United Nations Headquarters to Host DPI/NGO Briefing on Musical Journey of African Diaspora, 14 April

The United Nations Department of Public Information will host a briefing to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on 14 April, on “The Musical Journey of the African Diaspora”, in Conference Room 11 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Organized by the Education Outreach Section in partnership with the Department’s NGO Relations and Advocacy Section, the event is part of the 2016 commemorative activities for the Remember Slavery Programme.

The briefing will highlight the musical traditions of the African Diaspora in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America, and trace the journey from its roots in Africa to its present form as a consequence of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  Moderating the panel discussion will be Marta Moreno Vega, Founder and President of the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) and adjunct professor at New York University’s Department of Arts and Public Policy.  Panellists will include Professor Craig Boyd, Professor of Music at Suffolk County Community College, who will be assisted by Hui Guo-Boyd; Peter Manuel, Professor of Ethnomusicology at John Jay College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York; and Melissa Gonzalez, Professor of World Music and Western Art Music at Hunter College and Montclair State University.

This event is part of a series organized around the theme “Remember Slavery:  Celebrating the Heritage and Culture of the African Diaspora and its Roots” by the United Nations Remember Slavery programme throughout 2016.  Its aim is to increase awareness about the rich African culture and traditions that have impacted life in countries that were involved in the slave trade and where the African Diaspora continues to make major contributions in all aspects of life.

Established by the General Assembly in 2007, the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme honours the memory of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade.  Its purpose is to provide an understanding of the causes, consequences and lessons of the slave trade, as well as raise awareness of the dangers of racism and prejudice today.

Contact:  Remember Slavery Programme, Omyma David at e-mail:  david17@un.org.