African Diaspora Research Articles

Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing Care for Historically Marginalized Communities Affected by Parkinson Disease: A Qualitative Study.

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. Members of the Black Diaspora (MBD) and Hispanic/Latinx people are less likely to receive a timely diagnosis following the onset of symptoms and more likely to experience greater disease severity due to late diagnosis. Historically marginalized populations (i.e., MBD, Hispanic, and Latinx communities) are not accurately represented in research; this, along with many other barriers, compounds underreporting and lack of recognition of PD. It is important to understand barriers to early diagnosis and healthcare access for these historically marginalized populations from the community's perspective. Our team conducted two focus groups to identify barriers and facilitators to PD healthcare-seeking behavior. We sought to identify which barriers are modifiable to ultimately improve engagement in neurological care for MBD and Hispanic individuals affected by PD. We enrolled 15 participants (13 female; African/African American/Black n = 10, Hispanic/Puerto Rican n = 3, other n = 2) for two focus groups. Discussions revealed sources of barriers to healthcare-seeking behavior in three main domains: legacy of racism in the United States, ancestral cultural environment, and healthcare system access. These sources influenced individuals' PD knowledge and familiarity. Additionally, participants expressed a desire to know more about PD and called for increased community-based programming for education and awareness. This paper uses a community-based participatory research approach to describe the experiences of MBD, Hispanic, and Latinx people in Manhattan and the surrounding areas in relation to possible sources of healthcare disparities and delayed PD diagnosis. These sources have broad implications and should be addressed through collaborative community programming.

Las poetas afrocolombianas del Pacífico y la reconstrucción del territorio: una mirada desde la filosofía africana, la teoría ecocrítica africana y el ecowomanism

Afro-Colombian women poets, by their poetry, reveal the relationship of human beings with their environment They present the interconnection and interdependence of all living and non-living beings, and show how the protection and care of the environment are key aspects for humanity. In this paper, I analyze the poetry works of Sonia Nadhezda Truque and María Elcina Valencia Córdoba whose poems reflect their experiences and views on the environment affected by violence, displacement, and the conditions of race, gender, and class. I contend that both poets demonstrate an ethic and interconnection with their territories, evidencing their cosmovision of the self and their connection with the earth and nature, as reflected in the African environmental philosophy. I argue that within their poetry, there are aspects of African-ecocriticism and ecowomanism theories due to their experience as environmental activists, women, and members of the African Diaspora.

Singing Blackness

In this article I propose the exploration of racial discourse in recent Black Caribbean rap and hip-hop productions. Rap and hip-hop are often used as a sociopolitical tool that—through writing and language—achieve to create activist movements. Specifically, I study the work of the Cuban hip-hop group Obsesión [Obsession] and of Cuban rapper Robe L Ninho and the work of Dominican rappers Circuito Negro and JNoa. I particularly focus on some of their songs that make of the genre an opportunity to approach the racial topic in their communities and a way to celebrate Blackness. This way, these hip-hop and rap songs break the most commercial, common, and expected pattern of lyrics that focus on topics that oversexualize the female (Black) body, that often objectify women, and that reproduce a patriarchal and heteronormative discourse. Instead, these songs, through the topics that they explore, aim to create community and craft a space for social activism. They do so, for example, by singing about hair (Obsesión and Robe L Ninho) and by singing about their Afro-Caribbean communities and their existence as Black people in their neighborhoods (Circuito Negro, JNoa). Among a variety of tracks, I mainly focus on songs that are connected in topic and that represent a continuumin the production of approximately the last decade. So, for example I analyze the songs “Los pelos [Hair]” by Obsesión (2014) and “N.E.G.R.O. [N.E.G.R.O.]” by Robe L Ninho (2022) that focus on Afro hair, celebrate the beauty of it, and denounce the prejudices against it almost a decade apart from each other. Then, I focus on the song “Revolufunk” by Circuito Negro (2011) and the song “Qué fue[What Happened?]” (2022) by JNoa. In this case also there is a generational gap between the artists that symbolize both the evolution of the genre and the consistency of the topics that they cover and that are connected to Blackness. In addition to the racial discourse and the connection of topics across the last decade, these songs also create an inter-Caribbean discourse that transcends the concept of nation and nationality and instead identifies with and shapes a message for Black Spanish-speaking Caribbean people. These songs reveal a poetic that adds urban sounds to a spoken word tradition and that mixes writing, oral tradition, and language in lieu to create a sociopolitical activist movement for Afro-Caribbean people. Also, by focusing on race in countries where the Black communities are often made invisible, they shed light on minorities that usually are relegated to the lowest layers of society. Thus, through their music, these artists raise awareness on their Blackness and on their communities, but they also create a transversal Afro-Caribbean narrative that connects and creates a sense of community among Blacks in the Caribbean in their native Spanish language. This study, so, represents an opportunity to shift a US-centered discourse on Blackness and race and opens new ways of living and understanding the African diaspora in other geographies.

