GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - OCTOBER 2016

DJ SUPER NOVA & 

OTHELLO THE REMIX 

LATIN AMERICA 

& EL DIA DE 

LOS MUERTOS 

GLOBAL STREET 

ART & GANTALISM 

TINY 

HOUSES 

& BLACK FOLKS 

CULTURE, HISTORY 

& MĀORI TATTOOS 

BROOKLYN CIRCUS 

THE JUNGALOW 

WELL TRAVELED INTERIOR DESIGNS

ISSUE 

CONTRIBUTORS

Archivists Note 

As the year continues to move past us at a fevered pace, the Griots 

Republic team and you, our faithful readers, have been there for the 

entire ride. Griots Republic Magazine has covered undiscovered territories 

in music, sex, food, and various destinations all with our signature 

flair. Staying true to form, this month we dive into all things 

Global Design. 

We traveled back to the motherland, Cameroon to be exact, with Kelli 

Page Jebrell who takes us on a visual tour of what will soon become 

the largest sub-Saharan museum in Foumban, Cameroon (1). Also in 

this issue, writer Ebony Chappel snatched the opportunity to talk to 

Zimbabwean designer Patrick Simba Chakauya about his footwear 

brand Butsu (2). Lastly, our Blogger of the Month, Jessica Nambowa 

of “Catch me if you can” discusses her style sensibility and how her 

Ugandan heritage and travels influence it. 

This issue is packed full of goodies from tiny houses to Maori tattoos 

and if interviews with world renowned graffiti artist, Jerry Gant (3), 

and interior designer and blogger Justina Blakeney (4) don’t satisfy 

your creative curiousity, then perhaps DJ Super Nova (5) will. We 

caught him at the tail end of his South Africa tour and hooked him up 

with Radio Host Keisha Dutes from TK in The AM on Bondfire Radio. 

Listen... they talked about hip hop, travel, the creativity coming out 

of Africa and theatre. Yes, theatre! DJ Super Nova is the man bringing 

the beats for the upcoming play Othello The Revival, presented by 

John Leguizamo, and you must read the article to understand why 

you need to buy a ticket. 

As always, we hope that you enjoy this issue and we look forward to 

hearing your feedback. 

- THE ARCHIVISTS

THE TERMINAL 

H I S T O R Y 

THIS MONTH IN 

BLACK HISTORY 

Every month is black history month at BlackFacts.com. Check out some of 

these historical moments for October and make sure to visit their site for a 

completely searchable database of your history.

e Court Justice

THE TERMINAL 

G R I O T S R E A D 

COMING SOON 

Authors of Color You'll 

Want to Read This Fall 

By Rodney Goode 

Fall evenings are the most suitable 

for relaxing and warming up with 

hot chocolate and a good book. 

Griots Republic has done the book research 

for you with four selections that 

are coming soon to a book store near 

you. Take a look and please hit us up 

on Facebook or Instagram to share your 

recommendations for fall reading. 

Our first choice is: 

Tongue Shakers: Interviews 

and Narratives on Speaking 

Mother Tongue in a 

Multicultural Society 

COMING: 

OCTOBER 2016 

Margie Shaheed sheds some light on 

what it is like to be an African immigrant 

learning English in today’s multicultural 

society. Expats, polygots and 

travelers will relate to many of the stories 

in this book. 

DESCRIPTION 

(Description from publisher 

Rowan & Littlefield) 

Tongue Shakers provides an inside 

look into the state of speaking mother 

tongue in America’s multicultural society. 

Through a series of interviews and 

first person narratives in the voices of 

city dwellers who are immigrants, Americans 

born into immigrant families, and 

African Americans, the book uncovers

the personal challenges faced by those 

learning a new language and celebrates 

their triumphs. 

In Tongue Shakers, spoken language, a 

subject that binds us all, takes on different 

meanings as we strive to communicate 

organically with one another. 

It is the Ukrainian healthcare professional 

who works as a translator between 

doctors and patients. It is the 

Ethiopian business executive mom who 

speaks and writes fluent English at her 

job but who works just as hard keeping 

her mother tongue alive in her home. 

