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The United States of Africa.
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| Article Type: | Poem |
| Author: | Johnson-Redd, Larry Ukali |
| Pub Date: | 11/01/2010 |
| Publication: | Name: Journal of Pan African Studies Publisher: Journal of Pan African Studies Audience: Academic Format: Magazine/Journal Subject: Social sciences Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2010 Journal of Pan African Studies ISSN: 0888-6601 |
| Issue: | Date: Nov, 2010 Source Volume: 4 Source Issue: 1 |
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| Accession Number: | 306754372 |
| Full Text: |
Larry Ukali Johnson-Redd (ljredd52@aol.com) has a B.A. in Political
Science and Ethnic Studies (University of San Francisco), a M.P.A.
(Golden Gate University), an administrative credential, and a M.A. in
Educational Administration (San Francisco State University). He is also
the author of The Black Expatriate in Africa (1982), Journey to the
Motherland: From San Francisco to Benin City (2002), History to Destiny
Through Afrocentric Poetry (2003), Loving Black Women (2006), and Long
Distance Love (2010), an autobiographical love story about a struggling
writer-school administrator who travels to Nigeria after a 24 year
absence. In the context of Long Distance Love this poet, writer and school administrator sits in his principal or site leader's office and dreams about returning to Nigeria and writing a new novel. A good Nigerian friend then decides to introduce him to his niece in Lagos, Nigeria. The relationship blossoms online, through the telephones and through letters. Ukali travels to Nigeria for the first time in 24 years to meet his lovely fiance to be. While he waits and goes through the finance visa process, he writes some of the most beautiful poetry ever written while professing his love to Ese. Ese is younger than Ukali. Eventually a visa is given after 4 years and his young fiance arrives, only to get cold feet and returns to Nigeria. While in Nigeria Ukali flies to his beloved Benin City and upcountry to a village called Ubiaja in Edo State in Nigeria, 80 miles up country where he runs into twin politician friends whom he had not seen for 24 years. What a friend's reunion! How do you think this story ends? One will need to read to the conclusion to see how this autobiographical love story of an African-American and a Nigerian unfolds. The book and other resources by the author can be accessed at: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt athrdpsr1?encoding=UTF8& search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Larry% 20Ukali%20Johnson-Redd http://www.youtube.com/user/ukalitheafrican http://www.blackplanet.com/your page/videos/ index.html?profile id=39945499&profile name= Ukal2003&user id=39945499&username=Ukal2003 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPz7xAnLF9M http://www.nathanielturner.com/ larryuklaijohnsonreddtable.htm The United States of Africa The Unification Of a strong Black nation made up of all continental African states Is empowerment for liberation Marcus Garvey and Kwame Nkrumah Put it on the table Africa needs growth that is stable The beginning of the end of White Supremacy And the release of New positive African energy Empowered by our own unity Ending feelings of Black inferiority Africa sings a unity song Unite and make Africa strong Somalia are you ready North and South Sudan Ethiopia and Zimbabwe Africa Unite today So get it together In our mind You will find Empowerment for our kind Unity that is homegrown Greater than the world has known Africa uniting on its own To make Africa strong Unite African states Empower the African people not the snakes Follow authentic Africans Ignore the African fakes Though the time has come We have to convince some Nigeria are you ready South Africa are you steady Calling on Ghana, Kenya and the Congo Unite so Africa will be free Mali, Ivory Coast And Senegal Can you hear the call Equatorial Guinea, Bissau and Guinea Conakry Can you feel me What about Libya and Namibia Egypt and Tunisia Angola and Madagascar Tanzania, Zambia and Gambia Will you come together? To empower Africa forever? Together we will end the poverty Empowerment must emerge The product from the African entity More trade with Each other One currency in unity United my sister and my brother More cultural exchanges As we unite in many stages More Black People More Black Land Empowerment and respect the African All Continental African nations All African locations From the islands to the mainland African women and the African man Unite our motherland Empower our African destiny Unite continental African nations As an African Federal State entity African brothers and sisters Hear this call United we stand Divided we fall |
| Gale Copyright: | Copyright 2010 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. |