Linguistic hostility, social exclusion, and the agency of African migrants in Hong Kong

Abstract Long an immigrant society, whether Hong Kong welcomes ethnic minorities remains debatable. Combining Wesselmann and colleagues’ (2016) social exclusion framework, raciolinguistics, and interview data, this study investigates the social exclusion experience of Hong Kong's African economic and student migrants. The findings show that African immigrants who lack linguistic capacity are ostracised in different areas of life. Impolite language usage stigmatises them as poor and ghost-like and stereotypes them as refugees. Taking a raciolinguistic perspective, however, this study finds that race, rather than language, is the root cause of social exclusion. Lastly, the study shows that African migrants manifest agency in ameliorating marginalisation through various activities, revealing the bidirectional nature of social exclusion. Overall, this study empirically enriches the current understanding of Africans’ social exclusion experiences in Hong Kong through the lens of language. It theoretically contributes to the current discussion on raciolinguistics by extending it to the Asian context. (Social exclusion, Hong Kong, African immigrants, verbal rejection, non-verbal rejection, racism, raciolinguistics)*

Summer (Somewhere) in the City

This (found) poem in three acts creates a conversation between Stuart Hall and Danez Smith, situated in the larger context of the long struggle for Black livingness. First comes the warning, descriptions of the violent now; HERE. Act II is a re-reading or re-writing of the secret codes of slavery and anti-Black violence, a play and exchange between realities and imaginaries, the tensions in Black social life; WHERE. The closing act insists that we dream of something different, a nod to a life Stuart Hall tried to write into existence, a life that his work is still writing; SOMEWHERE. By putting Stuart Hall in posthumous conversation with Danez Smith, I perform the kind of imaginary geographic maneuvering that characterizes Hall’s study, expanding the transatlantic and cross-generational capacity of cultural studies. Such a study, in a world where the African diaspora has been made commodity, is critical to the making of a world where Black(s) live(s) (matter).

Community-based participatory research approach to address health care disparities confronting members of the Black Diaspora with Parkinson’s disease

Community-based participatory research approach to address health care disparities confronting members of the Black Diaspora with Parkinson’s disease

Online Health Information-Seeking Behaviour among People of African Descent in the United Kingdom: A Qualitative Study.

Effective public health interventions rely on understanding how individuals access, interpret, and utilise health information. Studying the health information-seeking behaviour (HISB) of a community can provide valuable insights to inform strategies that address community health needs and challenges. This study explored the online HISBs of People of African Descent (PoAD) in the United Kingdom (UK), a demographic that comprises four percent of the UK population and has a 92.8% active Internet usage rate. Data on the HISB were collected from 21 PoAD across various UK regions through online semi-structured interviews before being analysed using reflexive Thematic Analysis (TA). The participants ranged in age from 20 to 70 years and had a mean age of 42.8 (SD ± 11.4). Our analysis of the interview transcripts revealed five key themes: Internet usage and preferences, attitudes toward social media, barriers to seeking health information online, trust in online health information, and cultural influences on online HISB. Our findings indicate a proactive engagement among PoAD in seeking health information online that is underscored by a preference for professional sources over ethnic congruence. However, concerns about misinformation exist, and there are barriers to accessing health information online, including data privacy, unreliable information, and information relevance and overload. We also found that cultural factors and traditional beliefs impact the adoption of Internet-based interventions among PoAD, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive approaches. Preferences regarding the frequency and delivery of online health information varied among participants, with a majority preferring a weekly update. This study emphasises the critical need for accessible, culturally appropriate, secure, and reliable online health resources tailored to the needs and preferences of the PoAD.