It is the little Chinese boy who struggles 

to learn English so that he can 

make friends with other children in his 

new American school. It is the African 

American who must carefully pick and 

choose when it is best to speak Black 

English. It is the Hispanic family who 

retains their mother tongue while being 

just as fluent in English. 

We love that Theaster Gates named his 

collection of historical and sterotypical 

figurines “Negrobilia” and we can’t 

wait for this art book to arrive. He is a 

genius artist and his book will definitely 

reflect his work. 

DESCRIPTION 

(Description from publisher - 

truncated for length) 

The transformation of everyday and urban 

detritus is one of Chicago-based 

artist Theaster Gates’ (born 1973) fundamental 

artistic strategies. It is an approach 

that the works in this volume, 

some of which have been especially 

created for Kunsthaus Bregenz, encompassing 

sculptures and what are often 

Next up is: 

Theaster Gates: Black 

Archive 

COMING: 

NOVEMBER 22nd

large-scale installations, also adhere to. 

For the first time, elements of a collection 

that Edward J. Williams had assembled 

over many years and which Gates 

has titled Negrobilia, will be on public 

display. Williams’ aim was to remove 

these objects from the market and thus 

from any obvious visibility. 

Consuming Stories: Kara 

Walker and the Imagining 

of American Race 

COMING: 

NOVEMBER 15th 

If you recall Kara Walker’s exhibit, “A 

Subtlety,” at the Domino Sugar Factory 

in NYC and the amount of controversry 

and conversation it created, then you 

should be just as excited for a book on 

her work. Add this one to your list! 

DESCRIPTION 



In Consuming Stories, Rebecca Peabody 

uses the work of contemporary 

American artist Kara Walker to investigate 

a range of popular storytelling 

traditions with roots in the nineteenth 

century and ramifications in the present. 

Focusing on a few key pieces that 

range from a wall-size installation to a 

reworked photocopy in an artist’s book 

and from a theater curtain to a monumental 

sculpture, Peabody explores 

a significant yet neglected aspect of 

Walker’s production: her commitment 

to examining narrative depictions of 

race, gender, power, and desire. 

Consuming Stories considers Walker’s 

sustained visual engagement with literary 

genres such as the romance novel, 

the neo-slave narrative, and the fairy 

tale and with internationally known stories 

including Roots, Beloved, and Uncle 

Tom’s Cabin. Walker’s interruption 

of these familiar works, along with her

generative use of the familiar in unexpected 

and destabilizing ways, reveals 

the extent to which genre-based narrative 

conventions depend on specific 

representations of race, especially 

when aligned with power and desire. 

You Can’t Touch My Hair: 

And Other Things I Still 

Have to Explain 

RELEASED: 

OCTOBER 4th 

If you have ever listened to one of 

Phoebe Robinson’s podcasts, then you 

definitely want to pick this one up. 

DESCRIPTION 



Being a black woman in America means 

contending with old prejudices and 

fresh absurdities every day. Comedian 

Phoebe Robinson has experienced her 

fair share over the years: she’s been unceremoniously 

relegated to the role of 

“the black friend,” as if she is somehow 

the authority on all things racial; she’s 

been questioned about her love of U2 

and Billy Joel (“isn’t that . . . white people 

music?”); she’s been called “uppity” 

for having an opinion in the workplace; 

she’s been followed around stores by 

security guards; and yes, people do ask 

her whether they can 

touch her hair all. the. time. Now, she’s 

ready to take these topics to the page— 

and she’s going to make you laugh as 

she’s doing it. 

_ _ 

For a complete description of each 

book or to pre-order your copy, then 

make sure to visit Amazon!

T R A V E L T E C H 

YORUBA 

Connecting the African Diaspora 

through Language Apps 

By Adebayo Adegbembo 

African cultures are perhaps its largest 

export to the world. As one born, bred 

and living in Africa, some of the most 

fascinating things I’ve learnt from traveling 

across America, Europe and Latin 

America relate to how much diversity 

and richness African cultures add to the 

world outside the continent. While this 

can be traced back to the transatlantic 

slave trade, it’s amazing to see African 

heritage alive to this day and growing 

as reflected in fashion, arts, entertainment 

and other aspects of our connected 

world. 

