The international organization sees Brazil as a strategic base for promoting further integration with African countries.

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Rio de Janeiro – The Pan-African Council (PAC) launched its first office in Brazil in central Rio de Janeiro on December 4th, 2019. PAC is the premier global leadership organization dedicated to fostering cooperation between Africa and her Diaspora in the political, economic and social spheres.

In the Americas, the Council already has representative offices in Colombia, the Caribbean region (CARICOM), and the United States. According to the organization’s Chairman, Mr. Fabien Anthony, Brazil was chosen because of its strategic influence and for having the largest population of people of African descent residing outside of the African continent. Anthony highlighted that “Brazil prides itself on an increasingly visible and emerging Afro-Brazilian community that is reshaping its own perception and is positively recognizing itself in its ancestry. We believe that Afro-Brazilians hold the key to Brazil’s equitable and sustainable development and should be protagonists in the active development of their political, trade and social relations with the African continent and the Diaspora at large.”

Based on the pan-Africanist perspectives of Marcus Garvey, Abdias do Nascimento and Edward Du Bois, the Pan-African Council has developed a multi-stakeholder strategy to promote the integration of the global African Diaspora while strengthening ties and broadening the meaning of unity between Brazil and African countries.

PAC’s international headquarters are located in Kigali, Rwanda — considered Africa’s technological, educational and innovation capital. “In accordance with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, PAC works diligently to strengthen initiatives that enable people of African origin to be self-sufficient in their strong identity, heritage, culture and common values ​​and contributing to their own human progress, peaceful coexistence and well-being of the planet. Today’s young generation is confident that the fate of Africa and her Diaspora lies in their hands and that they must act now to shape the future they want,” affirmed its Chairman.

The launch of PAC’s Brazilian office will bring together numerous leaders and diplomats from various sectors such as the manufacturing industry, international trade, politics, entrepreneurship and the media.

Over the last week, I had the privilege of traveling to the South American nation of Colombia to represent Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communication at the annual Caribbean Studies Association conference in Santa Marta, a resort town situated on the Caribbean coast of that country.

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PAC Ambassador Kellon Bubb recounts his experience in Colombia’s “Chocolate City”, city of Santiago de Cali.

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On my last two days in Colombia, I gladly accepted an invitation by my friend James of who is of Caribbean descent to ‘buss a lime” (hangout) in the city of Cali, Colombia which is one of that country’s Blackest cities. I was excited to take up the invitation as I wanted to satisfy my curiosity about the side of Colombia seldom seen by foreigners, who tend to traverse the touristy cocoons of its major cities and resort towns on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. The two-hour journey to Cali by plane highlighted the vast geographical contrasts of Colombia. The tropical and very humid Caribbean coast of Santa Marta gave way to a very mountainous and temperate Andean Bogota, and a sub-tropical, Pacific region of Cali — replete with expansive valleys, and broad rivers which meandered through this densely populated city. After checking into my hotel and exchanging a few pleasantries with my friend, we ventured into the neighborhood of Agua Blanca on the Northeast edge of the city. Cali is 70 percent Black, but one would never know that to be the case because as a gringo visiting the town, you tend to stay in the Central district where the minority White population live in their luxurious high-rises with other trappings of wealth synonymous with any Western city. Dog walkers, joggers, five-star hotels, fancy nightclubs — the full complement.

As we headed North of the central district in my friend’s car, we whisked past several other “nice” neighborhoods: an endless parade of brown and black scaffolding encased new high-rise construction en route; political campaign billboards superimposed the backdrop of the oddly placed traffic lights at every major intersection. The city is currently experiencing a period of rapid economic growth and is on track to become one of the fastest growing cities in Colombia and perhaps in all of Latin America. We suddenly made a right turn and came upon Distrito Agua Blanca, the location that I really wanted to experience on my trip. In this chocolate side of town, elegant high-rises and heavy construction were conspicuously absent. Well- paved roads degenerated into a veritable sea of potholes with crater-like formations at every turn. The region has also been experiencing unusually heavy rains over the last month. The rainy season usually ends in April, and for many locals, this might be attributable to climate change. The red-bricked houses that lines the unpaved streets and dingy alleyways were covered with hastily constructed galvanized roofs, and others with sheets of ply board and the occasional blue- colored tarpaulin. As we dodged potholes, my friend explained that each section of Agua Blanca has its nicknames, Haiti and Africa. If you lived in either of these areas, you stayed put and would never interact with persons from the other sections. As an outsider, daring to venture beyond the main street onto the unpaved alleyways would be doing so at your own risk.

These neighborhoods in Agua Blanca has the dubious reputation having some of the highest murder rates in Cali. The-intrepid reporter and scholar in me was all too eager to take photos of the Cali “hood” but was quickly cautioned to keep my phone out of sight, as drive-by robberies by gunpoint on scooters were a common occurrence. Our almost 40-minute journey ended when we came upon a Black-owned hair salon run by one of the only natural hair stylists in this part of town. The owner is also a friend of James, and she specializes in doing Black hairstyles. The stylist, Mariela, greeted me euphuistically with a tight hug and immediately began to inquire about my dreads. As the conversation continued, I quickly learned that there is a growing interest by Black Colombians to fully embrace their Black identity by sporting natural hair and dreadlocks, and listening to Soca, Afrobeats and Dancehall music. This new stream of consciousness is happening against the backdrop of a Colombian media landscape where the only Black faces emblazoned on television are those of Black football players and the modern day minstrel character Soldado Micolta whose role was only removed after a recent protest by Afro-Colombian civil society. The figures on the popular telenovelas and news broadcasts are all lighter-skinned Colombians who reflect the country’s Eurocentric past more than its current racially diverse makeup.

