Happy New Year 2017

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year 2017

A year is gone, another year is here. The year 2016 has been a great year in which I learned a great deal, traveled and grew.

I learned years could be different, but they all were born on January 1^st and would die on December 31^st. As a child, they grew into days, weeks, months, and finally into a year, the year 2016 with its great moments and challenges is coming to the end, as is my stay in Artist in Residence building. It is life, nothing lasts forever.

I met Chicago in 2001, after many years and seasons together, we learned to know each other, went through ups and downs, endured and bonded into friendship, trust and communicated on whatever the season. Today, I am in love with the city and our relationship is not a relationship of convenience, but of unconditional love.

I also learned, you couldn’t love what you didn’t know. Therefore, I learned to know the city and its people by traveling around Chi-town.

The north side of Chicago offers an image of harmony, beauty and diversity. Devon has been offering a recipe of peaceful coexistence between Muslims, Christians, Jews and East Indians religions, and for peace, we stand.

The south side of Chicago is often tarnished by the media, but if you gather the courage and overlook images of empty lots, burning houses and shootings, and visit people’s home; you would be carried by the beautiful African American spirits of hope, resilience and prayers. I hope in the name of justice that we learn to see with our hearts.

At the west of the city, there is a blossom of Latin culture. The Pilsen’s neighborhood with its salsa, mariachi flavors, and Lady Guadalupe protection symbolizes  the child that is here to stay and grow.

At the east side of the city lays lady Michigan with its white and bleu dress which is source of life. She mothers the city of big shoulders with its millions of habitants, and gives us the freedom to walk straight, bike and play near the lake. “We must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.” said Martin Luther King.

In the middle of these diverse neighborhoods stands the loop as a giant baobab tree planted by its father Dusable who settled in 1780 and started trading at the bank of the Chicago River, we shall never forget. It has been 16 years since I met Chicago, the city means a lot to me; despite the fact that, we can be in the same city and live in different realities.

This year, I traveled back to the motherland Guinea, West Africa. On October 2, I arrived in Conakry, it was Independence Day. I met my family, friends and neighbors. Nothing was the same; as Nikos Kazantzakis said “Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.” Therefore, I accepted the new reality that I was a stranger in the city where I used to belong.

I left Conakry on October 5, headed to the land of my ancestors Telimele and assigned myself the task to learn more about my roots and ancestors. I visited sites, took pictures and filmed, listened to griots and elders, and recorded their tales. “In Africa, when an old man dies, it’s a library burning” said Amadou Hampate ba, during this trip, I tried my best to put water on the burning libraries and carry our elders tales and stories with me, so when their journey on earth comes to an end; the next generation will carry on and stop the cycle of burning libraries. After a month of beautiful experience I made it back to Chicago and left part of myself behind. On Wednesday, November 2, 2016, I arrived and I found a city celebrating, Cubs won the World Series!

2016 has also been a year of rebirth of One Heart for Africa Organization. “Try and fail, but don’t fail to try” said Stephen Kaggwa, so we will try to make it work this year for our community in Chicago.

The year of 2016 is gone and 2017 is here now. I am prepared to embrace this year with hope and I am ready to play my little part by carrying my values of peace, justice and freedom for all. As Nikos Kazantzakis said in his book Zorba, The Greek “Life is trouble. Only death is not. To be alive is to unfasten your belt and look for a fight.” I wish you Happy New Year 2017! Be alive and look forward to a good fight!

Sincerely,

 Alpha