On Friday November 21, 2008, His Excellency Baba Dudley Thompson and Vice President Dr. Leonard Jeffries of the World Afrikan Diaspora Union (WADU) will speak at the State of the Black World Conference in New Orleans . The Conference will be from November 19-23, 2008.
The State of the Black World Conference is organized by the Institute of the Black World (IBW) under the leadership of Dr. Ron Daniels, former attorney and head of Center for Constitutional Rights in NYC. The Conference will provide an update on the state of the African people in the U.S. and the Pan African world. It will also hold sessions on community organizing, leadership and community development.
During the Conference, President Dudley Thompson (91) will receive a life-time award for his long and legendary role as a leader in the Pan African Movement in the Diaspora and in Africa . Baba Dudley’s experiences include participating in the famous 5th Pan African Congress with leaders such as Amy Garvey, Dr. WEB Dubois, President Kwame Nkrumah, President Jomo Kenyatta and other famous African leaders and freedom fighters. He was an attorney for Jomo Kenyatta during the Kenyan Mau Mau Revolutionary struggles against European colonialism of Africa. He also played a leading role in Caribbean independence and politics. He was also an advisor for President-elect MKO Abiola of Nigeria on issues including promoting reparations for Africans. Other awardees will include Danny Glover, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Sonia Sanchez, Minister Louis Farakhan and Haki Madbhuti,
The President’s participation in the Conference in New Orleans is to impress upon African people the critical importance of advancing Pan Africanism for the survival and empowerment of African people. Baba Dudley will also urge African people to support the leadership of WADU such as those like Mukasa Dada in Georgia who was recently appointed as the Chief Elder of the African Diaspora. Baba Mukasa (Willie Ricks) played a leading role in the U.S. Civil Rights, Black Nationalist and Pan Africanism with Dr. ML King, Jr. and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael). Mukasa has succeeded the illustrious Elombe Brath as Chief Elder of the Diaspora. Elombe and his wife Nomsa are recovering from illnesses. Mukasa, also recovering from cancer has accepted the noble responsible of co-convening the next WADU Summit in Georgia this July 15-19, 2008.
To participate in the State of the Black World Conference in New Orleans from November 19-23, 2008, please call (toll free) 888-774-2921 or email sobwe@ibw21.org. Additionally, to support or contact WADU please call 404-527-7756 or visit the WADU website at WWW.WADUPAM.ORG.
