For All My Richmond Folks!!
Check me out this Thursday as I take part in this week’s VCU AFAM Community Lecture!! During this lecture, I will discuss what Afrofuturism is, how it centers Black stories, and how it evolves in response to the contemporary cultural moment.
It’s all going down Thursday, October 9th, 6-7pm, at the Richmond Public Library’s Main Branch, in the Gellman Room. Hope to see you there!!
I’m back with another day of adventure!!
So on today’s agenda, we did an excursion trip to the Bandia Reserve (which is Senegal’s first private animal reserve) for a safari trip. And let me first start out by saying I really appreciate all of the different types of safari’s that I have done because each one provides a new experience. Oftentimes when one does a safari you are in the natural environment of the animals (basically their turf), so they are nearly as accessible. This is partly because it is survival of the fittest. This one in particular provided a chance to see many of the animals up-close and personal.
Our reserve guide Malat was definitely on point!! He had all the facts down to a tee!! And he even had a few tricks on how to find where the animals were throughout the reserve. I noticed throughout the drive he would always look at the ground. Come to find out instead of using a walkie-talkie or cell phone, he went old school and tracked them by their footprints.
Now here is what you’ve been waiting on for this post…A few of the animals, we got to see we either had a chance to have a heart to heart or a very close encounter, check it below:
Now these rhinoceros are what I like to think of as gentle giants until you mess with their food. For the most part, they mind their business, however, we would witness one literally scare off some antelope during its feeding time. The one monkey next to him somehow managed to stick around probably because he was less of a threat with its food.
Let me tell you these monkeys have NO FEAR and will snatch your food in a heartbeat!! One snatched a slice of pizza and another a sugar sweetener packet!
Now who all remembers Zazu from The Lion King? Well, we got to see him and let’s just say the movie did a great interpretation!
We also got to see zebra, various antelope, crocodiles, ostrich, impalas, warthogs, and giraffes, and more…
In addition to the animals, I would learn a great deal about the Baobab tree. Let me just say…WOW… these trees are some resilient forces of nature!! They are considered a central symbol of Senegal and some of them can hold as much as 10,000 liters of water during the rainy season. These fascinating creatures of nature can live up to 1500-2000 years old. Their roots are very shallow and even when they split or somehow break, they still manage to grow even if it is sideways.
The above tree is a significant one as there have been over 600+ griots buried within this tree. Now you are probably asking what do you mean buried? It’s an extraordinary feeling to know that you are amongst a collective of storytellers who played a role in preserving the culture. Griots played a significant role in oral history making sure the stories are passed down through generations. They served as a vessel of resistance for those who were against certain religions and cultural traditions, and a way to push back against French colonization. If there was a problem in the community, the griots would facilitate some type of resolution and restore order. As a repository of knowledge it was only right that they would be buried inside a baobab [also known as the tree of life], that their history would live on just like the baobab tree.
The literal lived realities and collective journeys of ancestors can be found here. And you will see me repeat this alot, it is essential that all voices are heard, acknowledged, and recognized, especially those of the African diaspora. Far too long land and culture is stolen or erased. Thus, stories tied to the land become important. Our guide Malat would share with us that if a griot was buried under ground, there would be no rain. Sharing that in the 1960s, soon after Senegalese independence, the government imposed egalitarianism, this resulted in banning spiritual practices of burial, which forced Serer people to bury the griots underground. It is said that in the same year there was a drought. While I do not have complete/exact information on this, one can find a history of droughts causing major famines in the region throughout the 1960s.
Now you know I gotta drop some interesting facts for you:
As the excursion came to a close there were a few things that I did find very interesting…
As I close out for the day just wanted to share this joyful moment when some of the folks on the trip got a chance to purchase these AMAZING looking mangoes. And you would not believe the price… depending on the weight one could purchase 3 mangoes for what would be the equivalent of $1.60. Let’s just we would not even come close to getting that in the U.S. Gotta love supporting the local vendors. And don’t worry, I will check in with them and let you know how they taste.
Oh and speaking of money here is some of the currency that you would find in Senegal:
While the value may not be the same as the American dollar, the aesthetic (particularly African currency) is so much more appealing!!
