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By Alison Isaac
Liliane Braga is a Brazilian journalist, hip hop producer and academic researcher whose works focus on Africa and the African Diaspora. Through her work, Liliane has facilitated and participated in a number of cultural exchanges that have taken her to Canada, the US and Cuba. In July 2008, Liliane attended a 30-day encounter of young activists from Africa and its Diasapora on Gorée Island, Senegal (one of the three main slave-shipping points from which enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas). While there, Liliane and others formed a network of artists/activists called Sauti Yetu Gorée (”sauti yetu” means “our voice” in Swahili).
SYG’s mandate is “to help activists in the Diaspora implement self-sustainable projects in communities of African countries.” As a fundraising activity to support its initiatives, the group sells t-shirts portraying images of iconic African figures (Anatacia, Zumbi dos Palmares, Titina Sila, etc.) at various locations internationally (available at the Toronto Women’s Bookstore in this city).
Liliane, in collaboration with four other women, is currently working a documentary about the encounter in Senegal called Na nga def. Na nga def (“How are you?”) was a greeting in Wolof, which was repeated daily by participants while in Gorée. A clip of the documentary can be found on Youtube. Music by Montreal’s Nomadic Massive.
The Committee To Commemorate and Memorialize the Abolition of the Slave Trades (CMAST) and KidsCan Press Present Governor General Award Nominee and Planet Africa Renaissance Award Winner, Dr. Afua Cooper, in the Launch of Her Two New Books: My Name is Phillis Wheatley and My Name is Henry Bibb: Stories of Slavery and Freedom. These historical novels are based on the lives of two enslaved American children Henry Bibb and Phillis Wheatley, who as adults overcame great odds to effect their freedom and went on to change literature and history.
When: Fri. 30 Oct. 2009
Place: William Doo Auditorium, New College, University of Toronto, 45 Willcocks Ave, at Spadina, Toronto, ON.
Time: 7p.m.
Fee: $10
Special Guests: Ian Kamau, Um’knondé, Keisha-Monique.
www.kidscan.com
Photo by: Gillian Mapp
For one day, Toronto was treated to an important educational moment–a rediscovery of what people mean by the term social justice. A photo exhibit entitled: Picking up the Pieces: A Series of Dalit Photography by Kahaniya injected a diasporic Indian consciousness into Toronto’s local arts scene. Kahaniya is an international organization initiated by Rakhi Mutta and Natasha Daniels, in which these young Toronto-based women connect with the Rural Education Development Society in the Tumkur district, two hours south of Banglore, India.
Kahaniya’s mission is to document, through photography and film, the narratives of women and children around the world. Their September 17th exhibit featured a series of portraits and images taken while working in Tumkur in 2008. In addition to the many amazing photographs taken by Gillian Mapp, Natasha Daniels and Rakhi Mutta, the night also featured a screening of a documentary short that illuminated the life of Najamma, a Dalit woman.
The Dalit people are members of the lowest-caste in the Hindu caste system, they are 16.6 million strong. Dalit literally translates to “oppressed” or “broken”. The Dalits are known as India’s Indigenous population having migrated from the African continent to found the Indus Valley Civilization. Check out V.T. Rajshekar’s essay on Cheikh Anta Diop’s scholarship on the cultural roots of the Dalit people for a more in-depth analysis.
The goal of the Kahaniya’s exhibition and documentary was to raise both awareness of, and generate funds in support of Tumkur’s Rural Education Development Society. The height of the evening consisted of a short introduction of the project and Kahaniya in general followed by a brief but engaging question & answer period. The night was a success, having raised awareness and almost $2500 from the sale of photo and individual donations. If you are interested in supporting the work of Kahaniya please contact Rakhi Mutta rakhi@kahaniya.org if you are able to contribute, either financially or through the donation of digital cameras, photo printers and or laptops.
