Contact:
Kim D. Jones, Executive Administrative Coordinator
ext. 178
kjones@spcbc.com
WHAT:
Maafa is a Kiswahili word used to describe great calamity, catastrophe, tragedy or disaster. Dr. Marimba Ani introduced it into contemporary African-American scholarship as a preferred reference to the period in world history, identified as the Middle Passage or Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. THE MAAFA COMMEMORATION IN NEW YORK is a coming together of our community to memorialize and honor the millions of Africans lost in the horror of what has previously been identified as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade/Middle Passage.
2010 marks the 16th year St. Paul Community Baptist Church commemorates the MAAFA. The focal point of the event has been The MAAFA SUITE…A Healing Journey®, a transformative theatre production.
WHY:
The MAAFA SUITE…A Healing Journey® is a spiritual and mental psychodrama aimed at healing our collective memories. It is a celebration that engages the entire community in understanding and embracing the legacy of the Middle Passage leading to a process of reconciliation and healing.
Racism and hatred do exist in our communities and recent reports of racial profiling and violent or fatal responses, disproportionate prison populations, and growing incidents of hate crimes have served to polarize disparities based on race.
This powerful pyschodrama is the beginning of a healing and educational process regarding an overlooked chapter of history that has affected people of all races and cultures, and a means of furthering our awareness of and efforts to undo institutionalized racism.
2010 Commemoration Dates (museum, production and lecture series):
September 13 – September 25
CONTACTS:
Museum:
Erica Townsend 718.257.1300 ext. 151
Speakers & Presentation:
Kim Jones 718.257.1300 ext. 178
MAAFA Museum
September 13 - September 19, 2010
A guided walking tour through the halls of St. Paul Community Baptist Church, which has been transformed into a historic look into the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Perfect for schools, students, universities, actors, community residents, etc..
MAAFA Suite... A Healing Journey - 2010 Presentation Dates
Sunday, 9.19.10
Monday, 9.20.10
Thursday, 9.23.10
Friday, 9.24.10
2010 Featured Speakers
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Rev. Dr. Lewis T. Tait, Jr.; Imani Christian Center, Stone Mountain, GA
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tim Wise, Author, Anti-Racist Activist, Nashville, TN
Karen Hunter, Journalist, Author and Publisher, South Orange, NJ
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Scott Christianson, PhD., Author, Scholar, Journalist, and Human Rights Activist, Sand Lake, NY
Dr. Edward M. Bostick, Master Quiltmaker, New York, NY
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Dr. Edwin Nichols, Clinical/Industrial Psychologist, Washington, D.C.
Dr. Jonathan Walton, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Dr. Ron Daniels, Institute of the Black World 21st Century, New York, NY
Tom Burrell, Author, Chicago, IL
