On Course With LaRue Temple-113th U.S. OPEN

 By Karimu Hamilton

 

There was a tinge of excitement everywhere in Ardmore P.a. The Norristown High-Speed Line was jammed pack with middle aged men and some women in khaki shorts, skirts or pants, white visors and a rainbow assortment of polo shirts. Business boomed for residents and local businesses of the region alike.  The 113^th U.S. Open was held in the suburban region of Pennsylvania on the Main Line and every one was excited. “Oh I can’t really explain it…” Dale Venable of Dales Beauty Salon Reflects; “but there was a sense of excitement in the air, it would have been even better if Tiger Woods had won.” She giggled. “My daughter”, another main liner beams as she walks up Lancaster avenue actually secured a Job at the U.S. Open for the week, she sold concessions and  this was a perfect way for her to start her summer.’ These are the type of stories that are being told; generously sprinkled throughout the Main Line regarding the past U.S. Open Event in Lower Merion, Ardmore, Pa last week. The local story however that has had a lasting impact is of Temple Larue, a young gentle man, a North Philadelphia residents who works at The Merion golf course;  was solicited to  be the caddy for golfer Michael Kim at the U.S. Open. “The Caddy has knowledge of the course; he assists the golfer around the details of wind factors, club and shot selection, distance and textures.” “The caddy is sort of like an assistant or guide to the golfer.” Larue explains. Growing up Larue was a huge fan of baseball. His mother would take him to the games during the season and he would always stay after the game to get autographs of his favorite players. “There is a click of the same people that always hang around after the game to get autographs of players and that’s when I met a woman named Lisa Jinn who recommended me to work at the Merion Golf Club.” Larue has been working at The Merion Golf for 16 years. “It has been a great journey working at The Merion, you have to have discipline, be able to withstand the heat and carry heavy golf bags.” “It was an amazing experience to work with Michael Kim.” He was a great player, actually a stellar player and very easy to work with.”” We had a lot of fun on the course we were working but we were also cracking jokes.” Larue is a big fan of Tiger Woods. “Well Merion is tough and Tiger he wasn’t prepared, I think that a lot of players undermined The Merion and were just not able to gain harmony with the course.” Larue reflects. Larue is definitely a gentleman, he has an excellent work ethic, he also works as and has a passion D.J ing, and he is a bartender. He does enjoy playing golf for leisure and believes that working at The Merion Golf course is a good place for him to be, he is surrounded by successful entrepreneurs and businessman and being in that environment has place him on course.

COMMUNITY UNITY

1100 Block of Wilton Street Moving On Up

grant larry palmer block captain

Through the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee

The Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee is a community based initiative designed to encourage and support residents in gaining control of their immediate environment. This is implemented through a series of city wide agencies such as The Office of Sustainability which explores food, energy and greening initiatives. The Office of Neighborhood Services through their Community Life Improvement Program CLIP addresses graffiti, abandoned buildings, lots and overall sanitation issues and finally ,The Office of Community Services which provides Philadelphia residents with Omni –gender and age,family ,education and employment services. Last week Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee PMBC hosted its annual clean block contest. The contest is held after a seasonal city wide cleaning schedule. The Program is designed around short term projects that require a neighborhood leader or Block Captain and participating residents or Block Association. The 1100 block of Wilton Street in South West Philadelphia is a participant this year. Grant Larry Palmer like most residents on this street is a home owner and a second generation resident. “As block captain” he expresses proudly, “I intend to take full advantage of the resources the City of Philadelphia has made available to us.” “I would like to restore the block to its original state where all of the houses have the Corinthian style columns and lamp post that light the street.” ”I was raised on this block and this was my mother’s house.” Larry explained as he passed out supplies of push brooms, paint and paint brushes to his neighbors.” “Its Judgment day and the sensation of community pride are infectious.  School is out thus, the children ride their bikes up and down the side walk with anticipation of a special surprise.  Elderly women hustle and bustle to arrange tables and table cloths with tin foil pans toppled over with southern based comfort foods like fried fish, chicken, kale and collards, string beans, sweet potatoes, cole slaw, upside down cake and sweet potato pie. Judges look on beaming and impressed with the strong sense of unity that is exhibited among the block residents.  Wanda Jones an administrator for The Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee explains, “The block is judged on several different aspects. “Community involvement, the history of the block, block unity, cleanliness and beautification projects.” “Resident community involvement and awareness is key components to the success of block beautiful contestants.” Wanda Jones reiterates. The bouncer has arrived, an antiquated Philadelphia trolley is parked at the end of the street and soul music is playing. The judges of this contest detail a cross demographic of civic leaders from former block captains, elected officials, church leaders and even other city agency administrators. Essentially individuals who have made an impact through demonstrating strong leadership and organizational skills are qualified to judge in this contest. Tara E. Smith a community support specialist under the Town Watch integrated service divisions and also functioning as one of the judges for the contest states” I have a lot of respect for block captains and their ability to enroll the community, taking into consideration everyone’s busy schedule it really is an accomplishment for blocks to enter the block beautiful contest.” Also as an liaison for the South West division of Town Watch the competition is an excellent promotional There is a great since of accomplishment amongst the residents this afternoon. The Block Beautiful contest can be considered a stepping stone, grooming neighborhoods to explore and secure other neighborhood development projects like planting trees, home weatherization,healthy food initiatives and implementing a community business improvement district. City wide initiatives and support systems partnered with concerned organized residents is the recipe for sustainable communities.  karimu abena hamilton