Navigating Identities in Flux: Exploring Diasporic Black Identity Issues in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah

This paper critically explores the concept of identity in diaspora literature through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, highlighting the identity crises and rebuilding efforts of the African diaspora within a postcolonial context. It examines the challenges faced by these individuals, such as racial discrimination, isolation, and prejudice in Western societies, and how they impact their quest for belonging. Utilizing identity theory, the study analyzes the experiences of characters like Ifemelu, Obinze, Uju, and Dike to understand their struggles with cultural displacement and the search for identity in either their homeland or abroad. Adichie’s narrative emphasizes the importance of maintaining cultural identity and self-confidence against the backdrop of global diaspora challenges. The paper concludes by recognizing Adichie’s significant impact on altering global views of Africa and her efforts to enhance African cultural pride, positioning her work as a key contribution to the discourse on diaspora and identity. Through Americanah, Adichie offers a profound insight into the diasporic experience, promoting a richer, more nuanced understanding of cultural diversity in our interconnected world.

An exploration of the social determinants of the health and well-being among older African immigrants living in San Diego. A socio-ecological approach

Background As immigration continues to be a global phenomenon, the number of aging immigrants will increase. There is a knowledge gap in the United States on the social determinants of health among older immigrants, especially the older refugee population. We aimed to explore the social determinants of health among older African immigrants living in San Diego, California, and to suggest strategies that can inform the design of health-promoting interventions. Methods We employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 11 participants (nine females and two males). We used deductive thematic analysis to explore and analyse the factors that influence their health and well-being based on the five levels of the socio-ecological model (individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public policy). Results Participants were aged between 62 and 90 years; eight participants had arrived as refugees. Thematic analysis resulted in the following themes within the five levels: individual (pre-migration and migration experiences and impact on health, aging-related health decline, sedentary lifestyle, side effects of medications,language barrier); interpersonal (social support and social participation); organizational (access to healthcare and support services, transportation, - disruption to services due to COVID-19, perception of healthcare and support services); community (social, emotional and practical support, connecting older adults to services) and public policy (financial barriers, immigration policies and legal status). Conclusions Given the distinct linguistic and cultural backgrounds coupled with the unique health needs of our study participants, there is a need for diverse and complementary interventions that seek to build a sense of community and social support for older adults. Such interventions ought to be co-developed with immigrant communities and local organizations to ensure cultural acceptability and effectiveness. Crucially needed are immigration policies that consider the unique situation of older immigrants from low-income backgrounds to ensure equitable access to health and social care services.

"The Children Are Not Controllable Because They Follow Western Values" - Narratives of the Parenting Experiences of African Immigrants in Alberta, Canada.

African immigrants are moving to high-income nations such as Canada in greater numbers in search of a better life. These immigrants frequently struggle with several issues, including limited social support, shifts in gender roles/status, cultural conflicts with their children, and language barriers. We used participatory action research (PAR) to gather data about Sub-Saharan African immigrants residing in Alberta, Canada, with a focus on their viewpoints, difficulties, and experiences of parenting children in Canada. We contextualized our study and its findings using both postcolonial feminism and transnationalism approaches. Study findings show African immigrant parents place a high priority on respect between generations. The absence of assistance, conflicts caused by culture, and language barriers are notable difficulties they encountered in parenting. An additional factor is a lack of acquaintance with and comprehension of the culture of their new home nation. Several implications stem from our findings, including the need for interventional research that explores effective, culturally relevant strategies for enhancing parenting among African immigrants. Our findings demonstrate the need for culturally sensitive policies and practices that support the transition and integration of African immigrant families into Canadian society. It is imperative for health care providers and policy makers to develop and revise culturally appropriate policies that take into consideration the importance of African immigrants in destination countries. Adopting culturally relevant policies and practices will improve the wellbeing of this growing but underprivileged minority of Canadians.

