OSU hosts talk on “Arts of being Yoruba”

The Department of African America and African Studies of the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio will hold a talk on “Arts of Being Yoruba,” a book written by Dr. Adeleke Adeeko, Humanities Distinguished Professor, on Tuesday, November 21at the Community Extension Center, 905 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. It starts 5.30pm.

Dr Adeleke Adeeko

The Guest Speaker, Dr. Tejumola Olaniyan, is Louis Mead Professor of English and Chair of the Department of African Cultural Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Yoruba are an ethnic group of southwestern and north-central Nigeria, as well as southern and central Benin in West Africa. They are estimated to be over 40 million people in total.

City of Columbus opens entries for MLK Youth Oratorical Contest

The City of Columbus has opened entries for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Oratorical Contest slated for Saturday, December 16, 2017 to students from schools all over central Ohio grades K-12 to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The contest which is being sponsored, since year 2000, by the Friends of the Community Relations Commission to showcase the rhetorical skills of the best and brightest students has as theme for 2017, “MLK50: Legacy of Love in Pursuit of Justice.” Deadline for submission of materials will be Monday, November 27, 2017.  Registration materials are available for download at www.columbus.gov/neighborhoods/events.

Participants at the event which will be held at the Fort Hayes Performing Arts Theater, Columbus, Ohio will be judged on various criteria ranging from voice quality and relevance and accuracy of content.

The three winners from each category; Primary (K-2^nd), Intermediate (Grades 3^rd – 5^th), Junior (Grades 6^th – 8^th) and Senior (Grades 9^th to 12^th) will go on to represent Columbus in the statewide competition in April 2018.

Also, the winners will have opportunity to speak at the MLK breakfast and afternoon celebration on Saturday, January 15, 2018.

Dr. Rosaire Ifedi: In the Saddle of the Ohio New African Immigrants Commission

Dr. Rosaire Ifedi

History was made July 21, 2017 when Ohio State Governor John Kasich appointed six into the New African  Immigrants Commission, and with the seventh added in September to join the Commission created in 2008 to have 11 members. It was established by legislation to among others “gather and disseminate information and conduct hearings, conferences, investigations, and special studies on problems and programs concerning sub-Saharan African people.”

The members elected Dr. Rosaire Ifedi as Chair; Comfort Kenneh as Vice Chair, and Ibrahima Sow as recorder. Other members of the Commission include Abass Bangura, Tariq Mohamed, Eugenie Kirenga and Mariame Diabate.

The Chair, Dr Rosaire Ifedi, an Assoicate Professor at Ashland University, Ohio and originally from Nigeria has been a resident of Ohio State for 26 years, married with four children. She spoke with the New Americans on the pioneering efforts being made to put structures in place to get the Commission going: -   

Appointment

It came with a lot of mixed feelings:: - happiness and kind of “Well, we’ve finally come to this point.” If you read the history of the African Immigrants Commission, it’s been a long time coming. It was actually established in 2008 but finally, with a lot of pressure and working with all those involved, it has got to this point where we are actually seated. That is why I said it was a kind of mixed feelings. We are very happy to have it now functioning; we are very happy to have it now set up and we are expecting to do what the law requires us to do.

Chairperson

Of course any chairperson will be in charge of overseeing, giving direction, and making sure the actual work gets done. That’s why I agreed to step into the role as stated in the Ohio Revised Code 4112.21.. Looking at all the aspects that need to be addressed, I felt I would do a good job as the Chair. I am providing the direction, making sure we are talking to the right people, making sure that questions are being answered from the governor’s side, from the legislative side, outside constituents and the members themselves.   Our initial work has been to set our own rules, set our own procedures, establish our media policy and put all the structures in place. That is what we’ve been working on.

Structures

There was nothing on ground. Resources, office space, communication, nothing was in place. Of course, it’s been eight years. People may have tried doing something in the past but nothing happened. And so they may have given up. At this point we have an office space, the governor’s office is assisting us with work on the website, with the Departments of Administrative Services (DAS) and Job and Family Services (DJFS). We are very appreciative of all the things they have been able to do for us in the past two months. We now have designated phone lines, office space and email address. We are working with other commissions such as the Ohio Hispanic Commission which has been in place for 25 years. They’ve been very kind to give us their guidelines, and we are looking at the things they have done. Also we’ve looked at the Ohio Asian Pacific Council, and their documents have provided some direction. As the chairperson, I’ve been putting these together and sharing with our community and making sure that things are moving forward.

Commission

Primarily, there was the need we’ve already identified for issues requiring special attention. Our job is to advocate on behalf of sub-Saharan Africans, follow legislation and how it affects us. It is to highlight the contributions of Africans in Ohio. We are going to make it more formalized so that our voices are heard. Of course we will advocate for people whose voices are still not being heard. There are people still trying to get jobs, houses, and businesses. If there are obstacles to their success in this society, and in the state, the Ohio African Immigrants Commission will work to make sure those obstacles are taken away. Africans are part of the fabric of this state economically and socially and we will ensure an environment that allows them to thrive even better and contribute to the wellbeing of the State of Ohio. That is our vision going forward.