melissa maddonni haims Yarn Bombing -oooOO ahh ohhh....

this is called breast strokes.....
originally created in 2010 for a show whose focus was on breast cancer awareness month.
ps. since my mom died of breast cancer on january 7, 2008.
she taught me how to knit and crochet a number of times during my life, but it really stuck right before she died. 

read: i've never really created anything with needles or hooks until 2007.

and without her i probably never would have. 









i have always had a very deep respect for transformative art. i am inspired by those who can take materials from their immediate environment and create or capture a moment that brings forth joy. Melissa Madonna Haims was born and raised in norristown pennsylvania. her father was an excavating contractor which entails digging and preparing sites for construction. her mother Theresa Maddoni was a craft artist. in fact both her paternal and maternal grandparents worked with fabrics in the context of knitting, crochet and sewing. hence, Melissa growing up had been influenced by creativity. as a young adult she studied at the Parsons school of Design where she received a degree in fine arts and marine affairs. she has worked in new York for several years as an established installation artist. this role would entail going to a gallery space and transforming the space with art. she also had a long standing career as an Interior Designer for the carpet industry managing large accounts in the states and abroad within corporate sector. not too long ago her mother passed away and she began to work on her unfinished knitting projects. diligently one by one as her mother’s spirit quietly guided her. one day she wasn't quite sure what to do ...with one of her mother’s projects and she decided she would make something else. maybe the piece became a soft sculpture or a component to a mixed media fixture ...melissa was evolving and had progressed as a fiber artist. she began working with fibert art genres described as; yarn bombing which involves crocheting or knitting on existing public or private structures, hyperbolic crochet entails applying a mathematical approach to crochet patterns, mixed media pieces and soft sculpture. melissa is an active member of the 3rd street gallery, a cooperative gallery in old city. she is on the executive team for Fiber Philadelphia 2012, a city wide festival exploring the fiber arts. currently melissa has made a shift and is working as an independent artist. this allows her to spend more time with her daughter and husband and though she truly enjoyed working as an employee, there has become such a demand for her art work that she must focus on writing grants, securing commissions and building her business. i see symbolism in the act of yarn bombing ....visualize and actively bring your dreams to life. karimu abena hamilton







 

 





knit graffitti

 

 







