1884 and dubbed it French Somaliland in 1896. After Italy temporarily occupied the region after WWII, Djibouti proclaimed it a French Overseas Territory. The French staged a referendum in 1958 to determine if its inhabitants wanted to stay with France or join the newly founded Republic of Somalia.<br></p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931307/fill/700x0/image1.png?timestamp=1656335162"></div><p> FIgure 1 - Djibouti location. Source - Google</p></span><span><br><p>After numerous Somalis were removed from Djibouti, foreign residents had a vote, resulting in a stay-with-France conclusion. With France publicly favoring the Afar minority, just 25% of the people opted for independence. Djibouti was essentially informed that it would lose its largely self-governing status and become a French province governed by the French Parliament. After new election rules were implemented in 1963, essentially scrapping direct representation in the French Parliament in favor of a straight plurality voting based on lists presented by political parties in seven designated districts within Djibouti, demands for independence rose. President de Gaulle visited the territory in 1966 and was left with little doubt about the rising sentiment for independence and cries for change with two days of protests and rioting against the background of many other African states becoming independent republics during the 1960s and early 1970s.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931308/fill/700x0/image3.png?timestamp=1656335249">Figure 2 - Independence day celebration. Source - Google</div></span><span><br><p>France surrendered its last African colony in 1977, lowering the Tricolor above the Territory of the Afars and Issas and ushering its little country on the Horn of Africa into an uncertain future as the sovereign Republic of Djibouti. President Hassan Gouled Aptidon handed the keys to the elegant, white High Commission headquarters on the riverfront, ending French administration after 115 years marking June 27th as the official Independence day for Djibouti.</p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931309/fill/700x0/image2.png?timestamp=1656335291">Figure 3 - Official flag. Source - Google</div></span><span><br><p>Djibouti's flag was chosen on the day the country achieved independence. Its colors symbolize Djibouti's beautiful landscapes, multicultural population, and the eternal principles of the country's national motto: Unité, Égalité, Paix (Unity, Equality, Peace). The Djibouti Independence Day festivities focus on presenting the finest of the African country's native customs. The parades and speeches by key persons, including the President, are at the heart of the festivities. People also make the day their own by singing, dancing, and having a good time. The military parade is a prominent feature of the celebrations. The national army displays the many forces and equipment at its disposal. Troops from the United States, France, and Germany also participate in the parade, headed by a marching band. On this day, Djibouti's national anthem is performed. The procession is followed by a celebration at the Presidential Palace when he gives a speech to the East African nation's ordinary people. Traditional Djiboutian dishes include Djibouti Fah-fah (Djibouti soup), a substantial stew made with meat and vegetables and eaten over Canjeero, a crepe-like fermented flatbread.</p><p><b><br></b></p><p>The country's expatriate groups also commemorate Djibouti's Independence Day. During this unique week, Radio Television of Djibouti (RTD) broadcasts documentaries from the nation's independence fight to remind the populace of the great sacrifices made to free the country.</p><p><br><br><br><br><br><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/814912/fill/300x0/anand.jpg?timestamp=1656336305"></div><span><p> Anand Subramanian is a freelance photographer and content writer based out of Tamil Nadu, India. Having a background in Engineering always made him curious about life on the other side of the spectrum. He leapt forward towards the Photography life and never looked back. Specializing in Documentary and Portrait photography gave him an up-close and personal view into the complexities of human beings and those experiences helped him branch out from visual to words. Today he is mentoring passionate photographers and writing about the different dimensions of the art world.<br><br>Read more from Anand Subramanian:<br><br></p><div class="media clearfix">
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/06/28/360630/hip-hop-and-its-global-influence-in-the-present-day" target="_blank">Hip Hop and its Global Influence in the Present Day</a></h4>
<p>In this article, we will be discussing how hip-hop culture, despite its controversial lyrics, has unified the world and created a positive environment around identity, race, and culture. <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/06/28/360630/hip-hop-and-its-global-influence-in-the-present-day">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p>Nigeria's Democracy Day is a national holiday commemorating the restoration of democracy in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but did you know that the date has been changed to June 12th, ... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/06/14/403186/nigeria-democracy-day-celebration">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/06/01/401943/5-best-african-beaches-to-explore" target="_blank">5 Best African Beaches to Explore</a></h4>
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<br></p><div><br></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>urn:uuid:665f8e0c-9534-4c12-9a18-3c2c0c9e29972022-06-25T14:41:31-04:002022-06-25T14:45:22-04:00Ras Haitrm: A Musical Connection between Mozambique and Jamaica2022-06-25 15:00:00 -0400Candice Stewart<span><p>The African nation of Mozambique is found along the south-eastern side of the continent. It was colonized by the Portuguese and gained independence on June 25, 1975. The country was gripped by civil war soon after becoming independent. Still, the country is underdeveloped, marred by acts of the ‘Sons of Mocimboa’ with abductions, the burning of homes and other gruesome acts of violence.<br></p><p>Additionally, a slowdown of economic growth has occurred following the hidden debt crisis in 2016. That crisis led to another crisis of economic governance and a protracted economic slowdown with growth falling to 3 percent between 2016 and 2019. The slowdown continues due to the natural disasters in 2019, the insurgency in Northern Mozambique since 2017 and COVID-19 since 2020. Despite the heaviness of negativity, hope stands tall with the discovery of some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world.</p><p><br></p><p>Read more about Mozambique:</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/06/24/360351/-al-shabaab-attacks-investigating-the-armed-conflict-poverty-and-mismanagement-of-natural-resources-in-mozambique-on-independence-day" target="_blank"><img alt="Image by Global Financing Facility httpswwwflickrcomphotosthegff46977495575 " src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/831396/fit/80x80/mozambique_20independence.jpeg?timestamp=1656182304" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/06/24/360351/-al-shabaab-attacks-investigating-the-armed-conflict-poverty-and-mismanagement-of-natural-resources-in-mozambique-on-independence-day" target="_blank">‘Al-Shabaab’ Attacks: Investigating the Armed Conflict, Poverty, and Mismanagement of Natural Resources in Mozambique on Independence Day</a></h4>
<p>On Mozambican Independence Day, June 25th, we are exploring the origins of the current conflict occurring in the northern part of the country.
