Book Added to the Peace Corps Library

 My book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, has been added to the library of the Peace Corps in Washington DC. The director's message includes these words:

We will add it to the Peace Corps library where our staff and visitors can enjoy it.

I look forward to reading more of it as I find the topic to be very relevant and important to our work. I have already begun reading it, and it has reminded me of my own experiences in Togo, West Africa. As I was reading, I was struck by the section on eye contact. I really love the verses you included from the poem by Sufi poet Ibn ‘Arabi about the veiled woman and eye contact, and I got a good chuckle at your stories of misunderstandings—as I, as well surely all of us, have had many such experiences and misunderstandings.

The director's statement of how my book reminds her of her experiences in Africa is similar to what other Americans say about this book after their stay in Africa. Within Africa, the book is currently available in Tanzania from Soma Book Cafe, located in Dar es Salaam, and from A Novel Idea bookshop in Dar es Salaam and Arusha. It is available in Kenya as well, from Bookstop in the Yaya Center Mall, Nairobi.

My Book Displayed in Barnes and Noble

I visited the Burnsville Barnes and Noble bookstore on September 24 after hearing that my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, was on display as one of the books recommended by store staff. A store attendant showed me the shelf and I saw my book accompanied by the following recommendation:

Short and sweet. A wonderful read about the differences between Africans and Americans. I feel wiser to the world after reading this. -- Recommended by Dan.




There are countless books in a Barnes and Noble store, but only a few get to be on the staff recommendation list. I am humbled by the honour accorded my modest book.

This has been a great year for my book. A number of influential people have come out and recommended it publicly. I am not surprised. I knew, when I was writing it, that it would touch people because it deals with real-life problems. I thank all these people for helping me spread the word, as the saying goes.

My Faithful Nebraska Readers

A word from readers never fails to elicit my gratitude as a writer. A good word warms my heart, naturally. This week, I have stumbled across good news from the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They run vision trips, a program through which Americans travel to Tanzania "to learn about the culture of Tanzania and the ministries of the Northern Diocese."

I am pleased that, year after year, the organizers of these trips have recommended my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, to the travelers. The Traveler's Manual for 2018 says:

For those persons wanting to more deeply explore cultural differences between Africans and Americans, the book Africans and Americans by Joseph Mbele is recommended. This book is available at: www.africonexion.com.

I appreciate that the book is recognized as a useful resource, just as I intended it to be. Nebraska has always been on my mind as a place where I have faithful readers. A few years ago, I acknowledged them on this blog. I think about them, and all my other readers, as I continue to work on a sequel to Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, which I plan to publish this year with the title Chickens in the Bus.

An African Storytelling Event in Red Wing, Minnesota

On February 17, I went to Red Wing, Minnesota, to make a presentation on African Storytelling. The event, organized by the Red Wing Public Library and the Goodhue County Historical Society, was well publicized.

I highlighted the significance of Africa as the cradle of the human race, where language and storytelling began, together with other forms of folklore. The evolution of human consciousness and the capacity to reflect on life, the world, relationships, and values found expression in folklore. I shared several proverbs to illustrate this point.

Then I told the tale of "Spider and the Calabash of Knowledge" and "The Lion's Advice," both from West African Folktales by Jack Berry, as well as "The Chief's Daughter," from West African Folktales by Steven H. Gale. We spent the last ten minutes on questions and answers.

Although I had visited Red Wing several times, over the years, this was my first presentation there. Lindsey, Education & Outreach Coordinator at the Goodhue County Historical Society, planned my visit well. At her suggestion, I brought copies of Matengo Folktales and Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and people were able to buy them. That makes me feel that I left a legacy beyond my one hour presentation.

Minnesota Black Authors Expo

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On November 18, many roads led to North Minneapolis, where the Minnesota Black Authors Expo was taking place. I was there, as one of 40 authors presenting their works. It was the dream of De'Vonna Pittman and Jasmine Boulah to organize and host such an event to showcase Black writing. Working hard for four months, these dynamic ladies  pulled off a feat that impressed the many people who attended the Expo.

This event was well planned and seamlessly carried out. The picture on the left is the cover of the Expo brochure, which contained information about authors and their books.







Here De'Vonna is seen speaking, with Jasmine at her side.














Then it was Jasmine's turn to speak. These two hostesses warmly welcomed the guests and kept us engaged the whole time. There was music most of the time, performed by saxophonist Antonio Jackson.














People started coming to the Expo as soon as it was opened. if not earlier. I saw them when I arrived. I have participated in many books fairs, but the Minnesota Black Authors Expo was the one I liked the most.










