> Subject: MEDIA ADVISORY: US Delegation to Black Arts Festival in Senegal
Next Week
>
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> MEDIA ADVISORY
> December 1, 2010
>
> High-Powered US Delegation Heading for World Festival of Black Arts in
Senegal
>
> African American Artists, Mayors, Senators, Scientists to Participate
>
> For only the third time in 50 years, an unprecedented gathering of black
artists, writers, filmmakers, academics, scientists, and other leaders in
many fields will convene in Africa for an historic celebration. The World
Festival of Black Arts and Cultures, under the auspices of President
Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and his fellow African leaders, begins Dec. 10 in
Dakar, Senegal, and will continue through Dec. 31.
>
> A high-powered U.S. delegation of more than 200 African-American leaders
will participate in the Festival, including groups from the National
Conference of Black Mayors, the National Black Caucus of State Legislators,
the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, and the
African American Unity Caucus (AAUC), who will travel to Senegal from Dec. 8
- 17 for the event. In all, thousands of delegates from 80 countries will
converge on Dakar.
>
> Among U.S. delegates are Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey; actor
Richard Gant; jazz legend Randy Weston; Professor James Turner, Cornell
University; Dr. Johnetta Cole, Director of the National Museum of African
Art at the Smithsonian Institution; Professor Leonard Jeffries, City
University of New York; Runoko Rashidi, noted historian; Dr. Elsie Scott,
the President & CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation,
Mississippi State Sen. Frazier Hillman; New York State Sen. Bill Perkins;
Columbus (Ohio) Mayor Michael B. Coleman; Wayne Watson, president, Chicago
State University; and Ron Himes, founder/director, The Saint Louis Black
Repertory Theater.
>
> In a letter to members of the delegation, President Wade said he looked
forward to welcoming them to Senegal. "The African Union has requested that
Senegal organize the Festival, which will be the largest global gathering to
date of black artists, writers, filmmakers, intellectuals, scientists and
other luminaries, and we anticipate that people will travel from all over
the world for the occasion,'' said President Wade.
> Dr. Djibril Diallo, Coordinator of the U.S. Committee for the World
Festival of Black Arts and Cultures and Senior Advisor to the Executive
Director of UNAIDS (the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), said
the size and depth of the delegation underscore the historic nature of the
Festival. Melvin Foote, the President and CEO of the Constituency for Africa
and the Founder of the African American Unity Caucus, was also pleased with
how the delegation came together. Said Foote, "I think that the quality of
participants taking part in the delegation to Senegal speaks volumes about
the potential of the African Diaspora. I think the visit will provide a
unique opportunity to build trust and collaboration amongst Diaspora
leadership in the United States."
>
> "The Festival will be a landmark event, bringing together great artists
and intellectuals from around the world to celebrate the theme of African
Renaissance," Dr. Diallo said. "The Festival will also be an important
opportunity to highlight the role of art and culture in promoting
development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,
including progress in reversing the AIDS epidemic."
> One highly anticipated event is a discussion involving President Wade and
members of the National Conference of Black Mayors, the National Black
Caucus of State Legislators, the National Association for Equal Opportunity
in Higher Education and the National Basketball Association/Africa
(NBA/Africa) at the recently completed Monument of African Renaissance on
the theme of African Renaissance, looking towards the creation of the United
States of Africa in 2017, as declared by the African Union.
>
> While in Senegal, the delegation will meet privately with President Wade
and participate in myriad Festival activities, including attending concerts
by Rihanna, Jay-Z, Angelique Kidjo, Youssou N'Dour, and Baaba Maal; a soccer
match between Senegal and Brazil; a visit to Gorée Island, designated a
UNESCO World Heritage site in commemoration of the painful history of the
Atlantic slave trade; and participation in the Forum on African Renaissance.
>
> A Roundtable on Friday, Dec. 17 at 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Méridien
President Hotel will focus on ways that the Festival and other cultural
activities can contribute to the achievement of the MDGs by 2015, with the
campaign against AIDS as entry point. Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of
UNAIDS and Under Secretary General of the United Nations, will give a
keynote statement, and participants will include Professor Iba Der Thiam,
Forum Chairman of the Festival; Lebohang Morake (Lebo M), Eminent Member of
the Advisory Board of the Festival and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador; and
Syndiely Wade, Deputy General Coordinator of the Festival.
>
> The Festival will foster dialogue between Africa, its Diaspora, and the
entire world regarding the contributions of black cultures to humanity. The
guest of honor will be Brazil, which has one of the largest black
populations in the world. A delegation of more than 200 Brazilians is
expected in Dakar for the festivities.
>
> This is the third World Festival of Black Arts and Cultures, following
previous festivals in Dakar in 1966 and Lagos, Nigeria in 1977. Former
Senegalese President Leopold Sedar Senghor initiated the festivals to
highlight the visible and tangible products of African peoples' struggles to
win back their dignity in a land that had only recently been returned to
African rule.
>
> Among musical stars who will perform are Hugh Masekela (South Africa),
Salif Keita (Mali), , Bembeya Jazz (Guinea), Marcus Miller (U.S.), Habib
Koité (Mali), Chucho Valdes with the Afro-Cuban Jazz Messengers (Cuba),
Lokua Kanza (Congo),Kassav (Martinique/Guadeloupe), Alpha Blondy (Côte
d'Ivoire), Orquesta de la luz (Japan), Haitian Toubadors (Haiti), Chico
Freeman (U.S.), and I Jah Man (Jamaica).
>
> Dr. Diallo expressed thanks to Melvin Foote, President of Constituency for
Africa; Dr. Gloria Herndon, President of GB Herndon and Associates; Vanessa
R. Williams, Executive Director of the National Conference of Black Mayors;
and LaKimba Desadier, Executive Director of the National Black Caucus of
State Legislators , for assistance with arranging for participation by
political leaders in the U.S. delegation; and to Professor Leonard Jeffries
for assistance with participation by academic experts.
>

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