However, there seems to be a contrast 

between how much of these beauties 

are attributed to Africa considering 

they are buried under layers of stereotypes 

such as war, famine and strife in 

mainstream media. The effect of this 

can be an identity crisis and disconnection 

for Africans on the continent, the 

African Diaspora and the larger world 

who ought to take pride in our shared 

heritage. 

It’s within that context that I developed 

the Yoruba101 app to make Yoruba 

language and culture fun for people to 

learn and appreciate. What started out 

as an app to help my now 5-year-old 

niece learn Yoruba language amidst the 

declining interest among many like her 

has now become a tool that connects 

my global audience of customers to the 

rich Yoruba culture. 

Yoruba101 is an interactive Yoruba language-learning 

app for children and 

adult beginners to the language and 

culture. The app is set in an adventurous 

theme where the user is on a mission 

to win the ultimate crown, hence 

become a Yoruba101 legend. The path 

to that crowning lies in the ultimate test 

of his or her understanding of Yoruba 

language presented in over a dozen lessons 

and games. The lessons cover alphabet, 

tones, body parts, greetings, 

names of families, objects, animals 

etc., alongside sentences showing their 

everyday use. 

First, the user is taken through each 

lesson with a combination of voice, 

graphic illustrations and animations. 

The next step involves playing the corresponding 

games for each lesson. When 

a user successfully completes a game 

flawlessly, he unlocks a special character, 

many of which represent different 

Yoruba deities such as Sango (God of 

thunder), Osun (River Goddess), Oya

(Wind goddess) etc. These characters 

are stored in the user’s Gallery section 

where they can read about them 

and even share with their families and 

friends at the touch of a button. 

Yoruba is one of the major languages in 

Africa. Its biggest speakers reside in Nigeria, 

the most populous black nation 

on earth. Outside the continent, Yoruba 

is also popular in countries like Brazil 

where its traditions have lived through 

generations of ancestors taken at the 

height of the transatlantic slave trade. 

The evidence of Yoruba’s richness and 

influence can be seen in the Candomblé, 

Santeria and Umbanda religions with 

over 2 million worshippers worldwide. 

Yoruba language is also closely related 

to Lucumí, a dialect of Yoruba spoken 

in Cuba. 

Thus, the Yoruba101 app has gone beyond 

appealing to just my niece and 

Yoruba speakers in Africa. Rather, it’s 

an interesting way to get started on the 

language and culture for people who 

are interested in learning about Africa’s 

major cultures beyond the stereotypes. 

Yoruba101 makes Yoruba language 

learning fun and engaging for everyone. 

Given the diversity of the language, the 

app is available in English, Portuguese 

and Spanish to cater to its wealth of 

interested speakers across the world. 

One of the highpoints of the app is how 

well it’s helping to shape my mission 

of promoting the beauty of Africa’s languages 

amidst the threat of our preference 

for colonial languages. 

The connection it brings is one I’d love 

to explore as it finds itself in the hands 

of people worldwide. One of such experiences 

was Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 

recent visit where he used the 

app to learn a bit of Yoruba. 

The app can be downloaded for free on 

Google Play and Apple Store. Follow the 

links below to download Yoruba101 for 

free 

• Yoruba101 for iPhone 

• Yoruba101 for Android 

• Yoruba101 for iPad

THE TERMINAL 

F E S T I V A L S 

CORKS 

Inaugural Black Owned Wine 

& Spirits Festival A Success 

Presented by Fou-Dré Vodka 

The inaugural Black Owned Wine & 

Spirits Festival (BOWSF) was held on 

Saturday, September 24 from 12:00 

p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rosecroft Raceway in 

Fort Washington, Maryland and it was a 

day full of cocktails and culture! The atmosphere 

was full of excitement and anticipation 

as attendee’s lined up to purchase 

tickets to the event. VIP’s collected goodie 

bags on their way into the event and were 

allowed in at noon for an hour of early access. 

Then, at 1:00 p.m. all ticketholders 

were permitted in and guided through a 

smorgasbord of fine wines and spirits as 

well as enjoyed a bevy of succulent food 

pairings from local restaurants and caterers 

including top-tier mixologists creating 

mouthwatering concoctions; there was a

little bit of something for every taste bud! 

