Afrocentrism Conference 2019: Full Schedule

8:00am PDT

Check-in

Please show up at 8:00am promptly in order to have enough time to sign-in and grab breakfast. Attendee sign in will stop at 8:50am.

Saturday September 21, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
Ponderosa Commons Main Ballroom

Reception

9:00am PDT

Opening Plenary Session

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Saturday September 21, 2019 9:00am - 10:00am PDT
Ponderosa Commons Main Ballroom

Plenary Session

10:15am PDT

Afro-futurism & Anthropocene: Strategies for Imagining other Worlds

Afrofuturism has become something of a buzzword—but at the same time, it has become mobilized as a movement seeking to not only imagine but implement new futures for blackness. But what does Afrofuturism mean, where does it come from, and what can it do, as a weapon of theory in the praxis of decolonization? In this workshop, we will take a deep dive into the history, politics, and philosophy of Afrofuturism, thinking how its performative strategies, science fictional aesthetics, and radical black imaginaries can reframe what it means to be “human" (or not)—and thus reconfigure modes of belonging, ethics, and political action.

Speakers

Tobias Van Veen

Research Fellow in Media and Cultural Studies at University of California, Professor in the Humanities at Quest University

Mr. tobias c. van Veen is Research Fellow in Media and Cultural Studies at University of California Riverside and Visiting Professor in the Humanities at Quest University. He holds doctorates in Communication Studies and Philosophy from McGill University. His transdisciplinary research... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 10:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Room 1002 Ponderosa Commons

Morning Workshop

10:15am PDT

Mapping Contemporary African Literature on These Indigenous Lands

This workshop will introduce participants to the relations, relationships and solidarity that can be found in contemporary African, First Nations and Native American literatures. Through music videos, poetry, short fiction, essays and storytelling, we will find connections, lenses, arms and tools to imagine better futures for all of us. Please note that this workshop will require some pre-reading.

Speakers

Juliane Okot Bitek

Award Wininng Poet, Writer and Scholar

Juliane Okot Bitek is a poet. Her 100 Days (University of Alberta 2016) was nominated for several writing prizes including the 2017 BC Book Prize, the Pat Lowther Award, the 2017 Alberta Book Awards and the 2017 Canadian Authors Award for Poetry. It won the 2017 IndieFab Book of the... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 10:15am - 12:15pm PDT
Room 1215 Ponderosa Commons

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 20

10:15am PDT

Leading from Where We Are: Exploding the Status Quo

Participants will explore notions of education leadership in terms of Race, and “leading from where we are" a practice of placing a Black/African students at the centre of their own learning. Dr Luther Brown will facilitate from the perspective of being an experienced Principal in the Toronto District School Board, from their recent role as Principal of The Africentric Alternative School, as a parent, and as the current doctoral student in Leadership in Higher, and Adult Education at OISE UT. Much of the scholarship about achievement in education, centers school leadership as a key element of schooling outcomes. This workshop will help participants explore how leadership, and leadership practices might be reimagined in order that the achievement trajectory of students of African heritage be persistently at or above the standards established as general schooling outcomes. How might educating students be reframed so that Black/African students areappropriately centred in the process of their education?

Speakers

Luther Brown

Principal at the Toronto District School Board

Saturday September 21, 2019 10:15am - 11:45pm PDT
Room 1003 Ponderosa Commons

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 40
Area Education, Afrocentric, leadership

10:15am PDT

The African Stolen Legacy from the Books in Stone

This workshop is a multimedia, visually documented presentation that will reveal first-hand information from Dr. Ashra Kwesi’s field research at the ancient temples, tombs and papyrus papers in the Nile Valley. Intriguing information recorded when African people were teachers of the world will come to life as Dr. Kwesi uncovers the African sciences, religion and philosophy, as well as the African mystery schools, which were prototypes for the world’s first universities. Viewers in this workshop will learn about the history of the pyramids and Sphinx alongside their spiritual connection to Heaven and Earth and delve deeper into the ancient history of the African Nile Valley civilization. Both Black and White people are common victims of a false tradition about African history. The African Stolen Legacy from the Books in Stone will help in revealing some of the true history of Africa.

