African Day Parade

African Day Parade founder seeks to unify compatriots
By HEATHER ROBINSON

Wednesday, March 5th 2008, 4:00 AM


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On the third floor of the Harlem State Office Building, groups of young Africans and African-Americans sit at tables, looking through papers, chatting, and taking notes.

"Hey Kone," several say as Mamadou Kone, wearing jeans and a casual gray sweater, strolls past.

As he nods to one and smiles at another, it is clear that Kone, 27, is quietly in charge.

A Harlem resident who hails from the Ivory Coast, Kone is the founder and organizer of the African Day Parade. "I dream big," he says simply.

Through resourcefulness, grit, and pure determination, Kone has built a network of organizations that promote African unity and culture in the U.S. and seek to empower Africans - here and on the continent.

The dozen 20- and 30-somethings who greet him are among 41 volunteers helping plan this year's parade on Aug. 24, and, leading to it, African Week, starting on Aug. 18.

Four years ago, while organizing an African music festival at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, inspiration struck.

"I thought, 'What would make a great impact in uniting the African community in the U.S.?'" says Kone. "A parade!

"When you look at the news, they don't talk about different African communities in the U.S. unless something bad happens. We need positive news.

We have small businesses, we participate in the development of this great city."

Self-financed by Kone - an insurance agent for the HMO WellCare of New York - and a handful of others, last year's first African Day Parade attracted some 2,000 participants and 8,000 spectators to Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. in Harlem, the epicenter of the African community in New York.

Africans from 23 countries and living in many U.S. states marched in traditional dresses, performed dances and played musical instruments like the shkere and the balafon. Participants also prepared typical African foods.

"The parade is getting big," Kone says, though he adds finding financial support is tough. "I don't want it to disappear because of lack of funding, [so] I work all the time."

Billed as "a celebration of African culture," African Week in Harlem includes a fashion show and art contest, a tourism expo, a business networking day, a women's achievement award banquet and a children's festival.

Orlando Rodríguez, liaison for G.A.L.O.S. Corp., which is marketing the parade, says Kone's leader-ship inspired him to volunteer.

"Kone's vision is that of the African Diaspora," says Rodríguez. "He's reaching out to not only people from sub-Saharan Africa but people from places like Haiti, Puerto Rico and Brazil [who] ...inherited a sense of African culture. This is a way of linking people's common culture and finding common ground."
The roots of Kone's leadership stretch back to childhood.

At 10, he moved in with his sister, Nabintou Kone. Because he is the youngest of six, and the only boy, his sister wanted to prevent him from becoming spoiled.

"She wanted to build my character," he says, recalling how she made him do chores like cleaning the house.

"She said, 'To be a leader you have to learn to take care of yourself first,' " he says. "She's a leader, too - independent and strong."

His sister - the second oldest of the siblings - runs programs to empower women back home. "She showed me how to unite and organize people," he says. When he was 15, she had to go to France for medical treatment, and Kone watched her children - ages, 8, 9, and 11 at the time. Caring for his niece and nephews fostered his independence, he believes.

A sprinter in high school, the government of the Ivory Coast sent him to Manhattan Comprehensive High School in Union Square on a track and field scholarship when he was 18.

When he hurt his leg and wasn't able to run competitively, Kone's drive found other outlets.

Still in high school, he completed an internship in video production at Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a public access TV channel. After producing the award-winning documentary "Carpe Diem," about a young New York woman struggling with drug addiction, he helped found The Youth Channel, a public-access TV station for teenagers.

In 2000, he also founded the African Diaspora Education Society (ADES), dedicated to helping Africans in the U.S.

"Lots of Africans here have to spend 12, 14 hours a day working and don't have time to go to school," he says. "But they are so smart. To see them wasting their potential as future leaders bothered me."

The ADES has awarded scholarship money to students attending CUNY's Hostos Community College and the Borough of Manhattan Community College, and helped African org - By HEATHER ROBINSON

AFRICAN DAY PARADE
2070 First Ave. Suite 858
New York, NY 10029
Fax :( 646) 290-6607
www.africandayparade.org „c info@africandayparade.org





FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fore more information contact: Ms. Awa Kamara
Direct Contact 917-667-5204
akamara@africandayparade.org


What: The 2nd Annual African Day Parade 2008

When: Sunday August 24th, 2008 from 12pm ¡V 7pm

Where: New York City, Harlem, N.Y.
126th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Blvd (7th Ave)
African Square to 116th Street & 8th Avenue (Little Africa)


The African Day Parade is the brainchild of young Black & African professionals from diverse backgrounds. The Founder Mamadou Hamed Kone saw not only "a lack of representation on stages from the countries that comprise Africa¡¨, but "an absence of African culture in American festivals and cultural productions as a whole". Together with other key people such as
Masidi Sire Dione (President) and Ouattara Lancina (Secretary General) they have intended that in the coming years, the Parade will become a forum for participating groups to share history and culture.

The Parade promises to be one of the best diverse African cultural events to take
place in New York City. The Parade & Street festival will bring together art & culture
representing Central, North, South, East & West Africa & all of the Diaspora. The breadth of the
artwork extends from music, fashion, design, art folklore, dance & live bands.

This years Theme is ¡§Family & Tradition¡¨. The African Day Parade will be a unique opportunity for the Black & African Community and other communities to showcase their products and celebrate their cultures and traditions as well as sharing with the diverse community of Harlem and the United States.

Many in the world are heralding the dawn of an "African Millennium". Culturally and politically, Africa is poised to undergo more changes and wield more influence in the world than ever before. However, much of what is visually documented about Africa is a view from the outside. We believe that if Africans are given an opportunity to present their art to the world, Africa will gain renewed respect and authentically be given a chance to express her promising future.

The Mission of the African Day Parade is to bring together all people of African descent and to showcase and celebrate the beauty, richness and diversity of African Culture.
To become an internationally acknowledged Parade.
- Ms. Awa Kamara