MADIA WILLIS -BiriBelle

vintage influence with afro fusion 

do you know about the african goddess? Ok there is  the european goddess,the indian goddess, the asian goddess,the american goddess,  the  african american goddess to name a few.... and then there the the African Goddess. depending on the region there will be variances or differences but there is a characteristic of the African Goddess that is finite. .powerful. you can  reference contemporaries such as  iman, issa rae  les nubians , ngozi odita, dambisa noyo, chimamanda adichie, or you can explore african antiquated goddess such as  nandi zulu, cleopatra, nzingah ,yaa asatewa.  when they strike... they make a mark. this is locally, at war, in politics or in business, when the african goddess is around you will feel her and she will make an impact. Madia Willis born and raised in America by her Liberian parents is one of the next leading emerging Internationally positioned textile designers. She attended Columbia Univercity as a Political Science Major with a concentration in International Relations with the intentions of going to Law School. During her Junior year at Columbia, she studied abroad in Ghana and that is where she cultivated a strong interest in design and transforming materials in her immediate environment into pieces of art. she then decided that she would transition from political science to her love of textiles and design. After graduating Madia took on a job as an admission director for at an elite private school . The income from her position she used to develop her business. She maintained her relationships  in Ghana and began manufacturing her line from the continent. She collaborated with a group of artist and formed a designers collective called Dekka. "A seamstress has more technical skills in the context of measurements, cuts, folds,..." but the designer and seamstress should work well together. I am a designer she informs me not a seamstress. "My first seamstress was from Syria and she was extremely instrumental in assisting me in bringing forth my vision" '...Madia recollects. Her business was growing and expanding. she quit her day job to pursue a masters and "develop a full understanding in regards to the principals of  design."some of the components includes" size, lines,shapes color and texture." madia explains. This summer as a result of her pursuit and demonstration of excellence she was chosen to participate in paid internship with TARGET designing patterns and prints for their women's clothing line. In terms of how Madia defines her own clothing line she would describe it as fusing traditional West African fabrics with vintage and bohemian style. BiriBelle represents" the smart, sophisticated, well traveled, confident, and cultured woman who transcends racial and social barriers."

a dress that Madia was working on for a Ms. Liberia in a college pagent

The above piece explores MADIA WILLIS in Political and artistic form; her interpretation through design of the Trayvone Martin Case... 
"I decided to do a collection of prints centered around the Trayvon Martin Case and what I perceive to be the performative nature of justice in America." My assignment was titled "What's in the air?"

da drummer

growing up in harlem; i had african dance class,african sprituality class,african history class, african heritage afterschool class. african rites of passage class.. .soo as you can imagine the drum was a familiar object for me. however,not until i hit the jazz scene and met and socialized with live musicians did i begin to cultivate an understanding of the power of the drum. i understood later on that a drum beat was only as powerful as its drummer and that was only after i dated one. master drummers are the care takers of the beat, the drummer contains the rhythm and keeps all other notes and musical functions aligned. it is the base and foundation of the melody. this particular drum circle gathered at clark park in philadelphia. there are two different types of drums featured here conga and djembe both deriving from africa and influencing world music of the caribbean and latino cultures. come join me for a brief moment with the drummers k.abena

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drummers in clark park

Dessert

tonight i had an ice cream party. i served vanilla ice cream and with the option to top with whipcream, blackberries, rasberries, chocolate syrup and the delicious peanut butter cups that i brought from reading terminal. i decided to serve dessert on my mother's antique cut crystal glass, with silver spoons and white linen napkins.  my grandfather spencer lee gettys looved dessert  and loved vanilla ice cream so i added a picture of him for a special touch. karimu abena hamilton

dessert in mommies pretty cut glass

pretty white linen napkins

fresh berries

STYLE

  

STYLE: The way in which something is said,done expressed or performed or a combination of artisitic expression or performance characterizing a particular person,group,school or era., distinctive features.

my mother at times would suck her teeth at me when i would dress as a teenager and complain ..you go to school in the village...where is your sense of styyyyle karimu...?! Style is not about matching everything...style is about taking risk my mother would advise.. step outside of the box try not to look so common.... i saw orunduns daughter djassi and she had style  she had her hair out and i can't remember what she had on but it was stylish.... she would snap and then go back to reading the new york times....i would sigh and go back to my room and rummage through my closet then dig up an african print head wrap or change my shoes to boots or put on a straw hat and then walk back into the living room...better. my mother would praise. today as i skim through  childhood pictures of myself, i really do appreciate the way my mother dressed me. i see peter pan collars, ruffle dresses, up do hair styles, opaque stockings and thick black shoes. as a child i thought that it was very mean for my mother to dress me that way ..i always wanted a bang and shiny mary janes but( i  would have to rely on mama my grandmother to buy me those) in the end i was cute.among many things mommy had an excellent fashion sense.

