"Thanks for being the architect of Birago Diop Day celebration in so many parts of the world!"
Babacar M'Baye
Chair of English and Professor
Kent University, Ohio.
The December 10th, 2022, Birago Diop Day Celebration at Kent State University occurred as part of the 2022 Annual Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration at this institution. Birago Diop Day took place in the Department of Africana Studies and was attended by the Chair as well as several faculty members and students of this unit. Audience members from other departments attended the event as well. As the keynote lecturer of Birago Diop Day, Dr. Babacar M’Baye, the current Chair of the Department of English at Kent State University, spoke about the life and work of the major Senegalese writer. He discussed aspects of Diop's biography, his literary achievements, and his contributions to Senegalese folklore. Moreover, with the interactive support of audience members, Dr. M’Baye interpreted Diop’s well-known poem “Breaths” and its vital role in the understanding of the African worldview.
Babacar 'Mbaye
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"It was a small but really exciting and engaging event in terms of the audience. Performance Poet Des Mannay led an interactive session discussing his work, his background and family background including his Kru/Cru links.
There were also readings of Birago Diop's poems and of Des' own work. The intention is that this will now become an annual event to give opportunities for community groups and colleagues to participate with their own experiences and poetry". Joe Hall Global UoP, Portsmouth University |
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To celebrate Birago Diop, seven seniors participated in a lively comparative discussion of African, Caribbean and Scandinavian folklore, at the Frogn Senior Citizen Centre. After an introduction to the life of this esteemed Senegalese folklorist, the elders took turns readinga selection of writings by Natty Mark Samuels, that guided them amongst the Kikuyu of Kenya, the Nuer of Sudan and across the Atlantic to the Arawak of Jamaica. Drawing parallels between the Anansi trickster spider of the Ashanti and the Nisser or little people of Norway, participants described how the mischievous Nisser could be placated with bowls of porridge left outside at Christmas time. A round of applause followed the Chant of Zankallala, which also stimulated stories of the beautiful dance of mating birds. By the end of morning, despite the chill outside and snow in the air, we were warmed by the spirit of
Birago, as if we had been sharing fireside stories in Africa. Petra-Bakewell Stone |
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"Saturday night was wonderful! I loved the stories and I feel grateful I had the chance to learn a bit more about African-Caribbean culture and heritage. The poems were beautiful and it was very nice to see the crowd involved with the chants and playing the instruments. It was lovely night and everyone was very nice, can't wait for the next poetry event!" |
"Our Inaugural African & Caribbean Folklore Day, celebrated at Europe’s oldest adult education college, was inspiring, and all who attended were clearly engaged by the delivery that was true to Natty Mark Samuels style. He shared, he sought to educate and he ensured to guide those who attended to sing.
The introduction to African philosophers, in particular John Mbuti and George Ayitteh, ignited debate and rekindled pride. We knew God before missionaries arrived in Africa and our stories and proverbs and ancestral histories, survived without being written down.
The second African & Caribbean Folklore Day cannot come soon enough but in the meantime, we were provided with a spark to continue to explore further, the African and Caribbean folklore and literature that is having a bright light shone on it through the work of Natty Mark Samuels and others like him."
Jacqueline Forrester
Working Men's College
| The Shrine of Birago |