What appeared to be space limitation actually fostered lively interaction among all of us. The sheer numbers of people talking simultaneously at the various tables, in seeming competition with the background music, produced an animated, delightful babel of voices which reminded me of  the typical African market as I describe it in my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences:

Crowded and noisy, the African market displays the vitality and exuberance of African life. The language of the market place is vibrant and full of humour....Like many other contexts and situations in Africa, the market is a place for building relationships (p. 95).

That African spirit of the Expo really warmed my heart.

The conversations I had with people touched me very much. These people genuinely wanted to know about the work I do relating to Africa and the African Diaspora. Several of them, upon seeing my Notes on Achebe's Things Fall Apart, told me they had read Achebe's novel.

One lady told me that she wanted to go and live in Africa. At first I thought she was just talking, but I quickly realized that she meant what she said. She wanted to move to Africa next year, and wanted me to tell her what she should do to realize her dream. I gave her some advice, including information about African Americans who have settled in countries like Ghana, Senegal and Tanzania. I promised to connect her with people who can help her further.









Here I am, at my table, with several of my books.
















Here I am with De'Vonna, who had come to my table and told me she wanted my "Africans and Americans" book.















This lady exemplified very well the spirit I witnessed during the Expo. She was eager to know about all the books I displayed and was genuinely interested in what I was saying. She bought a copy of Matengo Folktales which she is proudly displaying here.














Though I spent most the time at my table, of course, I did get to meet and talk with other writers. Here on the left, I am with Cavis Adams, author of Granddaddy, his first novel. We had an interesting conversation about our common desire for an Afrocentric focus in our works.

 Here is Penny Jones-Richardson, whose table was next to mine. We talked a great deal, having discovered that we had common interests, she being a life coach and I an educator and cultural consultant. She is the author of Thirty Days of Motivation: A Guide to Reaching Your Goals and Staying Focused.

Here I am with Rita Apaloo, author of African Women Connect, which describes how she formed and ran a networking group of African immigrant women.

My daughter Zawadi joined me at the Expo. She started accompanying me in these events from an early age. She knows what I do and is able to represent me when I am not around.

























At one point, Zawadi spotted in the crowd a lady she recognized as her older sister Assumpta's friend. She approached her and brought her to our table where she introduced us. Her name is Cali Bianca. We enjoyed our meeting.

The Minnesota Black Authors Expo was a great experience for me as an African who eagerly seeks to learn about African Americans. Teaching at St. Olaf College, a predominantly white institution, I decided, long ago, to broaden my American experience by reaching out to the African American community. I thank De'Vonna and Jasmine for helping me on that quest.

An Evening of African Food and Folklore

In the evening of February 28, a number of people gathered in Brooklyn Center to share African folklore. The event was a joint initiative of the Kofa Foundation and me, as founder and owner of Africonexion: Cultural Consultants. We wanted to mark the last day of Black History Month and to recognize the work of the Kofa Foundation.

The Kofa Foundation was started to support victims of the ebola crisis in West Africa. Africonexion promotes cultural awareness, helping individuals, institutions, and organizations understand and deal with issues stemming from cultural differences.



We started the evening with delicious food prepared by the Kofa Foundation. Then, I stood up to make my presentation.

As I have been doing in my recent presentations, I gave a preview of Africa as the cradle of the human race and civilization. I emphasized the significance of oral culture and its implications, to foster an appreciation of the ingenuity of non-literate people.





I illustrated African traditional wisdom through proverbs and two tales: the Haitian tale of Frog and the well featured in  Harold Courlander's A Treasury of Afro-American Folklore and "The Monster in the Rice Field," featured in my Matengo Folktales.





















Decontee Kofa, founder and director of the Kofa Foundation, seen in the photo on the left, hosted the event and announced that she would soon host a similar event. Lori, the lady in the middle, told me about the Transformative Circle, an organization that involves "diverse people coming together to foster greater understanding and appreciation for our community, cultural differences, and customs." She said she would like me to make a presentation to them.

I had brought copies of my books--Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and Matengo Folktales--and people were able to see and buy them, with proceeds going to the Kofa Foundation.

A Storytelling Event

This evening, as I had reported on this blog, I went to Brooklyn Center to make a presentation on African and African Diaspora storytelling. I had a the opportunity to express my desire to help illuminate the African and African Diaspora contribution to world culture.

In addition to mentioning and commenting on several African and Jamaican proverbs, I told several folktales; a Gurensi one, which I had told before, a Haitian one, and one from Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men. I did this to demonstrate how our ancestors thought about the world and the human condition.