The festival was sponsored by Chanel 

Turner, CEO and Fou-Dre Founder of the 

ultra-premium vodka company based in 

Maryland. The BOWSF was the culmination 

of a dream Chanel had for some time: 

to showcase just how many wine and spirit 

companies are owned by African-Americans 

and their impact. This event was her 

first endeavor to do this on a larger scale. 

“The attendance surpassed all of our expectations 

and would not have been possible 

without the support of the attendees, 

vendors and volunteers,” said Chanel 

Turner, CEO and Fou-Dre Founder. “With 

continued engagement, we want to bring 

awareness and opportunities to Black 

Owned Wine & Spirits in our communities. 

This is not an easy feat, but it is a worthy 

one, which I am passionate about and we

can only accomplish together. The overall 

objective was to bring awareness to these 

brands and owners that have made headway 

in a very difficult industry and I really 

believe we accomplished that today.” 

In addition to sampling delicious wines, 

spirits and cuisine, renowned artist Demont 

Pinder created one-of-a-kind artwork on 

site for auction, guests watched onsite cigar 

rolling, and danced to music from Marcus 

Johnson, Proverbs Band and Jordan 

Grizzle as well as DJ Mim. The BOWSF had 

something for every palate, whether traditional, 

exotic or novice, guests tried brands 

they’ve never experienced in one location, 

all while learning about what makes them 

unique from other mainstream wine and 

spirit offerings currently available. 

Next year is already looking better thanks 

to you! If you attended, please share your 

thoughts with us at feedback@blackownedspiritsfestival.com. 

We are committed 

to reviewing all emails and value ALL 

of your comments as we endeavor to make 

the BOWSF even better next year. 

ABOUT FOU-DRE 

FOU-DRÉ, pronounced FOO-DRAY, is a refined, 

all natural, fruit infused, ultra-premium 

brand. Fou-Dre is not just flavored 

vodka, but vodka with flavor. This ultra-premium, 

boutique, vodka denotes exclusivity. 

It is the vodka brand for the bold individual 

with a penchant for life, the socialite with 

the discerning palate, and the avant-garde 

mind of the fashion forward elite, ever 

pushing the envelope! Fou-Dré, French for 

lightning, unleashes a foray of flavor penetrating 

your taste buds with an infusion 

of 100% fruit flavors, an exotic dance of 

pomegranate and ginger notes. Produced 

in North Charleston, South Carolina, the 

Terressentia Corporation uses the revolutionary 

and patented TerrePURE technology 

to distill the ultra-premium vodka. The 

all-natural TerrePURE process removes 

harsh tasting congeners leaving a smooth, 

crisp, clean, finish to the spirit. This distinctive 

vodka can be enjoyed neat over ice 

or mixed. 

For more information about Fou-Dré please 

visit www.Fou-Dre.com.

Ouigi Theodore, creative director, cultural 

connector & lead curator, has cultivated a 

unique style that has garnered recognition 

not only among the fashion pundits of New 

York, but also from streetwise fans as far 

away as Europe, South Africa, Japan, Korea 

and the UK. He has become a recognizable 

figure and has established himself as a trend 

forecaster for advertising and marketing 

agencies looking to get an edge in the 

market. He has consulted on campaigns for 

the likes of Hennessy/LVMH, Toyota, Casio 

G-Shock, American Express, PF Flyers and 

Liberty Fairs. He’s been a featured speaker 

at the PSFK Conference, a trend-forecasting 

summit in New York, AIGA, The Brooklyn 

Museum and the Apple Store. 

After graduating from the State University 

at Stony Brook with a degree in history, he 

went on to study Advertising Design at the 

Fashion Institute of Technology. As founder 

of The Brooklyn Circus, one of the most 

influential retail concepts in the USA, he 

travels extensively sharing The Brooklyn 

Circus and BKc perspective as well as the 

100 Year plan of Style + Character. 

For more information about Brooklyn Circus, 

visit their website at www.thebkcircus.com.

Q&A WITH JUSTINA BLAKENEY 

THE JUN

GALOW 

By Davita McKelvey

Designer and entrepreneur Justina 

Blakeney first captured our attention 

in her book “The New Bohmenians: 

Cool and Collected Homes.” 