Positive and negative intergroup contact and newcomer immigrants' psychological adjustment.

The present research investigates the associations between immigrants' positive and negative contact with the majority group and their psychological well-being, as indicators of their psychosocial adjustment to the host society. Perceived personal discrimination and relative deprivation in comparison to the majority group are assessed as mediators of the associations between intergroup contact and psychological well-being. We conducted a three-wave longitudinal study with newcomer African immigrants living in Italy (N = 240; 61.7% men) with age ranging from 18 to 40 years old. Evidence showed that, across three waves, immigrants' negative contact with Italian natives was longitudinally associated with lower well-being and positive intergroup contact. In turn, well-being was related to immigrants' lower perceptions of relative deprivation across waves. Positive contact with Italian natives was not significantly associated with immigrants' well-being, but it was associated with higher perceived relative deprivation, which was associated with lower well-being. Overall, the results provide insight into the links between differently valenced contact and the psychological well-being of newcomer immigrants. Furthermore, the findings address assumptions about the primacy of negative contact in undermining social attitudes and the important role of positive contact in promoting awareness of the disadvantaged group's situation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Long-term benefits to psychological health and well-being after ceremonial use of Ayahuasca in Middle Eastern and North African immigrants and refugees.

Refugees and immigrants can experience complex stressors from the process of immigration that can have lasting and severe long-term mental health consequences. Experiences after ayahuasca ingestion are shown to produce positive effects on psychological wellbeing and mental health, including anecdotal reports of improved symptoms of trauma and related disorders. However, data on the longitudinal health impact of naturalistic ayahuasca use in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant and refugee populations is limited. The current longitudinal online survey study was conducted to gather prospective data on ceremonial ayahuasca use in a group (N = 15) of primarily female MENA immigrants and refugees and to provide further insight into the patterns and outcomes surrounding that use. The study sought to assess self-reported changes in physical and mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, examine relationships between aspects of individual mindset (e.g., psychedelic preparedness) prior to ayahuasca use and observed outcomes during (e.g., subjective drug effects) and afterwards (i.e., persisting effects), characterize risks and negative experiences, and describe trauma exposure and personal history. Our findings revealed ceremonial use of ayahuasca is associated with significant improvements in mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, including reductions in depression, anxiety, and shame, and increases in cognitive reappraisal and self-compassion. Most participants reported no lasting adverse effects and experienced notable positive behavioral changes persisting months after ingestion. While preliminary, results suggest naturalistic ayahuasca use might hold therapeutic potential for MENA populations exposed to trauma prior to and during the process of migration.

Does health insurance participation matter in shaping African immigrants' physical health in Guangzhou, China? The role of mental health

AbstractChina is a burgeoning immigrant‐receiving country, and policies on immigration are just beginning to be developed. While African immigration to China was uncommon 30 years ago, China has gradually become a major destination for African immigrants due to its robust economy, welcoming universities, and low cost of living. Currently, there are increasing numbers of African students and professionals who are migrating to China to study or work. The health status of African migrants in China shapes their wellbeing, which plays a key role in strengthening long‐term cooperative relations between China and African countries. Although previous literature has examined the socioeconomic status of these African immigrants, the role of health insurance participation in shaping the health status of African immigrants remains obscure in China. Using data from the 2019 questionnaire‐survey in Guangzhou, China, this paper investigates the underlying mechanism driving African immigrants' health insurance participation as critical to their physical and mental health. Our results demonstrate that health insurance participation is a pivotal factor in the overall health of African immigrants; specifically, purchasing health insurance and one's mental and physical health can be characterised as a feedback loop. Purchasing health insurance can positively impact mental health, and consequently, better mental health can improve physical health. Good physical health also tends to bolster mental health. Therefore, policies aimed at improving African immigrants' mental and physical health are expected to encourage them to purchase health insurance above their present low level of insurance participation. The proposal here is that health policymaking for immigrants should include the interaction mechanism between physical and mental health rather than focus only on physical health conditions.

