For those of you who think you’re too white to either attend or enjoy the African Family Festival, think again. Harrisburg, it’s time to get with the times before the new millenium arrives. 1999 is long past the days of segregation and the narrow-minded vision of “us” and “them.” One of the hottest buzz words of this decade is “diversity.” We talk about it in our schools, in the workplace, and in our communities. Sometimes we even go so far as to celebrate diversity! Or … is that just talk?

For the past eight years, Ngozi, Inc. has organized the African Family Festival in Harrisburg. From 11am until dusk, people gather in an African marketplace environment to browse vendor displays, witness a stage full of activity, and take something home to signify the day — even if only the memory of the experience.

“We want to share our culture with the community,” explains Rafiyqa Muhammed, one of the three core members of Ngozi, Inc. “This is a good way to network and interact with different people of different backgrounds.” The annual African Family Festival is a huge undertaking that shows Ngozi’s non-discriminatory dedication to teaching African culture and preserving African heritage and values.

Last year, the festival presented over 29 groups and over 80 artists to an audience of more than 17,000 people. With that number of people in attendance, be assured that there are activities to appeal to a wide variety of tastes — from international foods to children’s activities, and from performances of dance and martial arts to musical entertainment that ranges from gospel and reggae to rap and steel drums.

Naturally, this event is most endearing to African Americans. After all, it is a normal human tendency to seek out “our people.” The festival theme — United We Stand: Reclaiming Our Heritage — speaks clearly of the main focus of the festival. However, as Ngozi invites the entire community to join the celebration of African culture, people of all ethnicities should take this opportunity to learn and appreciate the rich culture that serves as the foundation for each and every African American man, woman, and child.

Even as we approach the 21st Century, people continue to waver between cultural integration and keeping a certain separation of cultural communities in existence. There may be no segregation laws, but society often shows the telltale signs of the silent boundaries that exist between black and white. Some of us openly engage in debates over equality, while others hide behind their refusal to acknowledge any difference between races. Let’s face it — diversity is real. We can pretend to ignore it or we can embrace it. But we’ll never escape it.

In a city like Harrisburg, which shows representation of so many races and cultures, a festival of this nature is one step in the direction of understanding the cultural differences in our society. By bringing different cultures together in a safe and celebratory environment, we can learn to share the beauty of our differences and appreciate those aspects that give our society its ethnic flavor.

For African Americans, this festival provides a day to bask in the richness of their African ancestry. On this day, the community gathers in peace — away from the daily life of social prejudice and inner community struggles of the ’90s — and away from a society plagued by years of ignorance and injustice. For one day, African Americans can experience the heritage that their ancestors lost when they were stolen from their homeland.

For people of other cultures, the African Family Festival is not only an opportunity to learn, understand, and witness the beauty and significance of the African tradition, but to see the strengthening of unity in the African American community, as well. Once there, it is obvious that the African Family Festival is really more than a celebration of reclaiming a past history or an exploration of the heritage that still exists throughout the African continent today — it is a celebration of life. On this day, the stage will be graced by the current icons of African America. The early morning non-denominational worship service will once again represent the deeply rooted faith that has preserved the spirit of the African people through the days of slavery and racism. African American writers will work hard to capture the essence of the pain of a lost heritage, as well as a hope and promise for the future of a people oppressed for so long. Young African Americans, like rap artists, Secret Society, will take the stage to prove that all hope for the African American youth is not lost — goals, dreams, persistence, and positive energy pushes them forward in a pursuit of greatness. Even off the stage, African American businessmen and women will display the results of hard work and victory over the years of denied opportunity to their race.

The African Family Festival is a day for African Americans to be visibly proud of where they came from, the strength of their ancestors, and their current accomplishments. For other cultures, it is a day to stand beside our brothers and sisters to learn, support, celebrate, grow, and show respect for the African American experience.

During this event, diversity has the potential to be more than just a buzz word, more than a theme, and more than an intangible concept used to describe such a variety of cultures. The African Family Festival, like other cultural festivals, can be the beginning of truly celebrating diversity.

This year’s Ninth Annual African Family Festival will be held in Harrisburg’s Reservoir Park on Sunday, June 27th, from 11am until dusk. The festival will feature performances by: Extremity (jazz), featuring Dred “Perky” Scott; First Trumpet (reggae); Secret Society (hip–hop/rap), Return to Goree, African dance from Senegal; Unity, Steel Drum band; Nathaniel Gadsden’s Writer’s Wordshop; Professor Moses Powell, master martial artist and founder of Sanuces Ryu System of Jiu Jitsu; and guest speaker, Michael Cooper, who will deliver the keynote message on the Pan African Movement.

Other activities and attractions include a non-denominational Morning Worship Service beginning at 7:00am; the Central Pennsylvania African American Art Show, sponsored by Inner Voices and October Gallery that will be held in the Reservoir Park Mansion; a wide variety of vendors from around the world; information booths; activities for children; and international foods.