Day 4’s post is going to be a heavy one, as we will be traveling to Goree Island which from the 15th to the 19th century was the largest slave-trading center on the African coast. It’s going to be a day that I will definitely have to further process and it will probably stick with me throughout the trip. But like Maya Angelou once said, “And Still I Rise!”
See you all soon!! Hope you all are enjoying the journey so far, and feel free to leave a comment below!! ~Dr. G
As we close out one month of celebration we continue and celebrate another one, Women’s History Month!!
Women’s History Month runs from Friday, March 1, to Sunday, March 31.
Similar to Black History Month, Women’s History Month started out as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California — Women’s History Week.
In 1980, the National Women’s History Project (now known as the National Women’s History Alliance) led a consortium of women’s groups and historians in their efforts to lobby for national recognition. By February of that year, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8, 1980, as National Women’s History Week.
While International Women’s Day, held on March 8, came first, Women’s History Month serves as an extension of ongoing campaigning to achieve gender equalitythroughout our world.
Presidents after Carter continued this proclamation of National Women’s History Week in March, until Congress passed Public Law 100-9 in 1987 designating March as Women’s History Month.
Every year, the National Women’s History Alliance chooses a theme to celebrate Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is:
This year’s theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.
Women from every background have long realized that an uneven playing field will never bring equality or justice. Many feel the critical need to speak up and work harder for fairness in our institutions and social interactions.
From Mae Jemisin to Frida Kahlo to Ruth Bader Ginsburg a number of important women from history are celebrated during this month, as well as emerging figures in the female rights and gender equality space.
So if you are looking for more information and ways to celebrate make sure to visit: Womenshistorymonth.gov, NEA, National Women’s History Alliance, and Womenshistory.org
On last night I had an opportunity to attend the 24th Black History Month Lecture put on by VCU Libraries. Dr. Shirlene Obuobi, M.D., a Ghanaian-American physician (cardiologist) and cartoonist, served as this year’s speaker, delivering a lecture/talk on “Narratives & Identity: Comics As Tools for Advocacy and Self-Reflection.” Talk about being hyped!! As soon as I saw the announcement, back in January, I was already intrigued… comics …. medicine….Black woman cartoonist and writer…YOU GOT ME!!
Dr. Obuobi’s talk touched upon so many important issues and conversations. Many of these included being a Black woman physician, her experiences during pre and post medical school, patient-care, the big picture of traversing the medical field, battling insurance companies, universal healthcare, and the role of comics in telling these stories. I have always been of the mindset that comics are one of the greatest mediums for telling stories, giving voice to the voiceless, and highlighting global and national issues. And to see the way that Dr. Obuobi incorporates many of her own personal experiences within the medical field really shines a light that is often dim. In many ways through her comics we are getting a snapshot into her career.
Not only was I thoroughly impressed with her talk but to see how she has been able to weave her personal and professional through a variety of outlets, everything from her regular contributions on “Well + Being” (via The Washington Post), being featured in the Medical University of Vienna’s Art, Action, Attitude/Body exhibit, as well as numerous academic journal articles.
As a self-taught artist, Dr. Obuobi is exuding #BlackGirlMagic!! Check out some of the panels below:
When I say I was in a total #FanGirl moment watching this presentation/lecture, just pure amazement!! The little Black girl in me was jumping for joy!! Dr. Obuobi’s lecture was inspiring, entertaining, engaging, and super informative!!
In addition to her work as a cardiologist, Dr. Obuobi is a brilliant writer, her first book a romance novel titled “On Rotation” hit shelves June 2022. Her second novel, “Between Friends and Lovers” is set to premiere July 2024!
To find out more about Dr. Obuobi, check her out on the following social media outlets:
Checking in with you and dropping some new trailers. Nice mix of genres in this week’s line-up.