Depression and loneliness among Sub-Saharan immigrants living in the greater Paris area: results from the MAKASI empowerment stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial.

The MAKASI intervention aimed to empower Sub-Saharan African immigrants living in precarious situations in the Paris metropolitan area. Because there are factors specifically related to immigration that may increase the risk for common mental disorders, the present study aimed to examine participants' levels of depression and loneliness and analyze the effect of the intervention on depression and loneliness. The MAKASI study was designed as a stepped wedge cluster randomized trial. Study participants were recruited through an outreach program led by a nongovernmental organization and randomly assigned to two clusters, with an intervention delay of 3months between them. Participants were assessed for 6months after inclusion and the effect of the intervention on depression and loneliness was assessed using generalized linear mixed models. The study was conducted from 2018 to 2021 and took in consideration whether being interviewed during one of the Covid-19 confinement had an effect on the results. Between 2018 and 2021 a total of 821 subjects participated in the Makasi study. High levels of depression and loneliness were found in the study population. We found no effect of the intervention on depression [95% CI 0.77 to 2.40]. Similarly, no effect of the intervention was found on loneliness [95% CI 0.87 to 2.54]. The intervention tested did not appear to improve the level of depression and loneliness among participants. However, the high prevalence of mental and emotional problems in the study population suggests a public health crisis among immigrants in the greater Paris area. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04468724 (July 13, 2020).

Abstract LB336: The African Cancer Atlas: Leveraging African data to diversify precision oncology

Abstract Africa has some of the highest age adjusted cancer mortality rates globally and cancer incidence in Africa is expected to double by 2040. Despite this disproportionate burden of disease, African cancer patients are woefully understudied along the cancer continuum. People of African descent are significantly underrepresented in cancer research, accounting for less than 3% of globally available genomic data and are often the least well served by advances in precision medicine.To address this gap, we have initiated the African Cancer Atlas project. This is an Africa-centred approach to overcoming cancer inequities - providing much needed biological and clinical data, but also seeking to identify and address the social determinants of inequities both within the continent and between high and low-middle income countries (LMIC). We have established an oncology partner network across 9 geographically dispersed African countries (Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Tunisia). We have developed LMIC-specific standardised protocols and best practices for sample collection and processing across multiple sites and continue to build a well-annotated bank of tissue, plasma, bone marrow and PBMC from individuals with breast, prostate, gastrointestinal cancers, liver, urinogenital and pediatric cancers that will be unrivalled in its diversity. So far, 1800 cancer samples have been collected and banked. We have also built a unique cloud-based clinical data management platform to facilitate the collection of longitudinal clinical metadata into a unified clinico-demographic database. We have initiated extensive genomic and molecular profiling of African-specific cancers using whole exome/genome sequencing (WES/WGS) of paired germline and tumour samples as well as RNA- sequencing of tumors. We have so far completed the first 200 WES, representing the first cancer samples sequenced entirely on the African continent. Ongoing work is investigating how population-specific genetic variation contributes to cancer risk, identifying driver mutations, somatic copy number alterations (SCNAs) and mutational signatures that can point to disease-relevant environmental exposures or impaired core biological pathways. Comparative analysis with existing cancer genomics cohorts will determine the prevalence of known hotspot mutations, cancer drivers and or common SCNAs in African cancer genomes. By comparing with available data for African Americans and other diasporan Africans, we will provide better understanding of cancer aetiology related to African ancestry applicable to the broader African diasporic communities in other regions of the world. We are also collecting data to assess socio-economic and health system factors affecting access to cancer care and survival across all study sites. Socio-demographic data collection is integrated with tissue/biodata collection creating digital longitudinal hospital-based cohorts. We will develop systems that integrate genomics, molecular demographics and clinical data with machine learning and a publicly accessible portal for data access and analytics will be available for the broader scientific community. Ultimately, this project will contribute towards better understanding of cancer among people of African descent and make precision oncology more effective for diverse populations. Citation Format: Yaw Bediako, Joyce Ngoi, Ruth Kiome, Seth Agyemang, Stephen Darkoh, Audrey Lemacon, Aida Manu, Frank Onyambu, Kanny Diallo, Lily Paemka, David Hutchful, Emmanuella Amoako, Abdoulaye Diallo. The African Cancer Atlas: Leveraging African data to diversify precision oncology [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB336.

