Something to Remember on Memorial Day’

As Memorial Day approaches our nation pauses to remember those men and women who served, and many of whom died in defense of freedom at home and around the world. I remind my fellow citizens that African Americans also fought and died in all of our nation’s wars. Even though there was great resistance by many in this country to allowing African Americans to enlist and serve in the armed forces or even to work in the defense industries, these black men and women made great contributions to the nation during the challenging times when the nation was at war.

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A Beat Calls Puerto Ricans to their African Roots

Jose Ortiz stood on the steps of the Andrew Freedman Home on the Grand Concourse, a gorgeous Bronx palazzo bathed in sunshine, his barrel drum by his side. Before him, on the lawn, a circle of people gathered, passing a calabash or sage leaves as they blessed one another. As the faint scent of gardenia and lavender wafted through the air, Mr. Ortiz straddled his drum and played.

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Why am I insulted when people mistake me for a samba dancer?

brazilLet me give you some snippets of what it is like to be black in Brazil: A few months ago Ana*, a well-to-do, Afro-Brazilian friend of mine, dressed in head-to-toe perfection, was asked to go into the service entrance of her (white) friend’s apartment building (yes, residential buildings in Brazil have separate service entrances for the exclusive use of housekeepers, gardeners, plumbers etc.). She was livid and spewed her wrath at the doorman, insisting that she be shown the regular entrance..

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A Nation Built on the Back of African Slavery

It began with 246 years of legal slavery that extracted wealth from the lives of Africans in America. At the time of the Civil War, close to a little over 4 Million African were enslaved 23 per center of the American's total population. After the war which institutionalized injustices focused on stealing their land and jobs and ensuring that Africans did not build wealth as fast as the rest of Americans.


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East Africa Meets London Cool In Guatemalay

Conceptualized in February 2014 by Rio de Janeiro’s Juliana Luna and the California-born, Atlanta-based Vanessa Coore, Project Tribe is a stylish platform intended to connect likeminded women across the globe. “This movement, although initially aimed to inspire women of color, has managed to connect with men and women of all backgrounds,” the founders say. “Our purpose was to build a community of people who come together to uplift, encourage and inspire one another, no matter where they are in the world.” -

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Dominican dance declared ‘cultural heritage’

Bachata is a dance and genre of music that originated in the countryside and rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic in the early 20th century and has now spread to Europe and the United States.

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Celebrating African-Canadian Culture

Within Canada and around the world, we take time during the month of February to remember the importance of African-Canadian culture, and prominent figures that have impacted society. Recognized by Parliament in 1995, Black History Month provides Canadians with information regarding important events and people pertaining to this rich history.

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