The tales in Mules and Men that account for why Black people and Black women in particular work so hard harking back to the days of slavery, are particularly significant. They project with a touch of humour the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

I told my audience that I want to make such presentations in the future, not only on storytelling, but also on cultural differences, along the lines of my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. I said that my experience as a cultural consultant has taught me that there is a great need for on-going conversations about cultural differences in the world.

African and African Diaspora Storytelling: February 9

Countee Cullen, a major poet of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote a famous poem titled "Heritage," which began thus:

What is Africa to me:
Copper sun or scarlet sea,
Jungle star or jungle track,
Strong bronzed men, or regal black
Women from whose loins I sprang
When the birds of Eden sang?

Countee Cullen directed our attention to Africa, the birthplace of not only Black people, but the entire human race. As a folklorist and literary scholar, I highlight the fact that Africa is the birthplace of language and storytelling.

In the last few days, I have had great opportunities to share my views in different settings, such as the Nu Skool of African American Thought, and the African Roots Connection show of KMOJ Radio.
I have been talking about the role of Africa and people of African descent in world culture.

Along the same lines, on February 9, I will make a presentation on the evolution of story telling in Africa and its continuation in the African Diaspora, particularly the Americas. Come and experience the wisdom of our ancestors, how they reflected on the world, on life, human nature, and the lessons they bequeathed to us, which can help heal our broken world and reorient us along the right path.

Copies of my books, such as the popular Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, will be available for purchase, with proceeds going towards the Afrifest Foundation. Donations for the same purpose will also be welcome. The event will be held at 5701 Shingle Creek Parkway, Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, 4th floor conference room, from 6:00 to 8:00pm

For more information about me, visit Africonexion: Cultural Consultants or call 507 403-9756

Another Day With the Tanzania Program of Gustavus Adolphus College

Today I spent several hours at the Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center talking with students of Gustavus Adolphus College who are going to Tanzania on a study program. They have been undergoing pre-departure orientation, and Professor Barbara Zust had invited me to speak with them, as I reported in a previous blog post.

As in the past, the students, have been reading my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, and my meeting with them was an opportunity for them to meet me and ask questions.

After introductions, I started by commending these students for their decision to go on a study abroad program and experience a culture different from their own. I shared my own experience in the U.S.A. and the positive effects it has had on me, enabling me to be a bridge, so to speak, between Africans and Americans.

With those remarks, the conversation began. The questions the students asked, concerning appropriate behaviour, not only showed clearly how well they had thought about what I say in my book, but also afforded me valuable opportunities to clarify what I had written as well as what I had not. I did say, however, that I have been aware, for some years, of the need to write on matters I did not address in my book, and that I am working on that project.

This was another remarkable group of students from Gustavus Adolphus College. We talked for over two hours and were very pleased, as the photo above shows. Professor Zust is seen in the back row, next to me, and in the front row, on the right, is Pastor Todd Mattson, co-leader of the program. The group departs for Tanzania on January 4. For updates, visit withonevoiceTanzania.

Waiting to Meet Gustavus Adolphus College Students

I have received an invitation from Professor Barbara Zust of Gustavus Adolphus College to speak with students she is preparing to take to Tanzania on a study abroad program. She has informed me that the group will meet on January 2 and 3 at the Mount Olivet Retreat Center for their pre-trip orientation. I responded right away that I will join them on January 2.

Professor Zust has led this program again and again and has always invited me to talk with her students about cultural issues. Before our meetings, she has the students read my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences.



I always look forward to these opportunities to talk with Americans about what they should expect when they go to Africa or when they interact with Africans in the U.S.A. This is the work I do under the auspices of Africonexion.com

I have always been touched and humbled by what the students say when they are in Tanzania and after their return to the U.S. A. They admire and appreciate the hospitality of the Tanzanians, and they note how their experiences in Tanzania accord with what I say in my book and in our orientation meetings about cultural differences. As I reflect on all this, I tell myself: what a great way to foster mutual understanding in our world, which is increasingly becoming a global village.

Kenya Heroes' Day in Rochester, Minnesota

I returned this evening from Rochester, Minnesota, where I attended a get together organized by the Kenya Community in Rochester to celebrate Heroes' Day, popularly known as Mashujaa Day.  Mashujaa is the Swahili word for heroes. Kenyans hold this annual celebration on October 20, to honour their national heroes, from the struggle for independence to the present time.