See what’s new below:
Genius: MLK/X (Streaming on National Geographic/Hulu/Disney+ -February 1st)
Season 2-Halo (Streaming on Paramount+ -February 8th)
Imaginary (In theaters-March 8th)
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (In theaters-May 24th)
The Gentlemen (Streaming on Netflix-Coming Soon)
Madame Web (In theaters-Coming Soon)
It’s the last day of October but that does not mean the new trailers stop!! What better way to close the month than to showcase some HOT new trailers!! Check them out below:
Manodrome (In theaters November 10th)
The Killer (Streaming on Netflix November 10th)
Dashing Through The Snow (Streaming on Disney+ November 17th)
Stamped From the Beginning (Streaming on Netflix November 20th)
Season 5-Fargo (Streaming on FX November 21st)
Good Burger 2 (Streaming on Paramount + November 22)
Season 3-Power Book III: Raising Kanan (Streaming on STARZ December 1st)
For those preparing to celebrate Halloween, I wanted to share a recent feature that I am included in as well as my Top 20 Fave Horror movies!! Now while I’m not necessarily an active Halloween participant (anymore), I am a fan of a great horror/thriller movie!! On this past Monday I was featured in a VCU News article, “What’s your favorite scary movie? A horror film watch list for October.” The article features recommendations from VCU faculty, staff, and students on their favorite horror movies! I selected the 1992 classic film, Candyman! See an excerpt below:
“Candyman” is a classic example of how a film can and does eloquently have a conversation surrounding racism, Black pain and historical memory. This in many ways is what separates it from other horror films, telling the story of a mysterious Black man who comes back to life after being brutally executed.
You can check out the full feature here!!
In addition to the above feature, I wanted to share my Top 20 Fave Horror/Thriller films! You can watch these on Halloween or any other day when you need that horror fix!
Now this list is in no particular order, just simply a feature list:
So many stories to tell, so many viewpoints to share, and plenty of chills to crawl up your spine!! Try one, or try them all, trust me there is at least something for everyone!!
Been away for a few weeks, but I’m back with a hot new set of trailers!! Got a lot of goodies for you!! Check out them out below:
The Burning Girls (Streaming on Paramount+ October 19th)
Killers of the Flower Moon (In theaters October 20)
Black Cake (Streaming on Hulu November 1st)
The Buccaneers (Streaming on Apple TV+ November 8th)
007: Road To A Million (Streaming on Prime Video November 10th)
The Curse (Streaming on Showtime November 10th)
Leave the World Behind (Streaming on Netflix December 8th)
Wow!! What can I say about today!! Today’s journey was all about spices, the creation of Stone Town, and the history of Zanizbar from the perspective of enslavement. It was a full day, so much so that I was literally worn out at the end of the day!
So let’s begin at the Spice Farm…
Words do no justice, the pictures above speak a thousand words!!
I was in second heaven while walking through this farm. Sooooo much goodness in its natural element! I think I take for granted what one can do with spices, there is a wealth of ways to make use of these herbs, roots, and spice. They hold sooooo much value everything from ice cream, masala, medication, a baby wash to ward off spirits from when babies are first born, and in some cases pillow stuffing (Karpak very similar to cotton) and furniture.
More specifically, I would learn that cardamom can be used to help babies go to sleep or as they say “lazy their baby’ and be a mouthwash, or that a small amount of nutmeg can be used as a spice but a large amount is used as a drug, or even that before Black pepper takes on a black color it goes through three other color phases (green, red, white), and lastly the Anatodye is a flower that can be used for henna and to make lipstick. Simply amazing!!!
Following the Spice Farm we would would drive through Zanzibar City or central city to get to Stone Town. Stone Town is considered the old part and oldest city of Zanzibar. It would get its name based on the majority of the buildings in the city being made from limestone and dead coral.
Approximately 36 km from mainland Tanzania, Stone Town was known as the capital of the Zanzibar Sultanate and was a flourishing city that was the center of the spice trade and the slave trade in the 19th century. While not many residents live in Stone Town it still maintains its importance to Zanzibar, particularly for tourism. There is much movement taking place in the city, whether it is music and arts or bustling businesses and markets (see below).
The markets are open every day typically from 6 am to 7 pm. Just seeing all of the fresh seafood, spices, fruits, vegetables….oh my!! The markets were always busy, especially considering that when people came they were typically buying for the day. This makes sense especially if you are not able to preserve or have regular refrigeration.
Part of our time in Stone Town included touring the East African Slave Trade Exhibit, which was another eye-opening experience. While I knew that slavery took place all over the world, I was not as informed about the Arab and Persian involvement particularly in Zanzibar. Stone Town in particular would house one of the largest slave market ports.