Speakers

Ashra Kwesi

Renowned speaker on African/African American History, Culture and Civilization

ASHRA KWESI is a historian (griot) and lecturer on ancient African history and religion. He reveals firsthand information from his field re-search at the ancient temples, tombs and papyrus papers recorded when African people were teach-ers of the world. His wealth of information and... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 10:15am - 11:45pm PDT
Room 1001 Ponderosa Commons

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 45
Area History, Religion, Philosophy

11:45am PDT

Lunch

Saturday September 21, 2019 11:45am - 1:15pm PDT
Ponderosa Commons Main Ballroom

Lunch

1:30pm PDT

AfroBusiness: Hacking Afro-Entrepreneurial Fears

Ask a young African where all future economic opportunities lie in the world. Most often, they will say, Africa. They will talk about Africa's resources, youth, and culture. This begs the question of why Africans shy away from launching new ventures in the continent. There are numerous reasons for this? Lack of infrastructure, corruption, government, civil unrest, etc.

During this workshop, we will hack into some of these fears to determine their merits. Then, move beyond this fear through a design thinking process that enables participants to learn about developing low-risk prototypes for their ventures. Establish concrete steps to test these prototype and evaluate iterative next steps. The workshop will be a space for co-creation; there are no experts; it is an opportunity to challenge some of our assumptions and develop roadmaps for success within the continent. It is a chance for us to share our collective dream of the Africa we want

Speakers

Cedric Nwafor

Founder of Roots Africa

A passion for agriculture and its people drives Cedric Nwafor, a social entrepreneur and public speaker who has organized, facilitated and spoken at various events across Africa and the US. He is the founder of ROOTS Africa, a youth-led organization that combats hunger, poverty, and exclusion by connecting students and agricultural experts in the US to farming communities in Africa. While earning his Bachelor’s degree, he visited farms in Idaho and Maryland as well as in Rwanda, Liberia, Cameroon, Ghana, and Uganda to le... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 1:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 1002 Ponderosa Commons

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 40

1:30pm PDT

Black Queer Liberation

This workshop will honor black queer and trans pioneers of the past and present as we work to highlight their often forgotten contributions.Black LGBTQ communities continue to face stigma and violence yet also exhibit centuries of resistance and resilience. This workshop will dig deep into the history of African gender-nonconformity, queerness, sexual exploration and LGBTQ liberation to address tensions, issues, and questions within topics of identity, gender, race and sexuality. The workshop will likewise explore gender and sexuality in indigenous cultures around the world to dispel the misconception of it being a new phenomenon.

How can we use history as a tool of celebration and reclamation, weaving African ways of knowing into our Western narratives of queer identity? Join for a rich discussion and collective unpack colonial narratives of queer and trans identity.

Speakers

Cicely Blain

Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, Activist and Writer

Cicely Belle Blain is a diversity and inclusion consultant, activist and writer; they are one of Vancouver’s fifty most influential people of 2018, as awarded by Vancouver Magazine, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter - Vancouver, one of CBC’s 150 Black Women Making Change in Canada... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 1:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 1215 Ponderosa Commons

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 20
Area Gender, Race, Sexuality

1:30pm PDT

Leadership Narratives & African Futures

This future-oriented workshop considers contemporary African political and social realities in order to re-examine possibilities for future sociopolitical landscapes. The premise of this workshop is that personal and collective transformations required to design preferred futures rest on a clear sense of identity and contribution by all. What is the narrative of African leadership? What narrative do you want for African Futures? What is your contribution to owning the African futures you want? Participants in this workshop will journey through these questions, using structured storytelling, narrative inquiry exercises and group processes. Short readings from the We Will Lead Africa non-fiction anthology series will be used to anchor the three acts of the process. These stories highlight where designed futures are already happening by inspiring everyday African leaders on and off the continent. As a participant, you will have the opportunity to unpack dominant narratives and assumptions and design/imagine preferred futures.

Speakers

Yabome Gilpin-Jackson

Scholar, Organization Development Consultant, writer and curator of African identity and leadership stories

Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson is a proud African-Canadian who was born in Germany, grew up in Sierra Leone, and completed her studies in Canada and the USA. She is a scholar, Organization Development Consultant,writer and curator of African identity and leadership stories. She has 15... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 1:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
SCARFE Building Rm TBA

Afternoon Workshop

Area leadership, Identity

1:30pm PDT

The Black Femme Fatale

Enter the femme fatale…. You’ve seen her before. She is the siren, luring sea fearing sailors to their untimely death. She is Delilah, running her long, elegant fingers through Samson’s locks. She is an ancient character that reflects both male awe and male angst surrounding female sexuality. She represents both the threat of female agency, as well as the magnificence of women who completely own their feminine power.