Abstract LB138: Quality of life impact on cancer screening in Black subgroups

Abstract Introduction Blacks have the poorest cancer outcomes with the highest incidence and mortality. Preliminary studies led by the African Caribbean Consortium (AC3) show that Blacks are diverse with distinct cancer risks and outcomes. It is clear that cancer screening is critical to prevention, and population patterns of screening are dictated by complex and multilevel factors including cost, access and health system as well as personal factors. These personal characteristics, especially considering Black diversity, are particularly understudied. Hence, this study seeks to describe cancer screening patterns in Black subgroups, especially considering the influence of quality of life (QOL). Methods This study drew data from the community-engaged AC3-Cancer Prevention Project (CAP3) targeting diverse Blacks. Specifically, we sought to identify associations between QOL measured by CDC Physical and Mental Health; Perceived Stress, and self-reported cancer screenings breast, prostate, cervical and colon cancers. Cancer screening rates were stratified by African Americans (AfA) and African (AfI) and African-Caribbean (AfC) immigrants. Descriptive analyses and Fisher’s Exact test were conducted. Results There were 263 AfA, 103 AfI, and 174 AfC. Overall, cancer screening rates were consistently above 50%. Distinct QOL variables were associated with cancer screening patterns with some variability by Black sub-group. Better Mental Health e.g., wellbeing (p=0.01) and energy (p=0.04) are related to mammogram uptake for all subgroups. Better energy (p=0.03) and lower life-burden (p=0.01) showed significant associations with mammogram for AfAs. For AfCs, Mental Health- depressive symptomatology was significantly related to breast- (p=0.04), prostate- (p=0.03), and colorectal- cancer screening (p=0.03). For AfI, Stress was significantly related to colorectal cancer screening (p=0.01). Discussion Results demonstrated QOL variables, especially those related to mental health e.g., depressive symptomatology and lack of life control influenced cancer screening among AfC and AfI, respectively than other subgroups. While among AfA screening patterns were more heavily influenced by mental health aspects on the empowerment domain e.g., energy and burden. This novel, discovery science study suggests the importance of interaction between QOL, in particular mental wellbeing, self-and health efficacy and life-burden, and cancer screening. Findings highlight Black heterogeneity–encompassing diverse ethnic and cultural subgroups–with distinct influencers of cancer screening patterns; all requiring urgent scientific attention and research prioritization to address pressing Black cancer vulnerability and disparities, particularly qualitative exploration of these relationships among the Black diasporas. Citation Format: Camille Ragin, Kimlin T. Ashing, Gaole Song, Elizabeth Blackman, Denise Gibbs, Zhongxuan He, Sharon Harrison, Jomel Meeko Manzano, Olivia Theard, Marshall Tulloch-Reid. Quality of life impact on cancer screening in Black subgroups [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 2 (Late-Breaking, Clinical Trial, and Invited Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(7_Suppl):Abstract nr LB138.

When the homo deamon went digital: writing Africa’s transgender refugee diaspora

Abstract From an online African lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) news and information website, launched in 2000, called Behind the Mask (BtM) to Sokari Ekine’s foundational 2004 blog Blacklooks, the digital has been crucial to queer African studies and, indeed, queer Africa. In this brief exploration, I navigate through the realms of queer African studies, African digital humanities, and African literary studies, using them as my guiding framework to uncover the digital emergence of an African transgender refugee diaspora. I suggest that this diaspora is producing content explicitly aimed back at the African continent to shape and deploy the reality of what it means to be transgender and African. In so doing, they are actively authoring themselves into existence.

