2nd Annual Taste of Africa

Greetings and salutations friends, if you are going to be in Delaware on August 4th, then you need to make sure that you head over to Glasgow Park for the 2nd Annual Taste of Africa.

This is a FREE fun family event to come out and enjoy!

The Delaware Africa Coalition was happy to host the first annual Taste of Africa last summer. The 2nd annual Taste of Africa is almost here, and promises even more fun-filled features like delicious exotic African/Caribbean dishes, judged food competition, African fashion show, games for adults and kids alike, exhilarating musical performances, and enlightening conversations about people of African descent facilitated by creative, entertaining and inspiring speakers.

You wouldn’t want to miss it, so plan your day to enjoy it all with friends and family at Pavilion #5, Glasgow Park, Rte 896 & 40, Newark, DE.

“One who eats alone cannot discuss the taste of food with others.” – African Proverb

Food is an intrinsically human subject – not only is it a necessary element to sustain human life, but for as long as humans have existed we have attached religious, cultural, and social importance to it. It is something universal, and this attribute enables it to be used as a gathering force. Each culture has unique ways of relating to food, whether in terms of its harvesting, preparation, or consumption.

The Taste of Africa is an event in which we hope to celebrate the contribution of food to the human experience in addition to the beauty and uniqueness of black culture. We are using food as a means to bring people together to ignite meaningful conversations in areas such as: Why has there been a division between Africans and African Americans? What is hindering the continent of Africa from moving forward? How can we promote peace amongst people of African descent in the United States?

The primary goal of any Delaware Africa Coalition event is to facilitate cooperation between Delawareans of African descent primarily and be extension the broader population. DAC was founded on the premise that humans are stronger when united, and since 2015, DAC has worked to foster understanding among these groups. This includes those from the Caribbean, continental Africa, and African Americans. It is estimated that there are approximately 212,000 blacks currently residing in Delaware, with a significant portion of these being African and Caribbean migrants. Because of this large (and growing) population, there is an immense need to unite these groups in order to minimize conflicts, eradicate divisions, and ultimately advocate for our rights.

According to Delaware Online, “Delaware will be the nation’s 14th most ethnically diverse state by 2060.” Events facilitated by the Delaware Africa Coalition provide safe spaces for people with varied backgrounds but a shared American experience to come together. The objective is for us to discuss our differences, identify and minimize areas of misunderstanding, and most importantly, find points of commonality.The Taste of Africa is one such event. Apart from our monthly meetings and annual symposiums in which we discuss similar topics, the Taste of Africa utilizes food and cultural entertainment to draw a crowd which may not normally attend these more focused events. Targeted to the general public, we use the lure of delicious African food from different nations to draw people into a gathering in which fellowship, fun, but more importantly education, will occur.

Speakers and cultural entertainers are being incorporated this year to heighten the educational component of this event. And discussion will include the history of division amongst people of African descent, whereby our goal is to increase awareness of the divide that has plagued the black race for centuries and proffer possible solutions to combating it. Our intent is that our guests will leave the Taste of Africa event armed with new knowledge, as well as an enhanced desire to introspect and discuss the “hard” topics pertaining to blacks in Delaware and the nation as a whole.

The first Taste of Africa in July, 2018 was a tremendous success, with over 150 people from 17 different countries in attendance, this year we expect up to 1000 to attend. New Castle County Executive Matthew Meyer attended and stated that “this was the first activity of this type in New Castle County.” The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, and many suggested that there was a tremendous need for more events such as this in Delaware. 

The humanities elements in the event are as follows: an anthropological appreciation of the cultural differences of the various groups of African descent; the history of relations between Africans and African Americans and why they have been strained; the philosophy of unity to create social change; and the underlying politics of popular African music (such as that of Fela Anikulapo Kuti). Several of these elements will be covered in lectures scheduled throughout the day. Others will be presented in a more rhetorical fashion and discussion will be encouraged by the MC, Dr. Kelechi Lawrence, who is a Nigerian native and one of the founding members of the Delaware Africa Coalition.

It is our hope that attendees of the 2nd Annual Taste of Africa will walk away from this event not just with a full stomach and new friends, but more importantly with a stimulated mind and a desire to carry on the conversation until true change is achieved – I hope to see you there!