<span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/06/24/360351/-al-shabaab-attacks-investigating-the-armed-conflict-poverty-and-mismanagement-of-natural-resources-in-mozambique-on-independence-day">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931110/fill/700x0/image1.jpg?timestamp=1656181746">Map of the African continent, Photo source: Longman Caribbean School Atlas</div></span><div><br></div><span><p>Though some contextual background is critical, it does not have to be the focal point. In the midst of celebrating Mozambique’s independence, it is important that positive information about the country is highlighted. Despite the trauma of war, poverty and a generally negative public image, this south-eastern African country boasts positivity through a son of reggae music.</p><p>Ras Haitrm was born in 1980 in the midst of a civil war in Maputo, Mozambique’s capital. Born as Rui Paulo Matavele, the reggae artist grew up with music about war and the African struggle that surrounded him.</p><p>As a youngster, Rui acknowledged and accepted that music would play a primary role in his life. When he was seven years of age, he received his first hand-made guitar from an older friend. As fate would have it, the musician now plays bass, drums, percussion and many traditional African instruments.</p><p>He also grew up listening to musicians such as Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spear, who were heroes of Mozambique freedom fighters in the 1970s when they were battling Portuguese colonization. All three are among the stalwarts of Jamaican reggae music. It may have been this exposure that inspired his desire and dream to record music and collaborate with Jamaican musicians in the home of Reggae.</p><p><br></p><p>Read '5 Best African Music Artists':</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/10/08/371277/5-best-african-music-artists" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="//cdn3.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/859364/fit/80x80/african_20artist.jpg?timestamp=1656182358" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/10/08/371277/5-best-african-music-artists" target="_blank">5 Best African Music Artists</a></h4>
<p>Let us focus on the musicians who have remained on the continent and are further carving out the music scenes within their countries, creating new genres, and reinventing what it means to... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/10/08/371277/5-best-african-music-artists">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p><br></p><div class="image-main"><img alt="" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/931112/fill/700x0/image2.jpg?timestamp=1656181810">Map highlighting Mozambique (in the Portuguese language) Image Source: <a href="https://rashaitrm.com/" target="_blank">Ras Haitrm Artiste website</a><br><br></div></span><span><p>In April of 2016, Ras Haitrm visited Jamaica and formed a creative relationship with the legendary Firehouse Crew. This led to his album entitled, “Go and Tell the World”.</p><p>The Mozambican musician connected with the Firehouse Crew by way of a mutual friend. He met with the drummer of the Firehouse Crew, George “Dusty” Miller, who agreed to collaborate with him. The collaboration facilitated connections with other Jamaican musicians including, saxophonist, Dean Fraser, singjay Jahbar I, and guitarist, Winston “Bo-Pee” Bowen.</p><p>In a 2017 interview with the Jamaica Observer, Ras Haitrm said, “I didn’t expect to meet the Firehouse Crew as it was not planned from the beginning. So, it was a very big shock for me and still is until now, to realize I was accepted, in a way, into their circle”.</p><p>Ras Haitrm’s repertoire generally addresses social injustices that happen worldwide and to provide a sense of peace among his listeners to remind them crimes against humanity will not last forever. As a Rastafarian, he also has music about spirituality, Black and African pride, as well as cannabis, more loosely called ganja.</p><p>His Discography with the Firehouse Crew includes the following songs:<br></p><p><i>- It’s Not For Long</i></p><p><i>- Do You Remember</i></p><p><i>- Special Mind</i></p><p><i>- Jah Before I</i></p><p><i>- Go and Tell the World</i></p><p><i>- Kota Kota</i><br></p><p>Other songs by the Mozambican reggae artiste include:<br></p><p>- <i> Misunderstood</i></p><p><i>- No Fo Long</i></p><p><i>- Prayer</i></p><p><i>- Bad Time</i></p><p><i>- There is Something</i></p><p><i>- Ancient Africa</i><br></p><p>Ras Haitrm has released four studio albums, thus far, in the musical journey: Go and Tell the World (with the Firehouse Crew), Serious Times, Zion Bridge (with Guerreiros de Sião), and Tough Road (with Word Sound & Power).</p><p><br></p><p>Read 'Artists from Africa and the Diaspora to Add to Your Playlist':</p><div class="media clearfix">
