A brief look at the Center for African Heritage

The Center for African Heritage (CAH) now operates out of its new home in the Westbrook Community Center. Our mission is:

To serve as the hub for progressive activities that promotes collaboration among peoples from the African Diaspora and our neighbors. We strive for excellence and equity in education, entrepreneurship, cultural preservation and celebration of the human spirit.

Our origin dates back to conversations in 1996 at Williams Temple, Church of God in Christ, on Rowe Avenue in Portland. These conversations and dialogues continued over the next several years.

In 2002, there was a battle in Lewiston, ME prompted by unwelcoming comments by the city’s mayor toward Somali families. His comments made national news; and this incident galvanized African immigrants, progressives and people of color in Maine to form ad hoc coalitions against racism and immigration policies that discriminated against foreign people of color.

In 2003, a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation provided an opportunity for the Bangor Theological Seminary to conduct a conference at the Pineland Conference center that drew over 150 participants. In that same year, an energetic group of approximately 25 people created a formal organization, namely the Center for African Heritage.

Since that time, the Center for African Heritage has grown and matured from an organization focusing on event driven activities such as a celebration of the life of Malcolm X , drumming and dancing concerts-to youth empowerment programs and more community/family activities that strive for sustainability of food and culture. In 2008, the Center for African Heritage gained status as a 501 c (3) organization.

Our newest office and training facility is located in the Westbrook Community Center, 426 Bridge Street. This facility provides the Center for African Heritage the ability to serve the Westbrook and Portland communities in a variety of ways. Welcome to our world!

 

Dawud Ummah, President of the Board of Directors, 2011

 

Events and News!

May 20, 2012 - Batimbo Beats, African Drummers and Dancers, at Westbrook Performing Arts Center

The Batimbo Beats, a group of Burundians trained in the sacred drum dances of their native country, will perform at Westbrook Middle School’s Performing Arts Center on Sunday, May 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. The event, “Celebrating the Planting Season,” honors a Burundi tradition to declare the beginning of the farming year. Proceeds from Celebrating the Planting Season will support the International Gardens Project of the Center for African Heritage.
                  In the nation of Burundi, commonly called the Heart of Africa, Batimbo was a name given to families who had the privilege of being the guardians of the sacred tradition of the drums, which are made from hollowed tree trunks covered with animal skins. The drummers, dressed in bright robes, enter in a dramatic procession balancing the heavy drums on their heads. Their performance includes dance moves, leaps, and call-and-response chanting.  
                  In addition to the Batimbo Beats, a dance troupe with the Rwanda Community Association of Maine will perform. There will be vendor tables with information, and arts and crafts for sale. A discussion of the Center for African Heritage programs and future plans will follow the performances. Admission is $25 for adults, $10 for children, at the door.
The Center for African Heritage is a non-profit organization striving to build coalitions and economic viability for the growing African community in the Greater Portland area.  The Center addresses many needs, including hunger, poverty, youth development, job readiness, and economic opportunity, through farming and youth development initiatives.
This year, the Center for African Heritage plans to employ at least four youth interns and one youth leader at International Gardens Project at Tidewater Farm in Falmouth. The youths and their leader will participate in agricultural, employment, and leadership training in support of the farming groups and families who use the community garden plots. They will support marketing initiatives and train the farmers to use equipment. The land was made available to community groups in an agreement by the Town of Falmouth and the Tidewater Conservation Foundation. The International Gardens Project receives assistance from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service.
More information about the Center for African Heritage is available on its website: www.cfah.me.

 

Courtesy photo attached: Batimbo Beats
Video of Batimbo Beats on WCSH-TV:
http://www.wcsh6.com/video/1553905764001/1/More-music-from-the-Burundi-Batimbo-Beat-Drummers

 

 

Watch an inspiring video of the Summer Youth Employment Project at River Point, 2009, here.

 

 

The Center for African Heritage moved to its new home at the Westbrook Community Center on October 15, 2010. For a map and directions press here.

4-H Sponsors camp and training for the Center for African Heritage youth at Blueberry Cove, August 31, 2010.
See photos here.

The Center for African Heritage Celebrates HarvestFest in Falmouth, August 30, 2010.
See photos here.

See the plot plan for the Tidewater Farm Project International Garden here.