Every May, the District celebrates International Cultural Awareness Month through Passport DC, an immersive and cultural experience presented by Events DC, allowing people to travel around the world without leaving the nation’s capital.
As part of the month-long programming, on May 3, more than 60 non-European Union embassies participated in the annual Around the World Embassy Tour, and through artistic and culinary presentations, the African Union (AU) brought Africa to the District, deepening the public’s understanding of the continent’s beauty, intricacies, rich diversity and economic power.
“[Passport DC] provides our African diplomatic community an opportunity to showcase the diverse cultures and food from across the continent,” said AU Ambassador to the U.S., Her Excellency Hilda Suka-Mafudze, as guests flocked to her embassy on Wisconsin Avenue NW. “Local residents, many of whom have never been to Africa, always leave with a better understanding and appreciation of the African continent.”
Countries like Mali, South Sudan, Togo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and more were represented, furthering the AU’s advocacy for an integrated and economically prosperous Africa through strengthening the continent’s relationship with the United States.
From being exposed to countries they may not have known existed to eating food they had never heard of, attendees were transported from Northwest, D.C. to the “Mother Continent” as they walked through the African Union’s doors.
“It’s really nice that we have an opportunity to share the culture that’s within D.C. because [it’s] so diverse, but we don’t get a lot of chances to expose ourselves to all the different people that live here,” said Blessed Sheriff, who attended the event. “Our world is so big, and there are so many different ways to experience… the beauty of life, and I think that’s what this is going to help us see.”
Showcasing Africa’s Diversity on the World Stage
Many people used jewelry, fashion and paintings to provide genuine depictions of the countries they were representing. Through doing so, these contributors aimed to advocate for harmonious global relationships and exhibit Africa in a positive light.
“Art and culture are one of the highest forms of human expression, and I know for a fact that it is a very good medium to make peace with one another,” Louis Jr. Sangare-King, founder of Niani Gallery, told The Informer. “The art and culture of Africa will be a means of communication with the rest of the world.”
Sangare-King, who represented Mali and Liberia, stood behind two tables full of contemporary African silversmith work from his online gallery.
Despite depicting two West African nations, the artisan draws inspiration from all the continent’s regions for his work. From masks to show stopping pendants, he introduced onlookers to a lustrous fusion between traditional and contemporary styles.
Sangare-King’s gallery is a tribute to his mother, Yahne King M. Sangare, who was a pan-African journalist, diplomat and art connoisseur. Through curating a gallery of work inspired by Tuareg, Pende and other styles, Niani’s founder keeps his mother’s spirit alive and continues her mission of introducing the world to African art and culture.
“She represented Africa in a very big capacity,” Sangare-King said about his mother.
Before moving his gallery completely online, Sangare-King was once represented by Elizabeth Jaffee, owner and director of Gallery Article 15, which is one of the few galleries in the U.S. that primarily exhibits contemporary Congolese art.
Jaffee was in attendance, showcasing various works of art from the wide range of Congolese artists featured in her gallery. In highlighting the diverse styles and techniques of emerging artists, Jaffee hopes to challenge any negative perceptions of the DRC and the African continent as a whole.
“There tends to be a very negative image in the U.S. of the DRC in terms of war, poverty [or] corruption, and while those things are true, there’s this whole other side, which is this really incredible art and music scene,” Jaffee told The Informer. “An event like this really is an opportunity… not just for the DRC, but for all the countries here to really showcase that positive image.”
Other countries, like the West African nation of Togo, offered attendees a taste of their culture and customs through a buffet-style display of their most notable dishes, accompanied by a small exhibition of Togolese art and exports such as coffee and shea butter.
Officials from the Togolese embassy, like His Excellency Frederic Edem Hegbe, the Republic of Togo’s ambassador to the USA, and Counselor Kodzovi Medzinyuie, were in attendance and manning the exhibit, educating visitors about the food available. Those interested in eating the cuisine were able to choose from rice and peas, marinated beef, Togolese doughnuts, and more.
Hegbe referred to Togolese food as “the smile of West Africa,” taking pride in his country’s culinary excellence.
“We come from far away, and in the U.S., few people know what Togo is,” Medzinyuie told The Informer. “Our main purpose is to make Togo more known.”
Having taken in all the different countries and cultures, Sheriff was mesmerized by all the AU had to offer and appreciated the fact that in such unprecedented times, African histories and legacies were celebrated through an unwavering devotion to the complexities that form the global Black experience.
“You look around and see all these beautiful colors, all of the beautiful art and the inspiration, beauty and magic that comes out of Africa,” Sheriff told The Informer. “That’s a beautiful message to send, especially now in today’s political climate.”