But what if we have this character all wrong? What if the real reason we label magnetic, powerful women ‘deadly’ is to discourage women from pursuing their path to freedom? Our society has done much to warp our notion of femininity, defining it in ways that support male domination and white supremacy. The Afro Femme Fatale unpacks the often untold history of the Black siren, while challenging contemporary notions of sex, race and power.

Speakers

Ayesha Faines

Writer, Thought Leader, and Founder of Women Love Power

Ayesha K. Faines is a writer, thought leader, and a brave new voice for feminine power and social change. She has been featured a number of media outlets including MTV, Essence, Hot 97, Afro Punk, and The Michael Baisden Radio Show. She travels the world lecturing before national... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 1:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Room 1001 Ponderosa Commons

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 40
Area Sex, Race, Power

4:00pm PDT

Opening Ceremony

Join us during the opening night of the conference, featuring Nnedi Okorafor, followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity to interact with the author. Live entertainment and an inspired Caribbean and African cuisine dinner will also be provided. Please note that you need an Opening Ceremony Ticket in order to attend

Speakers

Nnedi Okorafor

International award-winning novelist of African-based science fiction

Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning novelist of African-based science fiction, fantasy and magical realism for both children and adults. Born in the United States to two Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for weaving African culture into creative evocative settings... Read More →

Saturday September 21, 2019 4:00pm - 7:00pm PDT
Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre

Opening Ceremony

8:00am PDT

Check-in

Please show up at 8am prompt in order to have enough time to sign-in and grab breakfast. Attendee sign in will stop at 8:50am.

Sunday September 22, 2019 8:00am - 9:00am PDT
SFU Harbour Centre Main Ballroom

Reception

9:00am PDT

Opening Plenary Session

This plenary session will include Opening Remarks and a Keynote Address by Ijeoma, followed by a Q & A session.

Speakers

Ijeoma Umebinyuo

One of Sub-Saharan Africa’s best modern poets

Ijeoma Umebinyuo is an Igbo woman born and raised in Nigeria. Described as one of the top contemporary poets of African descent by Writivism, her writing explores womanism, feminism, immigration, dismantling the tradition of silence, mental health, intergenerational trauma and colonization.Ms... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 9:00am - 10:45am PDT
SFU Harbour Centre Main Ballroom

Plenary Session

11:00am PDT

Afrocentric Visual Art

In this 2-hour workshop, participants will be introduced to some of the diverse creative practices of visual artists and writers who work at the intersection of text and image, manipulating black text on white space to illustrate and interrogate hegemonic structures and dismantle dominant colonial narratives. This art-for-thinking-sake activity first asks participants to consider what they have learned during the conference. Hereafter participants will be asked to respond to a thought-provoking piece of text using a theme, idea, concern or question addressed in the conference. Working on large poster paper with a variety of artistic materials participants will redact, rewrite and reinterpret the text—to reframe and transform the narrative. The session will conclude with a reflective discussion of the exercise and an overview of the diverse perspectives and approaches presented in the room. Art studio appropriate clothes are strongly recommended.

Speakers

Chantal Gibson

Award Winning Proffesor of Writing and Design Communication at SFU

Chantal Gibson is an artist-educator interested in the cultural production of knowledge. Her work explores the overlap between literary and visual art, challenging colonialism and the imperialist notions quietly embedded in everyday things—from academic school books to kitschy souvenir... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 11:00am - 12:50pm PDT
Room 1530 SFU Harbour Center

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 20

11:00am PDT

Centering the Humanity of the Black Experience: Re-Imagining Urban Youth Spaces

This workshop will take participants on a reflective journey of their experiences of being a youth through storytelling. Exploring the influence spaces have played in shaping the lives of young people, attendees will hear stories from an intergenerational panel about adolescents that centers the humanity of the black experience. How can these experiences shape the way we create spaces in the city? What can we learn from the past to shape the spaces we occupy into the future? What role does ownership play in the production of these spaces?

