Photo credit: Ades
The African Day Parade 2008 will be held in Harlem, NYC on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd from 127th Street to 116th Street on Sunday, August 24, 2008 from 12pm to 7pm
The 2nd Annual African Day Parade and Street Festival will take place on Sunday, August 24 2008. It will be a unique opportunity for the African Community and other communities to showcase their products and celebrate their cultures and traditions as well as sharing with the diverse community of Harlem and the United States.
The African Day Parade promises to become one of the most diverse African cultural events to take place in New York City. The Parade brings together Performing Artists and Cultural Groups representing Central, North, South, East, and West Africa. The breadth of the work extends from musical performances to fashion, design, art, folklore, dance, and live bands.
The African Day Parade is the brainchild of young African professionals from diverse backgrounds. These organizers saw not only, “a lack of representation on stages from the countries that comprise Africa,” but “an absence of African culture in American festivals and cultural productions as a whole”. It is intended that in the coming years, the Parade will become a forum for participating groups to share history and culture.
For more information visit the official website: African Day Parade
Ed. Note:
This was posted as an informational post, but the comments were getting too far off topic so I closed them. I apologize to anyone who wanted to have a constructive conversation about this topic.
iloveharlem
August 19, 2008
Now we getting stupid, see ya.
122nd
August 19, 2008
Though not tasteful some interesting commentary. Ironic how “I Love Harlem” is appealing for the suppression of speech, now that’s true African style politics illustrated.
What would make the African Day Festival or Parade or whatever it is real fun is to in the true spirit of a Bugs Bunny cartoon find a sacrificial White person and place them in a boiling pot with a few carrots.
Now that would get a few tongues wagging. Call it “gentrification stew”.
anon
August 19, 2008
um, i dont think obama’s father raped his mother.
iloveharlem
August 19, 2008
Hello moderator….
What kind of White supremacist racist crap is this? Is this UptownFlavor or Good Morning Kentucky? Dark black Africans and African-Americans are not beautiful? And what’s with the sexual undertones making fun of the rape of black slaves resulting in “different hues” Maybe hidden sexual inadequacy? And you’re way off topic again.
And you’re generalizing again. Did i say “all” the problems of Africa?
Anonymous
August 19, 2008
8:55am, so “the White Man” is responsible for all of Africa’s problems?
Let’s be fair and give credit where credit is due. The “White Man” also contributed a 50% role in creating some gorgeous looking people, like Barak Obama and Haily Berry.
It’s the WHITE MAN that we must thank for heloing to produce all the beautiful hues we Black people come in. Look at Beyonce, somewhere along the line you gotta Thank Whitey.
If you have lovely hair? Again, gotta thank whitey. Pretty eyes? Gotta thank Whitey. Give Whitey his/her proper due respect!
GDAWG
August 19, 2008
Hello?
iloveharlem
August 19, 2008
Moderator we should be checking these racist statements…
Still skirting the issue. Instead of being angry when your ill-conceived positions are blown apart by responding with more uninformed and ridiculous statements you should be more thoughtful in looking in the mirror for your hate. Similar racist and hateful statements can be made about any parade with its corresponding ethnicity. Irish, (please) Greek, German, French, Puerto-Rican, Dominican, Italian and on.
And… there have been many booths concerning the spread of AIDS. But of course, you never went so you don’t know.
And a side issue. Genocide, blood diamonds, Zimbabwe etc. are all directly or indirectly due to the influence of Whites from Europe in Africa. Look up Rwanda and the Belgians in your history book. Blood diamonds are on 47th street. There would be no Mugabe without a British occupation etc. etc. I’ll educate you more in african history if you want.
But again White supremacy is rooted in ignorance of anything but its own existence. As long as there is a nice apartment to show off for friends everything is fine in the world.
anon
August 19, 2008
Harlem, the Congressional 15th district is a majority Hispanic/Latino, not Black, and the Black population is on a serious decline.
Africa Day? Now that’s funny. I’ve lived in East Africa, they hate each other for the most part, Africa is very tribal ya know. Will we see some form of genocide at this parade? Perhaps a float of children with AK47s?
Maybe the Grand Marshal of the parade will be the Nigerian Prince who’s been emailing me for 10 years about an investment opportunity.
Between genocide, blood diamonds, corruption, Zimbabwe, HIV AIDS, Africa is a complete mess and hardly a monolith to unite around for any reason. again, there is very little love in Africa. just being real, real truthful.
If this African Day Parade has any legitimacy whatsoever, there will be numerous booths on curbing HIV AIDS, what is killing all of Africa. But will they do that? Nope, they’ll cook a goat and overcharge you for a 20 block cab ride in a stinky car.
Anonymous
August 18, 2008
Here we go again. If you can comprehend a simple statement you know what I mean. Address the issue, and not the semantics. But I’ll break it down, real simplelike.
Our country is ruled by a small number of people who hardly reflect the demographics of this country. The media is a very small group of people and they control information. A school, prison, company etc. is administered by a small group of people. An orchestra, and on and on…
The point was that just because the black population in Harlem is the majority does not mean that they get to set the ground rules on how anything is done in Harlem. If officials that run Harlem and powerful business interests were to decide that there would be no African Day Parade, there would be no parade. Just like if they decide there would be no drumming in Marcus Garvey Park, there would be no more drumming.
The “they” in this case are the people who would oppose whatever it is that the majority would want.
Why do some, I said “some” people always ignore the issue to deal with unimportant peripherals?
dave
August 18, 2008
“they” tried to get the drummers out of Marcus Garvey Park? When you generalize the disgruntled residents of one apartment building to “they” your argument loses all credibility.
Anonymous
August 18, 2008
To anon: First they try to get the drummers out of MARCUS GARVEY PARK…
If the “minority” has been successful so far, re: gentrfication, building height limits and so on that is not a bad statement. What the population of Harlem was/is/will be, doesn’t make any difference. What matters is who is running things or allowed to run things. And I lived in Harlem longer than you probably have. If enough newcomers don’t want the parade and they have the powers that be (and the profit motive) on their side, no more parade. Think before you write.
anon
August 18, 2008
oh please. only people who dont live in harlem think this is really possible. the population of harlem is and will remain well over 90% african american.
Anonymous
August 18, 2008
As things are going the whole parade may “terminate” in a few years.
narmer
August 18, 2008
Does anyone know if the parade will terminate in Morningside Park as it did last year?