I learned about today's gathering from Olivia Njogu, who is seen second from right in the photo on the left. She is a member of the board of the Rochester International Association, which organizes the Rochester World Festival. She met me at this year's festival, which I wrote about on this blog. Recently, Olivia read my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences and wrote me, saying how much she appreciated it. I am grateful to her.


This is not the first time I have attended Kenyan events here in the U.S.A, and I have always enjoyed them, as I have written on this blog. I had the same experience today. I had hardly parked my car when several Kenyans came out to receive me. It did not matter that I knew none of them. We introduced ourselves and launched into animated conversation.













This was a family event, involving children, young people, and adults. In addition to endless conversation, joy, and laughter, there was plenty of food and African music. Kenyan music touched my soul with gentle waves of nostalgia for the times I visited Kenya, starting in 1989.
















The ladies in the photo on the left manifest the cheerful spirit that permeated the whole event.




































Most of the people who attended I had not met before, but there were several who remembered me from this year's Rochester World Festival. It was a humbling experience to be recognized that way.

This was not a wholly Kenyan affair; even though I did not get to talk with everyone, I did talk with a guy from Nigeria and another guy from Uganda.





Having established a sizeable network of friends and acquaintances among the Africans in the Twin Cities area, I am happy to see myself doing the same in the Rochester area. As a writer and educator, I know that all this is good not only for me, but also, and more importantly, for the future of our African diaspora community, for Africa, and the world.

The Africa Network Conference: Denison University

This weekend, September 30 to October 2, I have been at Denison University, Ohio, attending the Africa Network conference. It has been a time of intense intellectual engagement and reflection, with about a dozen scholars presenting papers on various topics pertaining to Africa.










The topics ranged widely, including the importance of early African history in African studies, new trends in African studies, the use of exhibits and digital resources, quality in higher education, music as a bridge between Africa and America, classroom and community, study abroad, and the anthropology of multinational corporations in Africa.


The Africa Network conferences have the advantage of being relatively small, enabling participants to explore issues in depth and to their satisfaction. Another notable feature of these conferences has been that though the participants represent different disciplines, the presentations and discussions have always managed to remain accessible to everyone.



A recurring theme of the conference was the need to challenge ignorance and stereotypes about Africa. We know that we have to deal with people who think of Africa as a country, a relatively easy stereotype to dispel. However, there are also more insidious and stubborn misconceptions and biases, such as the tendency to see Africa solely or predominantly in terms of needs and deficiencies.

As usually happens in conferences, many interesting and memorable encounters occur on the sidelines. This conference has been no exception. In the picture on the left, I am standing with two professors. On my right is Stephen Volz of Kenyon College, who said that he is scheduled to lead students of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest to Botswana and is using my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences, for cultural orientation.

On my left is Kristofer Olsen of Montana State University. Last year, while teaching a course on mythology, he used my book, Matengo Folktales, and requested me to talk with his class via Skype, as I reported on my blog.

In his presentation to the conference, Professor Olsen talked about that class, noting that his students appreciated seeing me and hearing my singing of the songs in the folktales.

Tempo Afric TV Celebration

On January 9, 2016, I attended a celebration of Tempo Afric TV, at Jambo Africa Restaurant in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Tempo Afric TV is the brainchild of Malick Sall, a Senegalese enterpreneur based in the Twin Cities.

People from various African countries and the U.S.A. attended the event. With Malick as host and Josiah Kibira, founder and director of Kibira Films International, as master of ceremonies, speakers--including the keynote speaker Farida Nabourema--expressed lofty sentiments about Tempo Afric TV: the road it has traveled, its growing impact in the world, and its future.

Started by amateurs, Tempo Afric TV now produces an array of programs, embracing economic, political, social and cultural issues. It showcases Africa and the African Diaspora, channeling and projecting the realities, accomplishments, and aspirations of people of African descent.

About a dozen key volunteers were recognized and awarded certificates. The photo above, by Dr. Alvine Laure, shows, from left to right, Josiah Kibira, Petros Haile, founder and director of African Global Roots, and Malick Sall.

Tempo Afric TV volunteers are passionate visionaries, committed to making a difference not only here in Minnesota and in the USA, but around the world. They seek to counter the colonial and neo-colonial legacy of marginalization and misrepresentations, mindful of the fact that we have the means now, in the form of communication technologies, to tell our own story.

I am a relative new comer to Tempo Afric TV, having been introduced to it last year by Petros Haile, who interviewed me on issues pertaining to my book, Africans and Americans: Embracing Cultural Differences. However, having attended the Tempo Afric TV event on Saturday, I am more inspired than ever to fully involve myself in its work, so noble and indispensable.