THE GLOBAL AFRICAN COMMUNITY
T R A V E L N O T E S
RUNOKO RASHIDI IN KOSRAE, MICRONESIA
August 16/17, 2005
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,
How is everybody? I regret to say that we lost at least two giants over the last few days that I am aware of. They are Nana Ekow Butweiku I and Dr. Mary Hoover. I first met Nana about ten years ago and enjoyed a very good relationship with him. I actually stayed with Nana and his wife, sister Mut (who became an Ancestor about a year ago), at their residence in the Bronx on more than a couple of occasions. Nana was a world traveler, an African patriot and philanthropist, an active lecturer, and a prolific author. He even allowed me to write an Introduction to one of his books. He was humble and serious, a great man, and a very decent person. He will be sorely missed. Dr. Mary Hoover was a noble educator who spent the last several years of her life in the Washington, DC area. She was a really good human being and a very sweet and caring woman, and had me participate in an education conference at Howard University a couple of years ago. Cain Hope Felder was there and it was the last time that I saw Dr. Barbara Sizemore. In regard to passings, I also want to point out that that the recent plane crash in Venezuela was almost certainly full of Africans from the Caribbean island of Martinique. So our prayers go out to all of the families.
Depending upon the calendar that you look at, I turned fifty-one years of age either yesterday or today. I crossed the international date line yesterday and where I am now it is August 17. I guess that the advantage is that I get to celebrate on two days! And as far as birthdays go I am in grand company. August 12 was the great Edward Wilmot Blyden's birthday. August 14 was the birthday of one of our finest educators, my cousin Dr. Joyce King, and, of course, August 17 is Marcus Mosiah Garvey's birthday. So there is a lot of celebrating going on.
I am writing to you from my hotel room in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. This is country number fifty-seven for me and country number fifty-five that I have visited since March 1999. It is a beautiful island with a population of less than eight thousand people. Here is the description in the tour books:
"Kosrae is a casual, unpretentious backwater, where people consistently return a smile. It is one of the least spoiled and least developed areas in Micronesia, an unhurried place that retains an a certain air of innocence....Kosrae is rich in natural beauty. It has an interior of uncharted rain forests, a pristine fringing reef and a coast that is a mix of sandy beaches and mangrove swamps."
I am not exactly sure how to characterize the people here in Kosrae. What I mean is that I am not certain where to place them regarding ethnicity. They are copper complexioned but I am not sure if I can characterize them as African. But they sure are warm and friendly and most of them are darker than a lot of African-Americans that I know. I am glad that I am here.
Today I went to the small, one room Kosrae Museum where I managed to find a single image of a brother who looked about as African as Kofi Annan. Unfortunately, no one in the museum could tell me much about him. And the tourist office could not tell me much either. Indeed, when I asked where the people of Kosrae came from the vague response that I got was "somewhere in South Asia."
The other highlight of my day so far was the Lelu Ruins. The Lelu Ruins are the remains of a six hundred year old stone city. It is a large site and I am not sure if I have ever seen anything quite like it. The stone used was basalt and except for an abundance of lizards the city itself is completely abandoned. But it surely is an interesting place and if it were not so steamy hot I would probably have explored a lot longer. I hope that the pictures I took come out well.
So here I am in my hotel room in Kosrae. And if Kosrae is a new name for you don't feel too lonely because I had not heard of it myself until a few months ago. So you might say that we are all in this together! And for once in my life I brought along my lap top computer, and with the aid of a not too expensive phone card here I am communicating with you while I gaze at the Pacific Ocean and listen to Wes Montgomery and Earl Klugh compact discs. I just ordered lunch and life is not too bad. I am working on a new book that I figure is going to be my best so far. I am dedicating it to J.A. Rogers, Chancellor Williams, and John G. Jackson. Dr. Asa Hilliard has agreed to write the Introduction, Legrand Clegg is preparing the Foreword, and Horen Tudu, one of my students of Bangladeshi ancestry, is contributing a piece on Pan-Africanism in South Asia. So how can I miss?
Tomorrow I travel to Chuuk, farther west and deep in the heart of Micronesia. I decided to go there because not only is it described as a beautiful island paradise but the only person that I've so far met from there looked like a dead ringer for Miles Davis. So it should be a most exquisite journey and I promise to do my best to keep you updated as I search out the African presence in Micronesia. In the meantime, do enjoy Marcus Garvey's birthday as he represents the best in all of us.
In deep love of Africa,
Runoko Rashidi in Micronesia
Copyright © 1998 Runoko Rashidi. All rights reserved.
Posted/Revised: August 17, 2005
Webpage design: Kenneth Ritchards