Today riding on the train I ran into two women that i thought were stylin and i just haad to stop them and take pics and find what some of there secrets were. as you will see in the pictures both topics are two very different people of race, socio and economic backgrounds but their intepretation of cool and comfortable are similar. meet Loretta Kurlich and Charday Bullock.  take a look and tell me what you think. karimu abena hamilton

  Loretta Kurlich


loretta looking very cool.

 









pose

 










shoe game

 




love the costume jewelry and beads


CHARDAY BULLOCK

 


shes cute right,

strike a pose

pretty earrings

i like the hair tooo.

shoe game



Indian Food One Of My Favorites

i indulged in a delicious lunch today at Tandoor

TANDOOR RESTAURANT 

Tandoor Oven

 Today for lunch I had a delicious meal at Tandoor a local Indian Restaurant located in the heart of Philadelphia's University City. The name Tandoor refers to the ancient traditional clay ovens that are used in India and other eastern parts of the world. It is Cylindrical in form and heat is generated from the Tandoor oven by charcoal or wood. Because clay is a conductor of heat the oven remains hot for long periods of time and allows you to cook larger amounts of food longer.  I enjoy Indian food, it is very similar to dishes prepared in Africa, The Caribbean and even southern regions of the United States.  When eating Indian food your taste buds are going to experience flavors like; cumin,cloves,curry,fennel,bay leaves and paprika to name a few. Today I indulged at the Tandoor buffet and filled my plate with basmati rice, lentils, curry chicken, lamb,  vegetable samosa and a fresh green salad...karimu abena hamilton

Tandoor Oven

cool natural hair style

pretty simple cornrowed and twist up do

being and raised in harlem by a collective of conservative afrocentrists, i was not aloud to wear a perm or process my hair. we were taugth to love our hair in its natural state and to be proud of its wolly texture as my mother would suggest. now of course as i matured , i began to explore wearing my hair in weaves and wigs, i enjoy the versatility. but there is nothing like finding joy in managing your own natural hair.

i was on my way to Reading Terminal of Philadelphia and ran into Deirdra Church. Dierdra Church works with an organization called Food Trusts as a Projects Assistant. As a Project Assistant she is responsible for bringing nutrtional awareness to food providers or grocery stores in low income communites. Dierdra enjoys her job and wearing her hair natural in simple styles which she says should last for about three weeks.......karimu abena hamilton

In a recent interview with rolling out, Rae discussed the inspiration for the series and what it means to be an awkward black girl. –karimu abena hamilton

http://rollingout.com/entertainment/awkward-black-girl-shares-how-to-take-your-entertainment-business-online/

jazz and the musical gods and goddess..st.nicks pub

musical goddess TreZure empire

MY FIRST EXPEREINCE WITH JAZZ AND THE MUSICAL GODDESS

this woman here is one of the first artists to assist me in cultivating the term musical goddess. my extended journey into the musical realm began for me late in life. pause... rewind. i believe myself to be extremely well acculturated in various genres of african american art forms. i was been born and raised in harlem by parents  who were serious afrocentrists, artist and civil rights activists.  i was working at a book store cafe named hue man and was extremely bored and felt completely exploited. i was an excellent saleswoman.thus, i was pretty much earning the salary of myself and co-workers every day and was tremendously bored and disappointed,,, with my life.... the gentrification process of harlem and black culture. with hip-hop being completely materialized and exploited, i felt like there was no hope and was pretty much done with harlem, done with black culture.... done with america and essentially ready to leave the country. ready to  experience something new, fresh and spiritual. it was actually a consistent prayer of mine that i be removed from this culture of america. i could no longer stand it. one day, a man by the name of Vincent Lampkin walked through the door.  I knew him from the streets of harlem, he was always promoting his venue st.nicks pub...a jazz club and he had invited me on several occasions to work for him. " no" i would respond "i am hip-hop"..."i am hip-hop not jazz."  i would say defiantly..... and he would shake his head and just walk away. well one day he came into hue-man book store and i urged him over to the cafe counter." please," i begged him "please get me out here," " i need a job." i am miserable and this place sucks," i whispered and giggled.  "okay it’s not much money...it’s a jazz club and you will be serving drinks and if your good ...you'll get good tips...see you on Thursday at 8p.m.." he informed me  "okay” i replied relieved.