This workshop is an Ethos Lab comparative model aimed at exploring the nuances of black experiences in urban spaces. Through the Ethos Lab model participants will explore how black/African people can leverage cultural capital and human experiences to influence a mental and behavioural shift. Get ready to participate in exercises where we share our stories and build for tomorrow.

Speakers

Anthonia Ogundele

Manager of Sustainability, Business Continuity, Emergency Planning and Environmental Sustainability, Vancity Credit Union

Anthonia Ogundele, is the Manager of Sustainability, Business Continuity, Emergency Planning and Environmental Sustainability at Vancity Credit Union. In her present role, Anthonia’s team divides focus between the organizational resilience of Vancity, through their business continuity... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 11:00am - 12:50pm PDT
Room 1325 SFU Harbour Center

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 40

11:00am PDT

Decolonizing Food Systems

This workshop is a relaxed roundtable discussion surrounding intersections of Afrocentricity, food, and health. Local food leaders will guide discussion on topics such as food and food practices as a means of connection to ancestors and tradition. The workshop will also explore health topics and the implication of different diets and food cultures alongside issues of accessibility & affordability. All of these elements will be woven in the larger discussion of global food systems and networks especially between Africa and North America as topics of sustainability and the role of women in food production are unpacked through conversation over light refreshments.

Speakers

Oumar Togola

Founder and Chairman of Farafena Health Inc

Oumar has Africa running through his veins. He was born in Mali, but also spent much of his childhood in Benin, Chad and Burkina Faso. When you are from Africa you have a deep appreciation for the bounty of the soil. As well as the wellbeing of your people. Both of which put Oumar... Read More →

Dylan Beechey

Co-Founder & Director of Operations of Farafena Health Inc

Dylan is a doer, fixer and problem solver. He has spent most of his professional career in a range of operations roles in the tech and telecom industry as well as managing small and medium size customer service teams. Dylan operates off a very simple belief: the better a social enterprise... Read More →

Asha Wheeldon

Founder of Kula Foods

My name is Asha Wheeldon, founder of Kula Foods. My journey began in Kenya where sharing food with our community was an important part of every day. I migrated to Toronto as a young teenager where i was introduced to West African, Caribbean, and middle Eastern cuisine and culture... Read More →

Akeem Pierre

Lifestyle movement coach and wellness vlogger

Sunday September 22, 2019 11:00am - 12:50pm PDT
Room 1520 SFU Harbour Center

Morning Workshop

CAPACITY 40

11:00am PDT

Social Movements, African Futures & Utopias

This workshop will explore how African social movements and intellectuals are imagining and charting out new futures as they draw on the continent’s past to propose new ways of envisioning relationships between the state and its citizenry. The workshop will challenge participants to articulate big and bold alternatives for the African continent.
Our facilitators will provide an overview of the diversity of social movements on the continent, with an emphasis on their struggle to articulate new futures for their fellow citizens. Dr. Fred Bauma will continue to give an overview of the history of LUCHA, the most prominent social movement in the DR Congo. Join us on a discussion of how activists, artists, and intellectuals can project new, alternative visions of an African future that is not derivative of outside models of history, governance, and economic organization.

Speakers

Fred Bauma

Leader of The Struggle for Change (La Lutte pour le Changement, LUCHA)

Fred Bauma is a leader of the pro-democracy youth group LUCHA, which advocates for nonviolent, community-level change and governmental reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Known as "Congo's Gandhi,” Bauma encourages young people to create a better future through political... Read More →

Jason Sterns

Writer, CIC Senior Fellow and Director of the Congo Research Group

Jason Stearns is an American writer who worked for ten years in the Congo, including three years during the Second Congo War. He first traveled to the Congo in 2001 to work for a local human rights organization, Héritiers de la Justice, in Bukavu. He went on to work for the United... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 11:00am - 12:50pm PDT
Room 2945 SFU Harbour Center

Morning Workshop

1:00pm PDT

Lunch

Sunday September 22, 2019 1:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
SFU Harbour Centre Main Ballroom

Lunch

2:15pm PDT

"Ancestries" Book Launch

Welcome to the official launch of the book "Ancestries" by Yabome Gilpin-Jackson. Find a short blurb of the book below:

"Ancestries builds on Identities: A short story collection, to imagine and portray ways in which a variety of global African characters – multicultural and multiracial, negotiate their sense of self and belonging. They do so within a world where their sense of rootedness and belonging must cross racial, cultural, continental and generational divides. My hope is to share some narratives of the possibilities that emerge from this creative space I have experienced and exist in. I hope to portray global Africans in more shades of the bridge-building, resilient capacity, ingenuity and love we bring to a world that desperately needs these qualities. This short story collection also highlights the agency and choices global Africans must regularly make to transcend artificial boundaries and claim belonging in our world."

