Celebrate African Diaspora Heritage Month at ODU on Saturday

Everett Eaton, The Virginian-Pilot
·2 min read

African Diaspora Heritage Month will be celebrated Saturday at Old Dominion University and will feature cultural performances, a panel discussion and a keynote address by Joaquim do Espírito Santo, Angola’s ambassador to the United States.

Rita Cohen, the founder of the Tidewater African Cultural Alliance, worked with the Virginia African Diaspora Committee and several universities to organize the event. The day also includes a voter registration drive and free glaucoma and health screenings, courtesy of Eastern Virginia Medical School.

The General Assembly earlier this year designated September as African Diaspora Heritage Month to recognize the contributions and culture of African immigrants. The United States’ relationship with African countries has a painful and complicated history, especially in Virginia, where the first Africans were brought to a British North American colony in 1619. Cohen, who is from Ghana, wants the commemoration to inspire conversations about the history of the diaspora and to celebrate the heritage of African peoples.

A panel discussion will also focus on how to improve relations between the U.S. and African countries. Controversial travel bans established during former President Donald Trump’s administration restricted immigration from some African countries; the travel bans have since been overturned.

According to a January 2022 Pew Research study, the number of immigrants from Africa living in the United States has more than tripled from 2000 to 2019; a growing share of them come to the U.S. with at least a bachelor’s degree. The study also states that Black immigrants, including those from the Caribbean and South America, are more likely than other immigrants to become naturalized citizens.

The house resolution passed by the General Assembly stated that thousands of Virginians are part of the African diaspora and own small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs and encourage economic development. It also stated that African diasporans have brought in more than $200 million in international trade.

Everett Eaton, 262-902-7896,everett.eaton@virginiamedia.com

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If you go

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10

Where: 4401 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk

Tickets: Free

Details: bit.ly/DiasporaHeritagecommoration