3 Pan-African Pillars : Soul to Soul, Benin Tech Entrepreneur, Pan-Africanism in Westminster London.

Hello AfriKili Family,

Let’s explore our 3 Pan-African pillars: History, Business and Politics

HISTORY

SOUL 2 SOUL CONCERT, 1971, Back to the Motherland

On March 1, 1971, Ike and Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, Santana, Roberta Flack, the Staple Singers, Eddie Harris, Les McCann, and many other African American soul, gospel, rock, and jazz greats, began a journey from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City towards West Africa. Their primary purpose was to perform alongside African musicians in a 14-hour concert called SOUL TO SOUL.

Overall, 130 artists, moviemakers, roadies, and journalists boarded a DC-8 airplane travelling to Accra, the capital city of Ghana, to perform at the historic Black Star Square in Accra, next to the Atlantic Ocean, on the 14th anniversary of the nation’s independence from colonial rule.

Even though the primary purpose of the trip was to perform a concert with other African musicians, it quickly became about personal roots, their ancestral homeland, history, and discovery. African American souls were able to connect with West Africans souls through the power of music.

Source: https://codacollection.co/stories/soul-to-soul-and-harsh-truths-in-the-motherland

BUSINESS

Meet Entrepreneur Richard Odjardo

Imagine an African smart watch produced in the Republic of Benin, West Africa! It has the very same basic functionalities of an Apple Watch or a Samsung Smartwatch and more. And it’s all thanks to a Beninese tech entrepreneur whose company manufactures the product and more.

Meet Richard Odjardo, a 32-year-old tech entrepreneur from the Republic of Benin whose company, AS World Tech, manufactures laptops, smart watch, and smart glasses.

There is no denying the fact that Richard Odjardo is building what is going to become a very profitable venture in the long run. Some global tech giants know this, and some have already offered him up to $3 million to buy him out. He has turned down the offers.

In a September 2021 interview with France 24, he stressed that the best ways to tackle unemployment in Africa are through entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.

Source: https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/leaders/meet-richard-odjardo-a-tech-entrepreneur-from-benin-republic-whose-smart-watch-and/82ewgq7

https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-g-odjrado-660a08179/?originalSubdomain=bj

POLITICS

Naming Pan-Africanism: The First Pan-African Conference

The term Pan-Africanism was coined by Henry Sylvester Williams, the barrister (lawyer) who was born in Barbados in 1867 and moved to Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago, as a baby boy.

He organized the first Pan-African Conference from Monday, 23^rd to Wednesday, 25^th July 1900 in Westminster Town Hall, London. The conference had important contributor such as William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (W.E.B. Du Bois), who was a committee chairman.

The First Pan-African Conference had 5 stated aims:

• To secure for Africans throughout the world true civil and political rights.
• To ameliorate the condition of our brothers on the continent of Africa, America and other parts of the world.
• To promote efforts to secure effective legislation and encourage our people in educational, industrial and commercial enterprise
• To foster the production of writing and statistics relating to our people everywhere
• To raise funds for forwarding these purposes

Source: The adventures of a Victorian troublemaker: Henry Sylvester Williams

LET’S GET INSPIRED

Bob Marley on knowing your history:

“If you know, if you know your history

Then you would know where you’re coming from

Then you wouldn’t have to ask me

Who the hell I think I am.”

Source: Buffalo Soldier, by Bob Marley & the Wailers

Thank you for reading and please share with your network.

Let’s get to work!

AfriKili

Akili ya Kiafrika ya Kuijenga Afrika Mpya!*** African Intelligence to Build a New Africa!*** Intelligence Africaine pour Construire une Nouvelle Afrique!”