As 2019 comes to an end, I can’t help but think about how far we’ve come as African Americans in the 400 years since the first enslaved people from Africa arrived here on the shores of America.
Against all odds we have achieved in business (I see you Robert F. Smith!), politics (hey Obama!), the arts (hello Oprah!) and everywhere in between, and that’s why I am so proud to take part in an upcoming remembrance ceremony to honor the first 20 enslaved people to arrive in the colony of Virginia, which historians have traced to the Kingdom of Ndongo in Angola.
On Monday, Dec. 16, the Ambassador to the Republic of Angola to the U.S. will host the remembrance ceremony at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.
I will serve as mistress of ceremonies and moderator for a rock star line up of thought leaders in African and African-American culture, including Angola’s minister of culture and the social-justice dance troupe Batoto Yetu, a group that has performed with the likes of Whitney Houston, Micheal Jackson and Harry Belafonte.
One of the goals of this important cultural event is to bridge the gap between Africans and African-Americans, say officials at the Embassy of Angola.
I can’t wait to share more as Glow Stream TV camera will be there to capture photos and video of this monumental occasion.
Please note: The event is invite only, but additional details can be found online at: Angola.org.
