Reparations 101 at University of DC

On January 24, 2008 the Univeristy of D.C.'s Reparations Study Club hosted the first of what will be a series of lectures on reparations for Afrakan people in the United States of America.

Civil Alert luminary Sabir Bey (pictured right) sat with three other panalists to discuss the issue.
The panelists included: Wautella Graham, Chairman of N'Cobra, D.C.; Faruq Muhammad, Counsel General of the UNIA-ACL; and Senghor Jawara Baye EL, 3rd Assistant President-General, UNIA-ACL.

Brother Wautella defined reparations with conviction as "a process of repairing or restoring. It is the act of strengthing that which is weakened, to set right that which is wrong and to make flourish that which is insecure or undeveloped." He addressed the widely held belief that all Black people want is a handout by insisting that what is wanted...what is needed is social parity. Not necessarily a financial gift, but the creation of social institutions and scholorships that aid us in righting ourselves.



Bother Sabir, a self-declared Moor, eloquently and with detail described the processes needed for understanding the relevant codes of law. Sabir gave historical backgound on the active involvement of three of the most prominent figures in the history of self-reparations. The Honorable Marcus Garvey, Noble Drew Ali, and Elijah Muhammad worked togther to achieve this end, reprenting the three sectors of government -- Military, Executive, and Legislative.

This lecture was well attended and PKDG has invited all panelists to participate in a future Community Development Conference.

PKDG in the Philadelphia Inquirer

It was cold, very cold, but that didn't stop PKDG from going out and supporting Peace Action Phialdelphia's first annual Ethnic Peace Festival, held at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. Though it was a small gathering, the dedication and sincerity of those present was more than just compensation.

Peace Action Philadelphia board chairman, John Duesler, and executive director, Phyllis Gilbert reminded us how prevelant the spirit of the 60's still is today. We also want to thank them for supporting Fatou and Fama Restaurant and serving a tradional vegetarian African dish. Thanks also to The Philadelphia Inquirer for the coverage and a great spread. See you all next year.

"On the eve of the national holiday honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., questions about the nature of peace drew a small but engaged group to the Philadelphia Ethical Society in Rittenhouse Square yesterday..."

To read the entire article - philly.com/inquirer
For more info on Peace Action - peaceaction.org

Networking with Diverse Philly

PKDG was in good company as we attended a spectacular networking event hosted by Diverse Philly and Urban Philly on January 18, 2008. This upscale, professional event was held at Haru restaurant in Old City. Filled to capacity with, as one patron put it, some of the most beautiful Black professionals in the city.

Kudos to Nicole Newman of Diverse Philly and Sulaiman Rahman of Urban Philly for a job well done, this is without a doubt one of the best networking events we've attended. And beleive it or not, people were acually networking. We received several calls and emails from contacts met at the event. Can't wait for the next one.

For more info on:
Diverse Philly - www.diversephilly.com
Urban Philly Professionals Network - www.urbanphilly.com

New Year's 2008

PKDG celebrated New Years 2008 (Gregorian calendar) at the studio of one of Philadelphia's most renowned artists, David Lawrence. Of course the bash was stylish, upbeat and well attended.

We knew David was a great artist, but he's also a damn good DJ. The music was soulful, jazzy, old school and new school. All of this amid the abstract Afrakan artistry and decor that is uniquely David.

Rumor has it, Apotheosis 2008 Art and Fashion Exhibition will be graced with Mr. Lawrence's artwork... Futura MwAfraka promises to be an exhibition to remember.

Holiday Socializing

This month started off slow but it's going out with a bang... PKDG was on the move as we attended several events. Our first stop was the Nation of African People's Unity (NAPU) Kwanzaa Event. Much love to Brother Ahmed and Brother Ba for consistently holding down the Afrakan holiday tradition. See you next summer for African Independence Day.

Our next stop was to the Ijoba Shule. This independent, Afrakan centered institution houses one of the best educational programs for ReAfrakanization. We were invited by Iya Omowunmi Ogundaisi for their 3rd Annual Winter Solstice Presentation. The children demonstrated their thorough understanding of the semester's lessons with creativity and poise. If you're looking for a school to send your children that guarantees a quality, Afrakan education look them up and tell them PKDG sent you.

Our final destination took us to the home of Simply Netfah fashion designer, Netfah Amina-Afia. Good food, good company and good vibes made for a warm and intimate Kwanzaa celebration. Things got a little heated though when Brother Baja (Apotheosis graphic artist) pulled out the Scrabble board and declared war. A pity his martial skills were not quite up to the task :( However, he is within his right to call for a rematch :)

for more info on:

NAPU - myspace.com/napu
The Ijoba Shule - ijobashule.org
Simply Netfah - simplynetfah.com

Philadelphia is Fashion

Fashion shows and related events abound in the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection. Over the past few weeks we have been inundated with style, creativity and glamour. Two local designers very dear to us, Exodus and Letau Designs, had great showings. We would be remiss if we didn't mention one of Philly's oldest fashion events, Philadelphia Phashion Phest, who had their event in September as well.

Recent acquaintance and House of Talent PA CEO, Antoine Johnson, gave great face at his fashion show Glamarazzi where supermodel to be Staphanie Barnes (also of Apotheosis fame *smile*) lit up the runway. With sponsors Jack Kelmer and Pink Vodka, Glamarazzi rose 23 stories to debut its featured designer.

Not to be left out, Fat Boy Hype Entertainment gave us Philadelphia's first Fashion Weekend. Held at the City Hall courtyard, the show featured the largest collection of designers we've seen so far this season including Teranchula and James Nelson Couture. Aesthetics Magazine cover girl, Charisse, graced the runway with her signature poise.


With the increased nightlife, upscale retail, fashionable venues, influx of new residents and the number one housing boom in the country, Philadelphia is aligning itself to be what some have called the model city of the future.

Mangaliso Ture & Sekayi Khita Hetep
The Arts and Aesthetics Collective
PKDG

Apotheosis Thank You Affair

It's been a long time coming but we finally got a chance to give our heartfelt gratitude to the many contributors that made Apotheosis 6250 A.U. Art and Fashion Exhibition 2007 possible. Our thank you dinner took place at Govinda's Gourmet Vegetarian Restaurant on September 25, 2007. We have to show our love and appreciation to Hare and his staff for doing such an exquisite job of catering our affair.

For those of you who missed it, we discussed how the show turned out, how to improve it and ideas for 2008's exhibition. We reminisced over wine while watching footage of the event after enjoying Hare's famous shrimp cocktail, polenta in a red pepper sauce, and other Govinda's fare.

Though it's only been months, it was almost like a reunion seeing all of the models, designers, stylists, our photographer, and other staff again. To all of you who couldn't make it, you were truly missed. We still have a copy of the magazine waiting for you. Again, we were glad to be able to say thank you for the support and dedication given to the show. We look forward to working with you all next year.


Mangaliso Ture and Sekayi Khita Hetep