Fund

There are some things you do because they are the right things to do. Speaking on behalf of the seven commissioners who have been appointed, as we wait for the remaining four, we have to look at it as setting a precedence. It is the first commission of its kind in Ohio for Africans. We have to go beyond what is in it for me to look at what it means to the whole constituency. What can this do? That is what is driving all of us, giving us the energy to just serve. As we get things done, there is an opportunity to have grants, an opportunity to receive funds from different sources. The treasurer’s office is helping to set this up.. That is not going to worry us right now. A lot of people will have to come in and have the mentality to serve. They have to want to do the right thing and what is good for the people. It is a long term goal.

Concern

We are still not fully constituted. Making sure there is an 11 member board is very important to me. We want to make sure the Ohio African Immigrants Commission is representative of the sub-Saharan Africa and of Ohio. We are looking to have more members from the northern part and other parts of Ohio. We are looking forward to get all the necessary voices involved in this endeavor. Once the website is up, we want people to engage so that their voices can be heard. There are only 11 members in the NAIC but there are a lot of African countries that will need to be represented. Especially because not every African country will have a seat on the NAIC, it is important that those countries are heard, seen, and represented: Malawians, Kenyans are all needed to engage with this work. I know we have the support. The            Governor’s office has been very supportive. We want to applaud the work of all those that have been there for us, helping the work to proceed: Directors Kacy Bullard, Blair Cathcart, and Dave Ward as well as the Attorney General’s Office.

Ajvar 5k Run/Walk Columbus: Giving back to “Macedonia”

By Tatjana Bozhinovski 

Tatjana Bozhinovski

So often, especially during the warm months, there are 5k runs raising funds for so many important causes. The run on September 23rd was very special to me. I was honored to have helped to organize the Ajvar 5K Run/Walk locally, an event that raised money for children with Down syndrome and autism in the country where I was born. I am so proud and thankful of everyone that decided to support this special event. I am especially proud of a young lady, Lauren Speelman, who volunteered to take pictures and write about the event.

Lauren Speelman is a junior in Big Walnut High School and is a member of the Yearbook and Photography Clubs, as well as the Newspaper/Magazine Club in her school. When I asked Lauren why she wanted to help with this event, she stated: “My Baba and Dedo (grandma and grandpa in Macedonian) both immigrated from Macedonia and I’ve gone my whole life hearing them speak the language and talk about their life there…This is my heritage and I want to get involved and have a better knowledge of where it is my family came from”. 

This is Lauren’s report on this 5K run/walk:

What is the Ajvar 5k?

The Ajvar 5k is a set of 5k walk/runs that go on nationwide. The proceeds from the run go towards children, families, and communities in Macedonia (a small country in Europe) where they do not have access to the same medical and financial benefits that are available in the U.S. 

When was it?

On September 23, in Gahanna, OH, the paths of the Creekside Plaza were blocked off in order to make way for the Columbus Ajvar 5k. The race began at approximately 9:30 in the morning, but the crowds did not begin to trickle out until hours later after the awards.

At about 9:47 the first runner could be seen in the distance, just meters away from the finish line. When the directors were able to get a better view of the participant they were in awe. Aleksandar Balalovski, a young boy, won the race with a time of 23:23 s. Last year’s Ajvar 5k Columbus winner was also competing in the race, Chris Gjorevski, who took second by less than a minute. 

What has it done?

The Ajvar 5k was founded in 2012 and has since been gaining more and more attention. It has previously raised a profitable amount for children with cerebral palsy, as well as sponsoring the 11th October orphanage in Macedonia. The 2017 campaign is focusing mainly on an organization by the name of Vera, which focuses on aiding children with Down syndrome and autism. This is where all of the proceeds collected in Columbus will go to.

Why haven’t I heard about it?

The Ajvar 5k is still a relatively new affair. To gain more recognition they have just recently made efforts to establish themselves on the social media front. There is currently a Facebook page that increases in followers every day. Though not widely known the 5k had an unexpected outcome in participant registrations and overall attendance. People came not only for the run or for the cause, but also to make and interact with people of similar backgrounds. A person passing by would not think that the many of these people had not met prior to this day. The sounds of laughter and conversations (in the native Macedonian tongue) filled the streets. If you were to close your eyes you would think you were in Macedonia at that very moment.

How Can I Get Involved?

The Ajvar 5k website (http://www.ajvar5k.com/about.html) shows all of the remaining races and registration dates that are left for this year. You can also gain access to this information by following and keeping up with the Ajvar5k/UMD social media sites.