Nmezi, a Nigerian-American, directs the District’s Office of African Affairs, which is coordinating the city’s Africa Festival, scheduled for Saturday. The event, which begins at noon, will be held at the Banneker Community Center at 2500 Georgia Ave. NW.
Tell me a little bit about the Africa Festival.
The theme is to showcase Africa’s history, culture and interconnectedness. We’re really focusing on a wider people of African descent. Aside from continental Africa, we’ll do pieces on Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Jamaican, etc., just to really show the connection of people of African descent all over the world.
What kinds of activities can people expect to experience?
We have an eclectic lineup of modern and folklore musical performances. We have an African-inspired wellness pavilion, where we’re promoting healthy living with educational and fun activities where you’re really moving and engaging. We’ll also have a children’s village with an educational component. We’ll have arts, crafts and food from the best cuisine that Africa has to offer.
The District has a lot of cultural events. How do you try to make the Africa Festival stand apart?
The educational component is one way. Behind everything that we do in this festival, there will be an educational piece. If it’s a musician, it can be tie into where the actual beat or the instrument originated. It’s always about really drawing those connections and really making those linkages.
The city’s racial dynamics are changing. How is your office helping African immigrants to handle that?
By our sheer mission and acting as a resource center and constantly connecting residents to different services that are available, we’re improving their quality of life.
What’s the future of African immigrant communities in the District?
The African immigrant community is actually increasing in the District. I see that the community will probably continue to increase, but that’s always contingent on what’s happening on continental Africa.
– Alan Blinder
