New York Maafa

WHAT: Maafa is a Kiswahili word used to describe real calamity, catastrophe, tragedy or disaster. Dr. Marimba Ani introduced it into contemporary African-American scholarship as a preferred reference to the period in world history, identified as the Middle Passage or Transatlantic Slave Trade. THE MAAFA COMMEMORATION IN NEW YORK is A coming together of our community to memorialize and honor the millions of Africans lost in the horror of what has previously been identified as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade/Middle Passage.

This is our sixteenth year commemorating the MAAFA. The focal point of the event has been The MAAFA SUITE…A Healing Journey®, a transformative theatre production, directed by Michele Hawkins-Jones.

WHY: The MAAFA SUITE…A Healing Journey® is a spiritual and mental psychodrama aimed at healing our collective memories. It is a celebration that engages the entire community in understanding and embracing the legacy of the Middle Passage leading to a process of reconciliation and healing.

Racism and hatred do exist in our communities and recent reports of racial profiling and violent or fatal responses, disproportionate prison populations, and growing incidents of hate crimes have served to polarize disparities based on race.

This powerful psycho-drama is the beginning of a healing and educational process regarding an overlooked chapter of history that has affected people of all races and cultures, and a means of furthering our awareness of and efforts to undo institutionalized racism.