The Dark Continent Comes To Light In Harrisburg

The Dark Continent Comes
To Light In Harrisburg

by Karen L. Wisotzkey

Have you ever witnessed the intensity of African Dancers? Have you ever been filled by the spirit of the African drums? Have you ever thought about the size of the African continent and how diverse cultures can be from country to country? Do you think of Jamaica as being a link to Africa? Have you ever studied a wooden sculpture from Africa and seen the story within? Have you ever known the symbolism of so much of the attire worn by African people?

So much of the history of Africa is inconceivable if you only seek knowledge from books. The natives of Africa weren’t inclined to write down their stories. Other forms of communication, such as drumming, carried information through the ages. Because of this, words alone, could never describe the richness of the African continent. One must experience the sounds, the feelings, the artistic beauty, in order to bring light to what is often referred to as "the Dark Continent".

For the seventh year, Ngozi, Inc. is inviting the public to join them in celebrating The African Family Festival to be held rain or shine at Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park on Sunday, June 22nd. This festival, which originally had been held at the Neighborhood Center at Third and Kelker Streets in Harrisburg, quickly outgrew that space after four years, when the attendance jumped from 3,000 to 8,000. The City of Harrisburg paid close attention to the growth of the celebration and offered a selection of alternative spaces to accommodate a larger festival arena. Ngozi, Inc. chose Reservoir Park as their new location three years ago to preserve the safety of the children as well as to ensure plenty of room for future expansion. In an interview with Rafiyqa Muhammad, one of the festival’s key organizers, she shared her vision for the future of the festival as a huge celebration, expanding far into the park with multiple mini-festivals taking place at the same time. With this year’s expectation of 20,000 to attend, that vision seems to be just around the corner.

The theme of the African Family Festival is "United We Stand: Reclaiming Our Heritage"; however, the main purpose of the festival is simply to bring people together. The festival provides a healing and building of self-esteem for African-Americans, but it also allows people of all races to become educated about the history of the African people in a relaxing, entertaining, and interactive environment. With many of the festival vendors originating from a multitude of countries throughout the continent of Africa, the public is encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to ask the vendors any questions they may have. This person-to-person education is a special chance for the public to learn the details that are often absent from formal education. This interaction also allows the public to become more connected with the heritage of African culture.

The day of the festival will begin with a non-denominational worship service at 7 a.m. until approximately 10 a.m. The festival officially kicks off at 11 a.m. when the fun begins. Rafiyqa admits that the festival hosts many local entertainers and artists, such as the Neema Dance Company and an Art Exhibition featuring works from MAAVA (MetroArts African American Visual Artists), simply to show the public that Harrisburg has much to offer from within its own community. Other guests include the Wo’se Dance Theatre from Washington D.C.; Caribbean music by "Unity," Professor Moses Powell, founder of Sanuces Ryu System of Jiu Jitsu; classical guitarist, Chris Blue; and guest speaker, Minister Victor Muhammad. Vendors from throughout the world will display their wares throughout the day in an African marketplace atmosphere. Carefully screened throughout the preparation of the festival, more than 100 vendors will bring a wide variety of artistry from many cultures that descend from the African motherland. You may notice that as the day progresses, the crowd will continue to grow, right up until the close of the festival at dusk when the positive energy is at its peak.

With the continuing growth of the festival from year to year, preparation and planning requirements continue to increase. With a core group of three, and now encompassing a team of about ten people, Rafiyqa expressed hope that more members of the community will become involved in, not only the planning stages, but also in the efforts involved in running the festival. In addition to the manpower support, the need for other types of support continues to increase. Although Ngozi, Inc. has some funding support, members of the community and local businesses will need to assist in supporting the future of the festival. Ngozi, Inc. is a non-profit organization, providing a tax deduction in exchange for financial donations. Ngozi, Inc. also offers a non-discriminatory clause - all members of the Harrisburg community are encouraged to participate. Other contributions may include assistance in printing, artist sponsors, food supplies, advertising space, sponsors for children’s activities, and any supplies for flyers and festival booklets. Bringing people together on the day of the festival is the ultimate goal, but it takes those same people to step to the plate and become involved in making the festival a true celebration of community.

The rewards of the African Family Festival are countless. Rafiyqa relayed some of the positive comments Ngozi, Inc. has received over the past years about how people enjoyed themselves, how impressed people were that everyone got along for the day. In addition people learned things they didn’t know, they were impressed with; the fact that there was no drinking or smoking; how clean the festival area was left; how the festival resembled a reunion. Rafiyqa’s personal reward is the feeling of giving something back to the community. After all, enlightenment and self-esteem are priceless!