<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2021/09/23/369016/artists-from-africa-and-the-diaspora-to-add-to-your-playlist" target="_blank"><img alt="Image by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexel " src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/854356/fit/80x80/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-813940.jpeg?timestamp=1656182433" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2021/09/23/369016/artists-from-africa-and-the-diaspora-to-add-to-your-playlist" target="_blank">Artists from Africa and the Diaspora to Add to Your Playlist </a></h4>
<p>Who doesn’t love a good music selection? Here are some artists from Africa and the Diaspora to add to your playlist, and songs to add to your playlist or to listen to as you go about your... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2021/09/23/369016/artists-from-africa-and-the-diaspora-to-add-to-your-playlist">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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</p><p> </p><p>He continues to represent Mozambicans well as he is a true visionary. He embodies humility, respect, and demonstrates his musical talent to positively impact the world as a result of a life shaped by extreme circumstances.</p><p>So, instead of leading thoughts of Mozambique with the negative news information, lead with uplifting music instead. Lead with music from Ras Haitrm and other Mozambicans like him.<br><br></p><p><b> Sources:</b></p><p><a href="https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/long-time-coming-for-ras-haitrm/">Long time coming for Ras Haitrm</a> – The Jamaica Observer</p><p><a href="https://rashaitrm.com/about">Ras Haitrm: Mozambique Reggae Soldier</a> – Ras Haitrm Artiste Website</p><p><a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/mozambique-needs-new-growth-model-sustained-inclusive-growth">Mozambique needs a new growth model for sustained, inclusive growth</a> – World Bank Blogs</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXU5poH_ofA">Sons of Mocímboa: Mozambique’s terrorism crisis</a> – BBC Africa Eye documentary</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p></span><div class="image-medium image-align-left"><img alt="" src="//cdn2.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/891963/fill/300x0/candice2.jpg?timestamp=1656181921"></div><span><div> Candice Stewart is a Jamaican content writer specializing in human interest feature stories. She is a web content writer, blogger, and budding podcaster. <br></div><div>She holds an MA in Communication for Social and Behaviour Change and a BSc. in Psychology from the University of the West Indies (UWI, Mona).<br><br></div><div>Follow her blog at <a href="http://thesuburbangirlja.com/" target="_blank">thesuburbangirlja.com</a>, where she shares stories and life lessons through real-life experiences.<br><br><br><br><br>Read more from Candice Stewart:<br><div class="media clearfix">
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/05/10/399964/hurricane-preparedness" target="_blank">Hurricane Preparedness</a></h4>
<p>With a few weeks left until the start of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season, how prepared are you for the threat of the impact that the storms may may have? <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/05/10/399964/hurricane-preparedness">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/05/13/400160/hypertension-on-a-global-scale-and-how-it-impacts-the-black-community" target="_blank">Hypertension on a Global Scale and How it Impacts the Black Community</a></h4>
<p>Hypertension, also referred to as elevated blood pressure, is a severe non-communicable disease (NCD) that significantly increases the risk of heart, brain, kidney, and other diseases. It... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/05/13/400160/hypertension-on-a-global-scale-and-how-it-impacts-the-black-community">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<span class="pull-left"><a href="/2022/03/07/392474/this-international-women-s-day-and-beyond-be-inspired-by-jamaica-s-first-female-prime-minister" target="_blank"><img alt="This International Womens Day and Beyond Be Inspired by Jamaicas First Female Prime Minister" src="//cdn0.locable.com/uploads/resource/file/905348/fit/80x80/chapter_2010.jpeg?timestamp=1656182269" class="media-object"></a></span>
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<h4 class="media-heading"><a href="/2022/03/07/392474/this-international-women-s-day-and-beyond-be-inspired-by-jamaica-s-first-female-prime-minister" target="_blank">This International Women’s Day and Beyond, Be Inspired by Jamaica’s First Female Prime Minister</a></h4>
<p>This formidable woman has been honored in the form of Portia Dreams, the authorized and approved biography on her childhood and pre-teen years, which appears in the form of a children’s b... <span class="pull-right"><a href="/2022/03/07/392474/this-international-women-s-day-and-beyond-be-inspired-by-jamaica-s-first-female-prime-minister">Read More »</a></span> </p>
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<p> </p></div><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><br><p><br></p><div><br></div></span><hr /><p><small>Original article published at <a href="www.funtimesmagazine.com">FunTimes Magazine</a></small></p>