that night i put on a dress and went to work. when i walked through the door i was traumatized and frightened. i had been around and experienced street culture but THIS environment and its participants were unfamiliar and i was afraid. vincent disappeared and a man named floyd appeared he told me he was security. it was dark, dim there were a lot of men and there was a woman walking around in a cat suit, a mask and a whip in her hand. the crowd was old school and there was heavy smell of liquor. i saw white men , black men and toothless women. it was a matrix that i had never entered before.... i had been set up and i knew it. "what’s ur name?" Floyd inquired. my mouth was glued shut.... i was speechless, my heart was racing and i was looking for a way out. i heard music but could not hear. my third eye was focused on the density of the souls that i had encountered. he proceeded to show me around... i needed space... he opened the door to the backyard , the heavy metal door opened with a slarge squeak attached to it and closed with a giant slam..."this is karimu" he yelled to the patrons "our new cocktail waitress." every one kind of looked up in syncopation with out saying a word and in that same rhythm went back to what they were doing.  "is this the bathroom i whispered." choking back tears. "yes go ahead." he answered. "I’ll be right here."he consoled. i went into the bathroom and wept. mommy is going to be soo upset with me i cried big tears, i was not raised to be in this type of environment." i cried, i believed that i had been set up. i got off my knees done with my prayer for help and protection and opened the door. "why are you crying?" floyd exclaimed. "this is a safe place we are not going to let anything happen to you." he said to me as i hung my head down in shame. he grabbed my chin and said "look nothing is going to happen to u hear i promise." he said to me earnestly. and then i began to hear the music. i looked up on the stage and there were three woman ,treZure Empire, courtney bryan a brilliant pianist and lakecia benjamin a female saxophonist and to top it off they were younger than me, brilliant and fearless... courtney bryan was tearing the keys up on the key board, treZure was singing a blues esque song  and lakecia benjamin had captured the spirit of miles davis it made me laugh and i thought to myself she thinks she is miles davis.  and she was. that night . it tickled me. everytime i looked on stage i cracked up . joy.  i straightened up pretty quickly seeing them on stage gave me courage. if they can be there.... i for surely can work here. it was great night and my world had become expanded, it was a rites of passage for me to be a part of the Jazz scene where black soul and spirit reside and thrive, untamed and untapped by commercialism. for me jazz is one of the most authentic preserved african american art forms and being inducted into this world was an honor and a privilege to share air with what i believe were the anointed, the beautiful ones that could hear, see, and present gods interpretation of joy and share it with the world...the musical goddess...the musical gods....karimu abena hamilton

Beautiful Issa Rae Awkward Black Girl k.abena

Awkward Black Girl 

beautiful issa rae

written by: karimu abena hamilton

interview with: issa rae

Awkward Black Girl is a successful web series produced by Issa Rae that explores a day in the shoes of a young African American Woman. In ABG the web series main character “Jay” humorously goes through the daily challenges of everyday life; from the complexities of dating a white man, managing difficult co-workers and supervisor (which resulted in anger management classes), to finding her rhythm at a friend’s birthday party. This production and its colorful casts put Issa Rae in the category of visionary, producer, entertainer, comedienne and entrepreneur. The internet has become a platform of visibility for authentic progressive African American artists. The entertainment industry has limited the portrayal of black women in the three primary contexts; jezebel, sapphire and or mammy. Issa Rae’s brilliant production of Awkward Black Girl is an act of resistance towards these negative portrayals and provides viewers with an alternative. The ABG production challenges the notion of what is marketable with almost 9 million online viewers; ABG suggests that there is a strong interest in seeing the authenticity and lifestyle of progressive African American Women. With the Twitter best web series award under her belt and an upcoming season to launch; the Awkward Black Girl brand is here to stay. i experienced so much transcendental joy when watching this production i wanted to share it with the world. i had an opportunity to interview her briefly and here are some pressing answers to questions that i hope would answer some of your questions as well.   karimu abena hamilton

1).What is your ethnic background? Where are you from?  How were you raised? Describe your childhood, your parents….what was your immediate childhood setting like? 

