Ghanaian/Diaspora Film from Akosua Adowa Owusu at the Anacostia Arts Center

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Accra, Akosua Adowa Owusu, An African City, Anacostia, Esosa E, Ghana, Kwaku Ananse, My White Baby (Me Broni Ba), Parallel Film Collective, Save the Rex, Zachary Rosen

Owusu at L during Q&A

After nearly 3 1/2 years of living in DC, I visited Anacostia for the first time yesterday.  The Ghanaian-American (she is the only member of her family born in the US and I understand she has a northern VA background) filmmaker Akosua Adowa Owusu was on hand to discuss 5 (or was it 4?) of her short films at the Anacostia Arts Center (sponsored by the Parallel Film Collective).  Esosa E, who I recognized from her appearances on An African City (which I rather enjoy, although I am behind a few episodes), sat directly in front of me in the audience.

Local blogger Zach Rosen, who first brought the film and Owusu’s campaign to save the historic Rex Cinema in Accra to my attention, was also in attendance.

The Q&A covered a range of films, although Owusu’s latest, Kwaku Ananse, received top billing.  Owusu noted that this modern adaptation of a Ghanaian/diaspora fable drew inspiration from the recent passing of her own father and her trips back to Ghana.  On a similar note, she added that My White Baby, was inspired by her sister’s experience immigrating to America and being fascinated by the texture of Caucasian hair.

Sierra Leone Independence Celebrations in DC

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Shaw, Sierra Leone, Station 1, Sumah's

Walking by Sumah’s (a very tasty restaurant Sierra Leonean restaurant in Shaw) this evening I noticed this poster for an event celebrating Sierra Leone’s independence at Station 1 in Silver Spring – which I am yet to visit.

I apologize for the declining frequency of posts – I have been very busy preparing for my move to Liberia.  I’ve even been to a few events (such as this one with Usman Bugaje at SAIS) that I haven’t written up.  Next week will likely be my last of blogging.

I leave DC at the end of the month.  I will plan to resume blogging in Monrovia, with a different angle.

Freedom House Africa Head on Kenya’s Political Trajectory

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Freedom House, Kenya, NED, Uhuru Kenyatta, Vukasin Petrovic

Petrovic at Left

Things have been getting very hectic with my impending relocation to Liberia (I’ve probably only got a few more posts left in me, although I suspect I’ll continue blogging in Monrovia).  Yesterday, I did stop by the National Endowment for Democracy for part of an event on ‘Kenya after the 2013 Election.’

Vukasin Petrovic, Director of sub-Saharan Africa Programs at Freedom House was one of the two speakers and the only one I heard deliver his full set of remarks.

His main theme was one of negativity.  Petrovic noted that East Africa is one of the least democratic regions on the continent and that Kenya’s governance situation decreased democratically with the election of Uhuru Kenyatta.  Petrovic noted that  Kenyatta has took stops to close ‘operating space for civil society and media’, modeled on Ethiopia’s moves to clamp down on opposition following that country’s 2005 elections.

 

CSIS: A Western Journalist Speaks on the Congo and a Former US Ambassador in the DRC Obliquely Criticizes Rwanda

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AllAfrica, Anjan Sundaram, Congo, CSIS, Nii Akuetteh, Paul Kagame, Rwanda, Stringer: A Reporter's Journey in the Congo, Tami Hultman, William Garvelink

Sundaram speaking with Hultman

I recently complained about remarks I heard by former US Ambassador in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, William Garvelink.  He spoke at CSIS yesterday at a book event for Anjan Sundaram, who has recently published a book on his experiences as a journalist in the Congo from 2005 – 2007 (he went there right after graduating from Yale).  I thought that I might be able to get another sourpuss post from yesterday’s event, but that was not particularly the case (at least in regards to Garvelink).  That honor went to Tami Hultman, co-founder of AllAfrica.

Emira Woods @ Women Ambassadors Conference @ Howard University

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Emira Woods, female parliamtentarians in Africa, gender parity in Africa, Howard University, IPS, pan-Africanism, Women Ambassadors Conference

Yesterday I ventured to Howard University to hear Emira Woods of the Institute for Policy Studies speak on Militarism in Africa, primarily through the recent examples of the Central African Republic and Mali.  The occasion for this talk was the 19th annual Women Ambassadors Conference.  The Conference continues today and tomorrow.  I understand that seven of the 23 female ambassadors resident in DC will be present tomorrow as well as the female Ambassador of the African Union to the US.

Abissa 2014 was a Blast, but I Suspect Georgetown has a Segregation Problem

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#Abissa2014, AfroBeatz, AfroChique, Alphadi, American University, Georgetown race relations, Georgetown University, Haile Supreme, Stefanie Palencia, University of Maryland, Vivian Ojo

Kudos to the Africa Society of Georgetown for putting on an awesome cultural event last night!  The evening got off to what seemed to me to be a quintessentially catholic school start, with two white guys in jackets and ties banging on drums, but the Georgetown Percussion Ensemble was pretty talented and things only accelerated from there.  The evening consisted of various fashion shows, dances, and even a little spoken word.  Performance groups from other local universities – American University and the University of Maryland – took the stage and I also saw quite a few people wearing Howard apparel.