As travelers, her design sensibility 

and the items she collects spoke 

to us because they were items that 

we also shipped home from destinations 

abroad. If you have no idea 

how to decorate your home with 

your travel finds, then her website 

and blog, www.thejungalow.com, 

should be the first place you go 

for inspiration. Due the success of 

her designs, her business has expanded 

into wallpaper, textiles and 

homegoods. She is a busy woman 

and we were finally able to catc 

up with her to talk more about the 

Jungalow and travel style. 

In your first book, “The New Bohemians: 

Cool and Collected Homes,” 

you write: “We bohemians chase 

free wi-fi, we blog from Brooklyn 

Laundromats and we check our 

email barefoot in Tulum.” It’s such 

a great description! After all the 

success you’ve achieved over the 

past few years, how do you still 

make time to get away and what 

do you look for in a vacation? 

I embrace any opportunity that 

comes my way to travel. For example, 

this year I was invited to Italy 

to teach a workshop, so we turned 

that into a family trip, packed up, 

and traveled around Europe for a 

few weeks. Travel is a vital part of

how i stay inspired and when times 

get busy, I make an effort to discover 

places that are new to me, 

even if they’re close to home. 

In general, your style has been described 

as bohemian and global. 

What three words outside of those 

would you use to describe your design 

esthetic and why? 

Jungalicious, patternful, nd colorful. 

In all of my work, you’ll always 

find an abundance of color, pattern, 

and plants! 

Like many of our readers, you are a 

lover of flea markets and DIY! Are 

there any specific markets that get 

you really inspired and what type 

of things are you always drawn to? 

All vintage markets inspire me, because 

I never know what I’ll find, 

and that’s half the fun! The things 

I’m drawn to often have common 

traits - handmade, colorful, old 

things that tell a story and things 

with personality (faces, etc). I also 

love folk art. 

If you had to take all of your expertise 

and creativity and wrap it 

up into two strong recommendations, 

what would you recommend 

people do when creating a space 

that reflects their love of travel? 

Textiles are the easiest to pack 

and can make a huge impact in

a home - collect textiles from the 

places you visit, bring them home 

and use them everywhere. I like to 

use them as art on the wall, to cover 

furniture or as a curtain, etc. I 

also like to find small objects from 

every place I visit that will remind 

me of that trip - things that end up 

in vignettes around my house. 

As a traveler, tell us about a moment 

that changed your life and 

why you think traveling is important? 

Visiting the Anne Frank house in 

Amsterdam really made the magnitude 

of WW2 real for me, more 

than any book, story, or movie ever 

could have. It gave me so much 

empathy for those in the world who 

have to live in fear and made a big 

impact. It’s important to be able to 

see how other people live; it grows 

your world view and it makes you 

more open, and able to see yourself 

in a whole new way too. Travel 

can put things into perspective. 

You have an amazing blog, design 

business, several books under your 

belt and now a line of products… 

As a brand, what’s next for Justina 

Blakeney? 

Thank you! More blogging, more 

books, more products, more jungalicious-ness!

WE MAKE TRAVEL BETTER 

BRAZIL FEB 2017 CUBA MAY 2017 EGYPT NOV 2017 

www.upintheairlife.com

DAY 

OF THE 

DEAD 

Celebrations Across Latin America 

By Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

El Día de Los Muertos or Day of the 

Dead is celebrated in many Latin 

American countries where the 

dead are honored and remembered in a 

positive way. Celebrated in connection 

with the Catholic holidays of All Saints 

Day on November 1st and All Soul’s Day 

on November 2, celebrations vary from 

one country and region to another and 

can be traced back to the indigenous 

cultures. 

Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors 

have been practiced by pre-Columbian 

civilizations for as long as 2,500– 

3,000 years where it was common to 

keep skulls as trophies and display them 

during the rituals to symbolize death 

and rebirth. Mexico is best known for its 

Día de los Muertos celebrations which 

include pageantry, 

processions and 

public display of 

altars to the dead. 