I am Senegalese American. My dad is Senegalese and my mom is from Louisiana. I was born in L.A., lived in Senegal, Maryland and L.A -- the middle of five kids. Three boys, two girls (including me).

2).I think that the web is a wonderful medium for entrepreneurs such as you… the web to me clearly exemplifies what  has been titled the “free market”  would you discuss with me how you got your start in this business?

I was feeling pressured by my father to go to grad school and kept watching my friends pursue their careers and I refused to go the same route. I had been sitting on the idea for two years, making excuses about why I couldn't do it, and then I read an article in Clutch Magazine where the writer was asking, "Where's the Black Liz Lemon?" After reading her article I panicked that someone else would read it and create my idea before me. I stopped making excuses as to why I couldn't do it and just called up my friends and shot it guerilla style.

3).White Jay…That speaks to me on so many different levels…the title is humorous …but there is more to it. It  sort of taps into the collective unconsciousness…tell me more about White Jay..

White Jay, or "Jay" as he was written in the script, was initially supposed to be a one episode character. We inserted him because Tracy (our producer) thought that having a white character would attract a white audience AND we wanted to include some temporary competition for Fred. However, after we aired the fifth episode, the comments were full of "#TeamWhiteJay" supporters. Thus, a fan-created love triangle was formed as we continued to develop this character. For the record, viewers named him "White Jay" not us.

4).I stumbled upon your web-series by accident ….and it was one of the most pleasurable experiences that I have had in the context of visual entertainment in a very long time… It was a transcendental moment and I was able to experience free joy and entertainment without anger or judgment. What forms oentertainment did you indulge in during your child hood and later as an adult? What are your influences?

Thank you! As a child, I pretty much watched everything. I remember vividly watching SNICK on Nickelodeon and TGIF on Fridays and thinking that I wanted to be a part of those shows in some way. Then 90s television came along, in all of its black glory and I loved seeing people who looked like me on television. But then when those shows started disappearing, I started related to shows like Seinfeld, The Office, Arrested Development and 30 Rock, but those shows didn't really have many characters of color, if any at all, so I sought to change that.

5). I believe that I am an awkward black girl…talk to me about her, who is she?  How much of her is in you?   How did you come up with that concept?

"Awkward Black Girl" is an extension of me. She's just insecure in her environment and doesn't really know how to handle what most people would deem simple social situations. She's also awkward in the sense that she's not "typically" black. She's not mainstream media's depiction of black women by any means.

6).Awkward Black Girl …I love the branding concept where are you going with this  from  a marketing perspective …I see the t-shirts and other paraphernalia ….Outside of you’re a new season which we are all waiting for what is next for ABG?

I actually came up with the brand, "I'm Awkward. And Black" before I came up with the series. I believed strongly in the identity as a brand and hope to expand it enough so that it can sustain itself, without the series. Also, I'd love to do an "Awkward Black Girl" film. That would be awesome.

7). Discuss with me your production team and what is your role ?

Everybody who works on ABG has like 10 roles. I direct, produce, write, act and edit. Tracy acts, produces and writes. Shea is our cinematographer, director, editor, cameraman. Benoni & Madison handle our sales, marketing and social media strategy. For season 2, we're looking to divvy some of those roles to others.

8).What advice do you have for producers of all genres in terms of getting there work out there  for the world to see and the spirit of constancy ?

Work with like-minded, dedicated individuals to produce content. Be extremely patient. Release it online!

OSHUN BUMI FERNANDEZ ODUNDE k.abena

ceo oshun bumi hard a work

ODUNDE!