Yabome Gilpin-Jackson

Speakers

Yabome Gilpin-Jackson

Scholar, Organization Development Consultant, writer and curator of African identity and leadership stories

Sunday September 22, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 2945 SFU Harbour Center

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 50

2:15pm PDT

ACTIVISM HAS A SEAT AT EVERY TABLE

I spent too much time leaving parts of myself at home when I showed up in the world; and came to understand that we all bring different identities, expressions, experiences, varying degrees of privilege, knowledge, and resources to a room. How we choose to present and identify the impact we have is a radical state of mind. This workshop will be a conversation about the importance of bringing and telling our story - Yes, we all have a story! Please come prepared with materials to write with/on and a willingness to discuss. I'm humbled and honored at the opportunity to share this space with you, see you then and stay hydrated! xo.

Speakers

Sandra Iroegbu

Black lives matter activist & ubc alumni

Sandra was born and raised in Nigeria, she has been settling, working, and growing in Coast Salish Territories for over 6 years. When she is not dazzling you with her unprecedented sense of humor, or her OH I KNOW I CAN DANCE moves, she is actively working with the black community... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 1325 SFU Harbour Center

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 40

2:15pm PDT

Black Masculinity & Colonial State In Canada

The workshop will focus on how Black masculinities are impacted by and are resistant to the colonial state of Canada. Participants will explore the impacts of white supremacy, patriarchy, capitalism and colonialism on Black masculinities (gender identities and/or expressions) in Canada as context setting for our discussion.
What have you experienced or observed about how Canada has responded to and marginalized Black/African descent masculinities? What have you experienced or observed about how Black/African descent masculine peoples resist targeting by the Canadian state? How are Black people who are not masculine (identity and/or expression) affected by the Black masculinities? Our discussion will centre the voices of Black people, and allies, especially Indigenous and other people of colour, are welcome to attend.

Speakers

Parker Johnson

Consultant on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion

Parker Johnson is a Black American living in Canada and independent consultant in the field of harassment and discrimination prevention, workplace equity and inclusion, conflict resolution and organizational change. He also is an Associate with the consulting group Elevate Inclusion... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 1530 SFU Harbour Center

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 20

2:15pm PDT

Hogans Alley

This workshop will unpack the broader themes of the conference, grounding the discussion in local realities and movements. Terms such as Afrocentrism, Pan-Africanism, and the diaspora carry weight and can be interpreted in different ways. The workshop will explore how these terms are used in various capacities and carry different meanings. Mr. Adam Rudder will integrate Hogan’s Alley’s activism and history to discuss black experiences in a settler colonial Canadian context. Participants in this workshop will unpack local policies and their implications on black populations within Vancouver and Canada in general.

Speakers

Adam Rudder

Adjunct faculty member at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Adam Rudder, was born in Vancouver and completed his Master of Arts degree in history at the University of Victoria, where he wrote about the Hogan’s Alley community in Strathcona. He is an adjunct faculty member at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Vancouver) and is co-chair of the... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 2:15pm - 3:15pm PDT
Room 1520 SFU Harbour Center

Afternoon Workshop

CAPACITY 40

3:30pm PDT

CLOSING CEREMONY

Join us during the Closing Ceremony, featuring the esteemed Ngugi wa Thiong’o followed by a Q&A session and an opportunity to interact with the author. Live entertainment and an inspired Caribbean and African cuisine dinner will also be provided. This is a free event but guests are expected to have a ticket to attend

Speakers

Ngugi wa Thiong’o

Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, currently Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine, was born in Kenya, in 1938 into a large peasant family. He was educated at Kamandura, Manguu and Kinyogori primary schools; Alliance High School... Read More →

Sunday September 22, 2019 3:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
SFU Harbour Centre Main Ballroom

Closing Ceremony