In the Andean regions 

of Ecuador, 

Peru and Bolivia 

families gather 

together in cemeteries 

to remember 

ancestors and 

loved ones with 

offerings of food 

which include: colada 

morada, a 

spiced fruit porridge 

made with Andean blackberry 

and purple maize and guagua de pan, 

a bread shaped like a swaddled infant 

that is sometimes filled with cheese or 

guava. 

Mexico is best 

known for its Día 

de los Muertos 

celebrations which 

include pageantry, 

processions and 

public display of 

altars to the dead. 

In Brazil the holiday of Finados (Day 

of the Dead) is celebrated on November 

2, when people go to cemeteries 

and churches with flowers, candles, 

and prayer to celebrate those who have 

passed away in a positive way. In Bolivia 

the Día de las ñatitas or Day of the 

Skulls is an ancient Bolivian ritual celebrated 

on November 9 where skulls of 

ancestors are decorated with flowers 

and pampered with cigarettes, coca 

leaves and other treats to bring good 

luck to the family. 

El Día de Los Muertos in my 

home county: Guatemala 

In my country, Guatemala, the celebration 

of El Día de Los Muertos or Día 

de Los Difuntos 

is more of a family 

holiday. For 

me it marks the 

beginning of a 

season filled with 

traditional family 

holidays starting 

with El Día de 

los Muertos and 

then continuing 

with La Quema 

del Diablo, Las 

Posadas, Noche 

Buena, Navidad 

and Año Nuevo. 

As October comes to an end flower 

stands bloom on every corner of Guatemala 

City, kite vendors displays sway 

in the brisk November winds and marketplaces 

and cemeteries are filled with 

multicolored flowers. On November 1st

families gather to eat fiambre, a traditional 

salad-like cold dish that consists 

of assorted cold cuts, pickled vegetables, 

meats and is so complex it can 

easily include 50 or more ingredients. 

Many people, especially in rural areas 

visit the cemetery cleaning the graves 

of their loved ones, honoring their ancestors 

with flowers and incese and 

sharing a pic-nick of fiambre, tamales 

and sometimes booze with them at the 

cemetery. 

The most spectacular Day of the Dead 

celebrations in Guatemala occurs in 

the towns of Santiago Sacatepéquez 

and Sumpango. Here giant kites or barriletes 

gigantes, reaching diameters 

of almost 30ft, made of bamboo rods 

and colored paper are assembled in the 

cemetery. On November 1st a big festival 

takes place and these giant kites 

with intricate designs attempt to take 

flight, most of them never making it. 

Sometimes some of the smaller ones 

(15-18ft in diameter) take off briefly 

only to come crashing down, occasionally 

landing on the crowd below. All 

through the month of November kites 

dot the clear blue sky and although 

most people have forgotten the original 

significance of this as a means of communicating 

with the dead and showing 

them where to come down to visit their 

family members, flying kites is one of 

my favorite family traditions. 

Now that we are living in the United 

States we enjoy both Halloween and El 

Día de los Muertos blending traditions 

and making new ones in a way that 

makes sense for us.

Paula is the founder of Growing Up 

Bilingual. She was born in Guatemala 

moved to the United States in 2008 

with her husband Cesar and two 

children. In Guatemala she studied in 

an bilingual school and always wanted 

the same for my children. She thought 

teaching them English would be her 

mission, but life had other plans for 

them. Now that they live in Florida the 

children are learning English on their 

own while she and her husband focus 

on keeping Spanish alive at home and 

on keeping them connected with their 

Latino roots. 

On Growing Up Bilingual they share 

their love for their Latino roots and 

their travel adventures, as well as her 

cooking and crafting projects.

CLAI

Claire Soares is the founder of tour companies 

“Up in the Air Life” and “Urban 

Yacht Life” based in the Washington, DC 

area. As a million-miler, visiting over 45 

countries while learning the ins and out 

of luxury travel, Claire uses her love for 

luxury, champagne, and exotic destinations 

to provide her clients with once in 

a lifetime experiences coupled with a full 

RE BEARconcierge service. Up in the Air Life provides 

hosts luxury group trips and leads 

an active online Facebook community allowing 

travelers to connect online. In addition 

to the hosted tours Up in the Air Life 

boasts a team of Lifestyle Coordinators 

in the U.S.A. that host dozens of curated 

lifestyle events for its members. 