Unlike the wealthier district where I was greeted with bemused looks for occupying spaces seldom frequented by local Blacks, the people at the salon and the nearby barber shop were all too happy to interact with a brother who proudly sported dreadlocks. The stylist was also curious about the types of oils, scalp treatments, and styling patterns that are in vogue in Black salons in the United States. I was all too happy to share my knowledge. The hair conversation for me represented a moment of pride and solidarity between two displaced Africans in the diaspora, whose ancestors were violently shepherded to different geographical regions to work as slaves for a racist, patriarchal enterprise whose legacy continues to haunt people of color across the African diaspora in 2019.

As with other Black communities the African diaspora, systematic neglect gave way to the presence of “ghettoes” and “shanty’s” in this part of Cali. Cali’s status as a majority Black city is also not reflected in its political and economic structure. In spite of these challenges, Mariela and others on her block have inculcated a spirit of entrepreneurship by starting small businesses. They have also gotten involved in the growing Afro-Colombian nonprofit group AfroEstilo which allows this marginalized population to tell their own stories, share experiences and celebrate their culture in a way that was not done in the past through traditional Colombian media. This new Black renaissance in Colombia mirrors similar movements in Bahia Brazil, Panama, and Honduras where African descendants are becoming more aware of their culture.

As we left Agua Blanca, I reflected on the shared history of Africans in the diaspora. Income inequality, structural racism, colorism, police and gang violence, and a plethora of other socioeconomic issues continue to define the collective trauma that may not go away in my lifetime. In spite of these realities, I still hold fast to Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream for post-colonial Western societies to truly reflect their democratic ideals. Black Colombia still has a long way to go, but they’re slowly but surely getting there. The new Black awakening currently taking place in Colombia presents opportunities for greater and more meaningful collaboration between all people of color in the Western hemisphere. It is important that we see ourselves as our brother and sisters keepers, as our struggles are all identical.

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The Pan-African Council proudly welcomes and introduces its new Ambassador, Ms. Kristen Hopkins, an international social entrepreneur dedicated to the holistic development of youth and young adults. As the Founder and CEO of Dangers Of The Mind, LLC,

Kristen has developed and implemented Social-Emotional culturally responsive resources in schools, Non-Profit Organizations and has brought her teachings to Haiti and Ghana. In 2016 Kristen became a recipient of the “30 Under 30 Award for Women of Excellence in Leadership”.

Her first book, Dangers of the Mind (DOM), has been presented through speaking, virtual coaching, Danger Zone Power Calls, a clothing line and more. She was afforded the rare opportunity to collaborate with Russel Simmons‘ event, for the Ethics of Understanding Foundation, in the pursuit of providing equality amongst multicultural future leaders. Kristen’s driving mission is to reach, teach and build a strong system of future pioneers that will be able to harness their internal power and catapult them into their rightful purpose.

Ms. Hopkins is a esteemed author of multiple books, a curriculum and intervention kit for In-School Suspension and youth dentention centers. As a result she has established a lifestyle brand, via virtual coaching, a clothing line and brand ambassadors that embody the DOM movement. Kristen looks to continue this work and be the voice of responsive resources for our disadvantage youth of this generation and beyond.

The Pan-African Council is committed to developing leaders from all sectors that uphold a strong ethic of responsibility and service to our youth and communities.

#AfricanDescent
#AfricanDiaspora
#Leadership
#YouthDevelopment

Pan-African Council Chairman, Mr. Fabien Anthony, was named one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) Global Top 100 in the Business and Entrepreneurship category, joining globally recognized colleagues, friends and leaders such as Robert F. Smith, Kendrick Lamar, Paulo Rogerio Nunes, Eiman Kheir, Yemi Alade, Colin Kaepernick among many others.

In support of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by United Nation’s General Assembly resolution 68/237 and to be observed from 2015 to 2024, MIPAD identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors from all around the world as a progressive network of relevant actors to join together in the spirit of recognition, justice and development of Africa, its people on the continent and across its Diaspora.

The Pan-African Council is committed to developing leaders from all sectors that uphold a strong ethic of responsibility and service to our youth and communities.

#AfricanDescent
#AfricanDiaspora
#MIPAD100

The Pan-African Council sent its first delegation to celebrate the Year of Return in Ghana.

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The delegation, led by PAC Ambassador Hassan Wardere and number of Ambassadors, included high-level talks with ministries, businesses and entrepreneurs, alongside a series of moving visits to Ghanaian schools and the slave dungeons of Cape Coast.

The trip concluded with new media alliances with the CEO of Ghana’s EIB network, Mr. Nat Adisi (aka. “Bola Ray”). The Council believes in connecting our black diaspora and creating its own narrative with strong social, educational, economic and political ties throughout the continent of Africa.

We look forward to a new era of partnerships transforming the narrative on Africa-Diaspora relations and creating avenues of joint prosperity.