Tumba Francesa: Kinetic and linguistic archive of the African diaspora

ABSTRACT Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, Tumba Francesa is a cultural manifestation brought to Cuba with the Haitian revolution (1789–1805) incorporating the kinetic vocabulary of European court dances as well as different elements of African origin. It represents a memorial archive which includes dance, music, religion, and language in their transit from Africa to Haiti and then to Cuba, passing through the codes of European court dances. The lyrics of the songs develop from a Kreyòl base into a complex patois, while dance and music also develop from a ritual code into a syncretic court dance. This study will reinforce the importance of oral culture, as the study of performing culture in the Caribbean allows us to tell stories that belong to “the realm of the beyond” (Bhabha) that belong to those who could not speak, and that official history would not tell.

Ray Kea and the Historians of the Gold Coast: Debates Over Continuity and Rupture in African and African Diaspora Atlantic Histories

The central role of Gold Coast societies, ports, and cities in the emerging Atlantic circuit is critical to understanding the history of the Atlantic world. The study of the causes and effects of Gold Coast societies’ transition from African polities and economies to transatlantic entrepots and trading emporiums and their subsequent impact on the Americas has been the hallmark of Ray Kea's scholarship. Since the beginning of his career, Kea has been a significant contributor to the study of the African Atlantic, and the field's various debates and disciplinary evolutions. While many scholars of the Gold Coast recognize Kea's work as foundational to scholarship on the Gold Coast, engagement with his work has not been rigorous. Kea is often cited in bibliographies and aspects of his work have served as benchmarks for other forays into Gold Coast histories. However, there is a need to go beyond an appreciation for Kea as a trailblazer, passing reference of his scholarship, and bibliographic citation of his work to a more thorough and consistent discourse with his major ideas and propositions. Kea has been, for example, adept at integrating innovations and ideas in various disciplinary arenas. He dexterously applies Marxist and postmodernist theories, diverse historiographies of the Atlantic world, and conceptual tools to traditional archival and oral historical data in his analyses of Gold Coast and diasporic societies. This review essay argues for Kea's importance and the need for a deeper engagement with his work in the field by putting his work into conversation with both classic Atlantic historiographies and recent scholarship that has built off Kea's.

Exploring the dietary practices and perceptions of African immigrants in Illinois- a qualitative study of immigrants from Nigeria and Congo

ABSTRACT Objective Previous studies suggest an increased prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases among African immigrants with increased length of stay in the U.S. The objective of the current study is to understand the dietary practices and perceptions of recent African immigrant families. Design Focus group sessions were conducted with Nigerian and Congolese immigrant parents residing in Illinois. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling methods and focus group sessions were conducted via videoconference. Participants discussed dietary practices, meal preparation, and family mealtimes for their families. They also discussed experiences with eating different kinds of foods since arrival in the U.S. Verbatim transcription of focus group sessions were completed and deductive thematic analysis of transcribed data was conducted using NVivo (QSR International Pty Ltd. [2020] NVivo [version 12]). Results Twenty African immigrant parents (Mean age: 42 years, Female: 95%) residing in Northern and Central Illinois participated in a total of five focus group sessions. Seven themes were derived from the analysis. Participants had a positive attitude toward healthy diet and had a high level of interest in receiving educational resources to make healthier food choices. Participants preferred and mostly consumed foods they were familiar with before migration. A majority of the participants perceived ‘American foods’ as unhealthy, characterizing them as containing a high amount of sugar and salt. Parents reported that their school-aged children often preferred a western diet over traditional African meals. Conclusion This study helps to understand unique diet-related practices and perceptions of recent Nigerian and Congolese African immigrants in Illinois. Findings could help to inform cultural adaptation of evidence-based nutrition education programs for these groups of African immigrants.