Africa Day organizer Gwendolyn Ebron shared the history of historic African royalty inside the Fisher Park Recreation Center. Img source: whyy.org
May 28, 2024 Story by: Editor
For decades, Gwendolyn Ebron has been dedicated to enriching the understanding of African and African American history among Philadelphians. She has long been frustrated that mainstream textbooks often begin the African diaspora narrative only around 400 years ago.
“We start our history in the middle, [during U.S.] slavery,” Ebron remarked. “But we have more than 5,000 years of history.”
Through her work with Urban Intellectuals, Ebron educates children—and sometimes adults—about their heritage as Black Americans. She also leads a youth group in Philadelphia called the Sankofa Club, which offers immersive Black history experiences.
“The kings and queens of Africa have given great contributions to the world,” she explained. “But most people don’t know because they’re not taught in school.”
Inspired by this gap in education, Ebron and her friend, Philadelphia singer-songwriter Patrice Hawthorne, decided to explore the idea of an African heritage celebration beyond Juneteenth. They discovered Africa Day and felt compelled to bring it to their community.
“Africa is the cradle of civilization and the motherland so it’s something that we should definitely celebrate and not overlook,” Hawthorne stated.
The duo organized Philadelphia’s first Africa Day celebration on May 25, a date that commemorates the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Now known as the African Union, this coalition of African nations has a legacy of rejecting colonization and promoting economic development across the continent. Africa Day is celebrated globally, with the largest U.S. event held in Houston, Texas.
In Philadelphia, the festivities took place in Fisher Park, Olney, where attendees danced to the South African Afropop gospel song “Jerusalema” under the trees. The song, a metaphor for pan-African unity, was born from a serendipitous collaboration. It was composed by Kgaogelo Moagi, also known as Master KG, with lyrics in isiZulu written by singer Nomcebo Zikode. The accompanying dance, which went viral on social media, was choreographed by the Angolan dance group Fenómenos do Semba.
West Philly native Hazel McGriff, who had recently returned from Kenya, participated in the dancing. “I love line dancing, so I just jumped right in and picked up the African dance,” McGriff said. Her visit to Kenya, with Bethlehem Baptist Church, included helping children at a local school and providing them with custom bookmarks she created as a children’s book author. Through her own heritage research, McGriff discovered her roots in Ghana.
Philadelphia’s Africa Day celebration also featured activities for children, such as crafting African crowns, coloring kente cloth, drumming, a fashion show, a history exhibit showcasing African royalty, and a guest speaker from Nigeria. Organizers are already planning to host the event again next year. Source: Whyy.org
