"Ancestral Voices" Screening -October 14th 1pm Hampton Public Library - 4207 Victoria Blvd

Please join us for a viewing of this amazing film Ancestral Voices as it explores African traditional religions. Directed by Verona Spence and Dalian Adofo- A Longbelly Film.

EVENT IS FREE... just bring an open mind- discussion afterwards

Hampton Public Library
207 Victoria Boulevard, Hampton, Virginia 23669

Sunday, October 14, 2012. 1:00pm until 4:00pm.

The Sankofa Projects creates and promotes educational and cultural events focused on the African Diaspora. As well, we create Rituals of Remembrance Ceremonies to honor the ancestors and aspire to fill in the missing pages of the historical record so that it accurately reflects the contributions that the African influence has had on the globe. The Sankofa Projects serves as a liasion between the grass roots and academia.

FOR MORE INFORMATION--- CONTACT: chadrapw@gmail.com or 757-816-1579

Peace and blessings!

African Independence Day 2012

Habari Gani!!! Happy African Independence day!!!

"During the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League(UNIA-ACL) Convention of 1920 August 1st to August 31st, held in NY the Declaration of the Rights of the Negroes(Africans) Peoples of the World was adopted. In order to encourage our race all over the world and to stimulate it to a higher and grander destiny, we demand and insist on the following Declaration of Rights:

Of the 54 Rights Listed in the Declaration of Rights number 53 and 54 reads as follows;

53) "We proclaim the 31st day of August of each year to be an International Holiday to be observed by all Negroes (Africans).
54) We want all men/women to know we shall maintain and contend for the freedom and equality of every man, woman and child of our race, with our lives, our fortunes and sacred honor."
http://eabicbahamas.ning.com/profiles/blogs/african-independence-day

If I had two things to amend in the text below, it would be Negro to African and race to culture. I still cringe when I see or hear "Negro" being used to describe people of African descent. However, this text was written in 1920; very different times and out of respect for the movement I have posted the text as it was written. What is important is the work they were engaged in; that is the take away.
As well, I would describe people of African descent as a culture as humans are distinguished by cultures and fall under one human race.

Many Blessings of the Ancestors

I feel what has happened recently can only be described as Many Blessings of the Ancestors.

Since the Remembrance ceremony at Buckroe beach, I have been invited to partake in four radio interviews, to write and co-author articles, contribute to books, consult and create rituals for an International organization and co-create a ritual with the talented Professor Artisia Green, President of the Black Theater Network for a 1619 conference; The Making of America at Norfolk State University lead by brilliant scholars Dr. Cassandra Newby-Alexander and Dr. Joanne Braxton, Founder and Director of the Middle Passage project at the College of William and Mary.

Over the past few months, I have been working closely with Dr. Braxton, who has taken me under her wings and provided me opportunities to spread my own wings. To her, I am incredibly grateful. I consider the work involving the ancestors sacred work and I am honored to work on their behalf as I create rituals, write articles and attempt to fill in the missing pages of the historical records of the contributions Africans have made across the globe.

For the past three months, Dr. Joanne Braxton, Dr. Rachel Harding, Professor at the University of Colorado, and I have been working on creating a template for an International ritual of remembrance ceremony to be used throughout the African diaspora by the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project (PMP) over the next 9 years.

The first ceremony for the PMP will be held in Baltimore next Thursday, August 23rd. I will be in Baltimore participating in the ceremonies so if you are in Baltimore come, join us. If you want more information, email me: chadrapw@gmail.com

These are truly exciting times!! I thank all of you for the love and support you have shown me over the years as you have encouraged me to get back to the work that I love... and the work that I came to this Earth to do. Watch out doctoral programs, here I come!!!

Obrigado...asante sana to you all!!! (thank you in Portuguese and Swahili)
peace, love and many blessings,
Chadra


Works Cited:

Adkins,L.E. (2009). Burial in the African Diaspora-Burial, African Practices in the Americas. A. Pinn(Ed.),African American Religious Cultures.(667). ABC CLIO.