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I have learned a lot about myself in these past almost 2 years I have been living here in Bamako. Although it is easy to type or perhaps even to say, it is no small thing for African American like myself to make such a bold claim and internalize its weight in the face all that may be trying to tell me the opposite.

Last year, after hearing Lorna Goodison, Kwame Dawes and Brenda Marie Osbey speak at Furious Flower 2014, things become a lot clearer for me, in listening to what they had to say.

I was particularly struck by Kwame Dawes’  presentation, in which he spoke about his “absence of angst”, “absence of divideness” , “absence of struggle and identity crisis” , with regard to who he is and where he comes from.

Hearing how clearly and resolutely he spoke really affirmed a lot of what I have been feeling and trying to articulate lately.

Later that same day I got a chance to sit down with Kwame Dawes to be filmed for the Furious Flower Archive, it was really an honor and privilege to talk with him. I hope some portion of that will find the light of day. After our conversation while walking back for another session, I started ruminating on the following quote by Kwame Nkrumah:

“I am not African because I was born in Africa, but because Africa was born in me.” -Kwame Nkrumah

This quote nailed it for me. I know some will find this problematic, or that perhaps that the Pan-African spirit that is undergirds what Nkrumah said is archaic and does not fit today’s reality, but I disagree. I think today more than ever we have access to so much more information about who we have been and who we are and that information used correctly can be empowering and perhaps build the kind of bridges necessary for Africa and America.

I have never felt more “African”, than I do today, despite being a “American” from the United States, by blood on the soil & by passport, despite difference, despite being called “white” sometimes (in a non-pejorative way…I think),despite only speaking one language fluently (our American dialect , not English), despite boarders, tribes & ethnicities, despite those who will not claim me, nor allow me to claim myself…I steal a/way, despite those who will claim a spot in my place, despite the magnetic black hole of the middle passage, where clocks run backwards, & the ark of bones left in that wake where time stands still…

I am clear. I am African

The post A Pan-African 40th Birthday Meditation… first appeared on Fred L. Joiner.

I wish I could remember this man’s name, i think his family name was Diop…The sand painting he is holding was done in probably 5 minutes. I probably should have taken a video, but I am quite self conscious about being exploitative or making the art and the artist feel like an object in my lens.

I have seen sand paintings before as finished products, but have never seen the process or materials that make the final product.

Below are a few photos of a quick “sketch” that Diop did to showcase the wide variety of sand that is used to give color and texture to these sand paintings. Every color that you see on the wood is a sand that occurs naturally in terrain of Senegal, from grey-blue to the volcanic black…

It took Diop longer to explain where all the colors and textures came from than it took him to actually lay down this sketch, which he actually considers a throwaway…beautiful stuff.

The post Scenes from Ile De Goree #001: Sand Painting first appeared on Fred L. Joiner.

I think these doors speak
for themselves      portals
to absolute otherwheres
on the flip side of the Black
Atlantic, where the long reign
of the upside down still reigns
&  those dishonored in darkness’
name are still looking for the light
of anything to explain the stillness

The post A few doors, windows and portals from Ile de Goree first appeared on Fred L. Joiner.

These are a few images from our day trip Ile de Goree, while we were in Dakar. I have mixed feelings about what I saw there. In some way I have glad that UNESCO has designated the island as a World Heritage site, but I am somewhat dismayed about how touristy and commercial the island is. I do understand that the this helps the local economy and does improve the lives of the people who live and work on the island, but I am still troubled by the fact that Ile De Goree is also a cemetery and resting place for those captured and enslaved there.

I have a lot more to say about what I observed, felt and learned, but let’s start here…

The post Scenes from Ile de Goree, Senegal (Dakar) #000 first appeared on Fred L. Joiner.

This is art inspired by “Le Force Noire” or “le Tirailleurs ” who were instrumental troops in aiding the French in their military initiatives in the early to mid 20th century. There was a group of these soldiers called the “SenegaleseTirailleurs”, who were particularly lauded for their, bravery, intellect and skill as soldiers…Wikipedia has a long, yet incomplete (and perhaps even biased) entry on the the Senegalese Tirailleurs , check it out for a primer, but I will post some more info about these soldiers that were instrumental in saving France more losses.

Obviously my favorites are the ones that use poetry or other stylized text to compliment the power of the image…

The post Random Art stuff from Bamako first appeared on Fred L. Joiner.