The Africa in April Cultural festival returns to Memphis April 17 -19 at Robert R. Church Park at the corner of Fourth and Beale. The festival will begin each day at 8 a.m. and run until evening. Each day has a theme: Friday being Children and Seniors’ day, Saturday is Health & Wellness and Community day, and Sunday is International Music Day.
In its 39th year, the festival, founded by Dr. David and Mrs. Yvonne Acey, salutes the culture of a different African country each year, bringing cultural awareness, awakening and celebration to the diaspora. This year, the festival recognizes the Republic of Guinea, a coastal country in West Africa.
From economic forums, to artistic expressions of music and art, to a vast marketplace, complete with food and retail vendors, the celebration is one that brings together people from all over the region.
The Yanceys set out to give African-Americans in the city an opportunity to connect to their African roots and a mechanism through which they could acknowledge their African ancestry.
“It’s a celebration through the River City’s arts of our history, our culture, recognizing our past, remembering our present and planning for our future,” said Yvonne Acey, the festival’s associate director.
“We want people to know that we are all African, we’re just living in America,” said Dr. Acey, director of Africa in April.
Republic of Guinea Fast Facts:
- At 284K square footage, Guinea is just under the size of the United Kingdon.
- Current President is President Mamady Doumbouya
- Oct. 2, 1958, Guinea was the first West African country to win its freedom from France, inspiring other African countries to break free from European colonialism.
- 20 languages are spoken, with French the main one.
- It stays hot year-round but has rainy and dry seasons.
- Mineral wealth — boxite, key material for aluminum.
- Crops grown there are rice, coffee, pineapple and palm oil.
- Border disputes with Liberia and Sierra Leone
- Different ethnic groups