Written by: karimu abena hamilton

Interview with : oshun bumi fernandez

Odunde which means happy New Year in the Yoruba language of Nigeria was founded in 1975 by a woman named Lois Fernandez as a street festival in South Philadelphia. Fernandez made a trip to Nigeria attended a festival in honor of osun (the goddess of beauty and love). She was inspired by the cultural context of this festival and its promotion of unity, family values, spirituality, and oneness with nature and consciously decided that she would transport and share this experience with her Philadelphian community. Odunde was established during a time period when African Americans were involved in a cultural evolution. Prior to this movement which would have begun in the early 1960’s visible African American culture had been limited to the experience of slavery and poverty. Founders of this cultural evolution had become very concerned with the negative impact that these facets of American culture would have on their children and the children of their communities. Thus, collectively and independently a nationwide movement had been born and it cross referenced all components of culture. Kwanzaa, Jambo Means Hello, The National Black Theatre, Central Harlem Montessori Project, Afro centricity are all examples of what the cultural evolution produced. Children were given traditional West African Names, Independent African American schools were founded and rites of passages were structured.  It was an extremely successful strategy. The mission of this movement was to provide African American youth with literature, art, spirituality that goes beyond the history of slavery and explores the importance of Africa and the accomplishments of African American achievers in this country before during and after being enslaved. Africa was no longer presented as a dark and unwanted place but a Continent that was rich in heritage, culture and resources. The children of this movement were to comprehend that they were the beneficiaries to a great legacy and they were to live, celebrate and embrace it. Two generations later Odunde has maintained itself and remains one of the oldest and largest African American festivals in this nation. Odunde is multifunctional it serves as a platform of visibility for community members, entertainers, artists and entrepreneurs of all genres from all over the world to meet. This year Odunde will celebrate its 34^th anniversary and the next generation of the above mentioned cultural evolution is here. Oshun Bumi Fernandez the daughter of Lois Fernandez has stepped into her mothers shoes and with her mother’s guidance Oshun Bumi will bring lead Odunde into the future.

oshun bumi fernandez and founder lois fernandez

QUESTIONS& ANSWERS

Q:karimu abena

A:oshun bumi

Q: Discuss with me your early experience with Odunde

 A: Odunde was a way of life for me. The first Odunde I was strapped to my mother’s back. It started off on one block in South Philadelphia, it was my mother, brother, aunt, and cousins extended family and community members. Odunde was a fabric of my life. I learned through Odunde about the process of life and the benefits of hard work, perseverance and standing strongly behind a vision and what you believe in.

Q. What Does Odunde Mean?

A: Odunde means Happy New Year in Yoruba which is one of the many Nigerian cultures. It celebrates the Yoruba deity Oshun which represents on a superficial level love, prosperity peace and unity.

Q. What is the Odunde Mission?

A. Odunde goal has always been to bring to the community a taste of Africa, provide a market place for vendors from all over the world to display and sell their goods. You can buy food from various regions of Africa. Odunde also functions as a place for community and family members to unite or regroup. Odunde started off as a one block event and has expanded to 12 blocks, we have over 600,000,00 people that attend this event every year. The Odunde event brings in over 25.2 million dollars to the tri –state area. So Odunde has evolved physically and financially which allows us to expand and provide more services to our community.

Q. What Plans does Odunde have in the future?

A. Well in December of 2010 we will be opening up a 16 unit Senior citizens home called Oshun Village. My Mother was very concerned with how the elders of the community and in America were being treated. We wanted to create an environment that would provide holistic care for the elders of the South Philadelphian community. We also intend to become more involved in the community by establishing rites of passages, African and African American heritage programs; we intend to work very closely with the city of a Philadelphia to make the South Philadelphian community stronger for its residents.

Q. What is your background and had you intended to become the Executive Director of Odunde

A. Well actually I had intended to become a doctor and studied biology @ Temple. My mother became ill and I choose to remain close to her and while being given more of a leadership role in the Odunde Process. I also furthered my studies and received a MBA which will give me the tools I need to lead Odunde into the future.

Q. When Odunde was first established it was before the internet, fund development, sponsorship, it was a grassroots operation. You must have a great appreciation for your mother and her colleague’s hard work, endurance and vision?

A. I feel very blessed and am thankful that I am my mother’s daughter. She always informed me of the strength of the woman in our family. I am proud that she has left this legacy for me and our community and I embrace the position I embrace the challenge and look forward to expanding the Odunde mission legacy for years to come.