African Diaspora and The Arts Conference Held
At Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, February 11

Brooklyn, NY — To commemorate Black History Month, Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus will present a one-day conference, "Sankofa," on the African Diaspora on Wednesday, February 11, focusing on heritage, identity and migration. All conference events are free and open to the public.

Sankofa is a proverbial term from the Akan people of Ghana to represent a bird turning its head and body backward to look at its tail. This image represents going back into the past, and discovering knowledge that will be of benefit to people in the future. The events are:

• Introductory symposium, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., in Library Learning Center (LLC) Room 122.
• Two simultaneous workshops, 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., will be presented by Kwame A. Ross on dance and music in Metcalfe Room 323 and by performance artist Bantu Mwaura in LLC 122.
• Harambee Dance Company, noon to 1 p.m., in the Triangle Theater.
• The film, "Sankofa," 1:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., by African-American filmmaker, Haile Gerima in LLC 122.
• A panel discussion, on how art is influenced by one’s root, will be moderated by professor Huma Ibrahim of the English Department, with panelists Rashidah Ismaili-Abubakr, Frank Malloy, James Mbuthia and Laurie Cumbo, 3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. in LLC 122.
• Gallery opening and reception, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in the Salena Gallery, highlighting the work of several contemporary Kenyan artists.

Mr. Ross, founder and artistic director of Prophecy Dance Company, has studied several African Diaspora dance forms: Caribbean, Western and Central African. His choreographic works encompass productions with Children of Dahomey, Ballet Hispanico, Urban Bush Women and the National Dance Company of Mozambique. He is currently on the dance faculty at Long Island University and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center.

Mr. Mwaura, an award-winning performer, director and playwright as well as a cultural and political activist, majored in theatre arts at Kenyatta University, Kenya. He also holds an M.A. in Theatre Studies from Leeds University in the U.K. and an M.A. in African Studies from Ohio State University. His plays "Golgotha," "The Apprentice," and "Akhokhan" have been performed in Kenya, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom and by the Yale Repertoire Theatre, Yale University. His radio program, "Cultures and Peoples of Kenya" has been presented in English, Swahili and Kikuyu in Nairobi.

Dr. Ismaili-AbuBakr is a writer of short stories, plays and poetry. She is widely anthologized and has four published collections of poems. Originally from West Africa, Dr. AbuBakr was a lecturer, counselor and administrator for fifteen years at Pratt Institute. In 2001, she organized a reading seminar at Columbia University, "Peace With Honor," hosted by the Study for Racial and Ethnic Studies Department. She writes full time and conducts workshops, writing seminars and lectures across the U.S. and internationally.

Frank Malloy is the co-founder and executive director of the Harambee Dance Company. His interest in African music and dance began in Ghana, West Africa while serving in the Peace Corps. Accomplished on several African musical instruments, he is one of the musicians for his company and is the creator and host of the weekly cable television show, "Dance New York."

Mr. Mbuthia, a native of Banana Hill, Kenya, is a self-taught artist of paintings and sculpture, mostly of metal and found objects. His exhibitions include Cologne Studio Domart, Germany; the French Cultural and Co-operation Centre in Nairobi; Marseille, France; and the National Museums of Kenya.

Dr. Ibrahim is an associate professor of English at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. She has published extensively in African and Asian literature within the context of postcolonial studies. Two of her recent works are "Subversive Identities in Exile," a book-length study on Bessie Head, the renowned South African writer, and an anthology, "Emerging Perspectives on Bessie Head," to be published by Africa World Press.

The conference is being offered for credit. Sponsored by the Dance, Art, English, Music, and Media Arts departments, this event marks the fifth African Diaspora conference. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call (718) 488-1051 or (718) 488-3355.

Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus opened in 1926, welcoming a diverse population at a time when other major universities enforced quota systems against racial and ethnic minorities. More than 30,000 students currently are enrolled at the University’s three residential and three regional compuses, including more than 11,000 at the Brooklyn Campus.