It still amazes me how much is being uncovered globally as it relates to slavery. Every country has their own story…
I will say this while many folks want to write out or even white out slavery learning about the operations of enslavement outside of the US is mind blowing. People are still in denial or minimize this multi-year global atrocity. While slavery was abolished in Zanzibar beginning in the late 1890s, freedom was still a complicated process for those who had been enslaved. There were many obstacles faced, including the fact that most likely you were separated from your family and children, any land that may have been acquired was forfeited, and there was also the risk of being declared a vagrant, imprisoned, or sent to hard manual labor. In addition, to this it was also highly unlikely that the enslaved on the plantations were illiterate, which meant many probably did not even realize they were even free.
So much stolen and never recovered fully…..
Taking a shift left….
Before COVID-19 there were over 500,000 tourists who visited Stone Town, since COVID-19 that number has increased to 700,000. Much like many places, tourism is the backbone of the Stone Town, and Zanzibar in general, economy. Some other interesting things to note is the main tourists who come to Zanzibar include French, German, British and Asian residents with very few African American. But according to our guide KP this is slowly increasing.
In finishing out our excursion for the day one thing that I also noticed not just on the Tanzania mainland but definitely in Zanzibar was the doors. These were not just any type of door, but intricately detailed, made of strong wood, and could identify wealth. The larger and more detailed the door, the richer and more significant the person. While many of the details on some of the doors serve as decoration, during the British and Arab invasions they served as weapons to keep the elephants from storming down the doors. Also, not only were their decorations, but the carvings in particular at the top were etched with various symbols that served as a way to ward off bad spirits.
Just admiring the details shows how much work goes into each door. The pride in the craftsmanship is very much evident!!
I have never seen doors like this before, and boy do I wish I could transport some back to the US. Talk about one of a kind!!
And just a little humor to close out the day’s excursion, the bootleg man still exists lol even in Africa…
All in all, let me just say again how amazing this experience has been for me these past 8 days. So much has transpired beyond what I could even imagine. I cannot stress it enough the importance of traveling outside of your neighborhood, city, and state. There is truly a wealth of knowledge waiting for you to discover!
Tomorrow I will close out with some final reflections as I prepare to come back stateside!! As always I look forward to sharing!
See you then!!
~Dr. G
Today was a day of transit and rest! Leaving the beautiful and breathtaking Serengeti! As mentioned in previous posts the past few days have been unforgettable and will be embedded in my memory.
Now as we made our way to Zanzibar (also known as Unguja) we would board a plane that I kid you not could only hold 12 passengers and the two pilots. Another unforgettable experience…I literally was a seat away from the pilots. Talk about flying on a small plane (see below)…
Once we landed in Zanzibar I would have somewhat of an awakening. First off Zanzibar is actually an island province that is still part of Tanzania. So we were literally leaving grasslands and plains entering an urban city landscape. As we were flying over the city, the aerial views showed just how jammed packed the city is. Now while their is a similar landscape to the mainland, you can see a distinct change in Zanzibar. It is also very clear there is definitely a heavy middle eastern influence, as the majority (99%) of the island practices Islam, with a very small percentage that practices Christianity.
This would put things into perspective…when talking with people from the Tanzanian mainland many have expressed how the President is preferred to come from the mainland and have the vice president from Zanzibar. There tends to be different leadership styles from both roles. Currently the President of Tanzania is from Zanzibar (and is the first woman president) due to the President passing away from COVID-19. A example of the VP stepping in.
Another awakening moment was how perceived what Zanzibar would look like upon my arrival. I will admit when I thought of Zanzibar I pictured primarily beaches and five-star resorts or something from a spy action movie…think Queen Sono (Netflix), but there is definitely a deep history here as well considering during the mid-19th century as many as 50,000 enslaved people came through through the Zanzibar City port.
More to come on that in the coming days.
As stated earlier today was more of a day of transit and rest, not too much to report. However, I’m looking forward to a little R&R as well as making some more memories!!
Till Tomorrow!! See you then!
~Dr. G
Black Future Feminist 