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Showing posts from April, 2019

Next Stop: South Africa!

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Photo by Lina Loos During the coming weeks, I will be exploring the landscape, people and culture of South Africa.  I can't even begin to explain the level of excitement I feel for this opportunity to dive into the complex and dynamic history and traditions of South Africa I've been invited by South Africa tourism to attend Africa's Travel Indaba 2019, which is the continent's largest travel show.  I'll learn about tourism initiatives from countries all over the continent  (including many sustainable ones) and then visiting Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg .  My itinerary is packed with too many activities to name them all but highlights include a visit to a Zulu Village, Table Mountain, shown above, Cape Town wineries and a Big 5 safari. I'll also be investigating the conditions and changes of South African citizens 25 years after the end of apartheid , as well as relief efforts after the devastating floods in Durban last week.  Please stay tuned for p

African American History in Accra

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The year 2019 has ushered in a lot of political and social turmoil for African Americans. The foundation of the U.S. is crumbling and it's revealing the ugly underbelly that has informed many things about how this country operates. Knowing and understanding history is always crucial but especially now. 2019 marks 400 years since the first enslaved Africans left the shores of Ghana and arrived in Jamestown, Virginia.  Ghana is commemorating this history with The Year of Return 2019, a celebration of concerts, performances, symposiums and events to welcome back the Diaspora. I was honored to join the inaugural  Year of Return journey with The Adinkra Group  last August. Besides supplying a tangible re-connection with my heritage, I was able to explore the rich Pan African history of African Americans in Ghana. The first thing I ever learned about Pan Africanism was that African American scholar and activist W.E.B. Dubois was a leading advocate and was also a delegate at the