Join us for Storytelling as Nation Building, a talk with leading Nigerian writers on the eve of Nigeria’s 2023 election.

Nigeria Influences the Black Globe

As the epicenter of both Black genius and Black depravity, the fate of Nigeria will ultimately impact every Black person on the planet. On the eve of Nigeria’s 2023 election, one of the most anticipated in history, prominent Nigerian storytellers will discuss the power of storytelling as a nation-building apparatus in a panel hosted by the Yale Nigerian Students Association alongside NOIR FEST.

Featuring: Lande Yoosuf, Caleb Femi and David Hundeyin. Moderated by Olori Lolade Aliyu-Siyonbola

The State of the Nation

2020’s global END SARS Movement culminated in the Lekki Tollgate Massacre. The Nigerian government opened fire on peaceful protesters, murdering several innocent youth. This devastation catalyzed a powerful new wave of political engagement from Nigeria’s Gen Z & Millennials, who launched and re-launched a number of political organizations with an eye on the 2023 election.

These efforts were expected to deliver sweeping changes across the country with the upcoming election, but the country continues to devolve deeper into chaos as the election nears. Cash scarcity, fuel scarcity, soaring prices are just some of the devastations affecting everyday Nigerians.

How can this generation live up to its mandate as the “Turning Point Generation” , transforming the on-ground reality into the Black paradise so many of us dream of? We believe storytelling has a tremendous role to play.

The Role of Stories

Across the ocean–and across the globe–Nigerian talent continues to drive creative movements in music, fine art, fashion, tech and many more industries, with their impact felt across races and generations. The story they collectively tell is in sharp contrast to the suffering of everyday Nigerians, yet it is deliberately creating new possibilities, forging new partnerships that ultimately make a difference on ground.

This is how storytelling shapes our future.

As noted in the HarperCollins anthology, Of this Our Country—which inspired this panel, telling the story of Nigeria is a national project in which many voices convey their personal experience.

There is no singular Nigerian narrative. With that same thinking, it follows that the story of Nigeria’s Liberated future too lies in the voices of all of us. It is national project evoking our dreams for the land that birthed a trillion bold stories.

So Nigerian a practice, storytelling would seem the perfect salve for a nation in turmoil. Through the eyes of prominent Nigerian storytellers, we’ll explore the historical impact of the discipline on Nigeria’s political landscape and the possibilities it holds for shaping the future of the world’s most populous and impactful Black nation.

Join us in person for free at WLH on Yale’s campus, or online via Zoom by getting a free ticket here.

Pictured above: Aunts et Uncles

NOIR FEST WEEK is coming up, from Feb 24th to Mar 3rd and as the Chief Curator here, I had to use this opportunity to highlight the best parts of my favorite city in the world.

I came to Brooklyn in 2006 with nothing but a carry-on suitcase and a hopeful heart. In just a few years, I gained a husband, a child, a 3-bedroom townhouse and an incredible community. My child and community continued with me on the journey when I left NY for years to do grad school at Yale and Cambridge, traveling much of the world along the way. Now, returning to this city that gave me so much life and love, I still see it as the best city in the world, and I need more people to see it the way I do.

I hung out with some well-off Nigerian American friends visiting NY from Austin one summer who trashed New York’s food and whose plans for their family tour included the Met but not MoCADA, pizza but not ackee and saltfish, and they had no clue about the African cultural presence in NY. I was appalled. I knew I had to do something. It took a while, but that something will be my Tour of Black NY, available soon on Airbnb experiences and launching Feb 25 during NOIR FEST WEEK.

That Lover Called NYC

I have an intimate love affair with this city. When I first moved here, I heard a quote that the best way to know a city is to get lost in it. I did that over and over and over again. I’m a walker, and I would walk for hours, getting lost in Brooklyn and Manhattan every single chance I got. I also worked many different jobs in this city, jobs that called for extensive travel across boroughs.

What this led me to was discoveries of communities that I couldn’t have otherwise found, gems that color the city with a filter that is unapologetically high-vibrational, creative, visionary and worldmaking. And unapologetically Black. For some these might be things that are duh about New York, but for many as I’ve seen, there is complete ignorance about the power, beauty and high-vibration of certain elements of Black NY. I feel a responsibility to share and document these treasures while they are accessible and available to us all.

What’s There to See?

First is food. I don’t eat garbage food, so just know that this is a tour for folks who like to nourish their bodies with premium, high-vibrational foods and energy, getting service with LOVE. I’ll share the three restaurants that I can not fail to visit any time I’m in BK.

I’ll also share where I get my creative juices flowing, where I get my soul nourishment, who’s high vibrational adornment I can’t get enough of and more. To experience social innovation through high-quality food, art, music, fashion, spatial design and much more from the best of Black-owned NY, this tour—and it’s accompanying Tour of Black New York Database—will become your go-to.

The database will document high quality Black NY businesses, non-profits and social enterprises. Our primary focus for now is to direct you to where you can get products, services and experiences that will upgrade your life.

History in the Making

We also want you to connect with the AMAZING individuals that sacrifice so much to build businesses that truly upgrade lives, and the planet, in whatever ways they can. On the live walking tour, you’ll learn a brief history of these businesses and their impact on the communities they serve while you experience their most amazing offerings.

We’ll also use the opportunity to explore the history of Black Brooklyn and of how gentrification has impacted Black wealth.

I’ll also point out historical sites, streets named for slave-owners, and areas that were or are currently predominantly held by Black land-owners and where significant historical moments occurred.

One of my primary goals with this tour is to add to the mosaic of Brooklyn’s Blackness by excavating the stories of recent African and Caribbean immigrants who have contributed immensely to Brooklyn’s culture, building on legendary Black American contributions.

To experience the first Tour, join us at NOIR FEST WEEK for the Saturday, Feb 25 tour!

We’ll start at 11AM at Meme’s Healthy Nibbles (707 Nostrand Ave btw Park & Sterling Pl). Dress warm, wear comfortable walking shoes and bring some funds to invest in Black owned businesses. You will also need an unlimited Metrocard.

To know about future tours (and get other perks), join our mailing list here.

Stay blessed!

Olori