Up in the Air Life, Inc. was created in November 

of 2013 and in less than three 

years has grown solely through social media, 

including an online Facebook group 

of over 13,000 travelers. Up in the Air Life 

has over 1000 clients with 25% of bookings 

from repeat clients. Urban Yacht Life 

was launched in June 2016 solely to expose 

people of color to sailing. 

Claire and Up in the Air Life have been 

featured in The Huffington Post, Essence, 

Ebony, Rolling Out, The Grio, and other 

online publications.

SUPER 

NOVA 

Beats, Boarding Passes & Broadway 

By Keisha “TK” Dutés

The story of DJ SuperNova starts 

at the crossroads where determination, 

professionalism, and preparedness 

meet. 

Bronx raised SuperNova majored in 

Computer Engineering at Penn State 

University, but his prowess on the 1’s 

and 2’s quickly earned him DJ spots 

at all the coveted parties on campus. 

This hobby quickly blossomed into a 

full-fledged profession spider webbing 

through the east coast college circuit, 

to theater, to becoming a resident DJ at 

the largest urban radio station in South 

Africa. Pivoting from computer engineering 

to music full-time meant that 

breaking down cultural barriers in his 

family was difficult, but his determination 

proved fruitful. This fall in New York 

City, SuperNova will be able to invite his 

mother to see his skills at work on set 

of Othello: The Remix, a Q Brothers Production 

presented by John Leguizamo. 

From family, to music, to theater, SuperNova’s 

goal to create common 

ground and understanding through music 

is clear. His mixes are a masterful 

blend of genres like hip-hop, top 40, 

EDM, latin, classics, reggae and afro 

beat served up weekly across Botswana, 

Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and 

South Africa. As an American DJ, his relationship 

with the continent of Africa 

started with preforming a play at an arts 

festival in South Africa. Before long he 

would become a resident DJ, travelling 

a couple times a year, cross pollinating 

their hip-hop with our hip-hop. Having 

built up a solid rapport with artists, he 

gets all the new music first and when 

asked if language barriers hinder him 

from breaking new artists, SuperNova 

remarks “South African twitter is a real 

thing, they talk about all the gossip and 

new tracks, so it’s easy for me to stay 

in tune…” 

With his hand on the pulse of music 

stateside and in the motherland, SuperNova 

is fully aware of the structural 

racism and parallels of the treatment 

of people of color in Africa and the U.S. 

“My overall goal is to make it cool for people 

to work together, specifically people 

of color. We all go through a lot of stuff 

in society...if we can make it cool for us 

to work together, some of these artists

“My overall goal is to make it 

cool for people to work together, 

specifically people of color.”

here are genuine superstars with a million 

followers that are completely different 

from someone from the States 

who has a million followers. Why not 

put these people together and cross 

pollinate these audiences and open up 

opportunities for each other and each 

others’ domain?” 

As his love for music and diverse artistry 

grew, so did SuperNova’s technical 

skills. Introduced to sound design 

on his college campus through DJing 

over a decade ago, he was excited to 

use hip-hop to drive messages home 

through different art forms and tell stories. 

As a sound designer and music 

director for theater, he places sound 

effects, music, and more to create the 

auditory ambiance and tone that accompanies 

a play. 

Working with the Q Brothers, veteran 

writers and directors of many stripped 

down, hip-hop adaptations of Shakespeare’s 

plays, came about when readiness 

met with fate. After being spotted 

by Jackson Duran at another show, 

he referred SuperNova for the DJ gig 

for their production, ‘A Q Brother’s 

Christas Carol.’ Two weeks later in a 

phone interview, the Q Brothers asked 

what he would do if a homeless person 

fell on the train track... SuperNova answered 

the question correctly and was 

hired on the spot. Years and many collaborations 

later, he is to be reunited 

with the Q Brothers for the New York 

City run of Othello: The Remix opening 

mid-November and presented by John 

Leguizamo. 

Within this contemporary retelling of 

Shakespeare’s Othello, there is a lot 

of pressure on and trust placed in SuperNova 

to play Q Brother’s produced 

music cues and use his sound design 

skill set. He is as intimately involved 

in the play as any of the actors, while 

having the creative license to use DJ 

techniques to help tell the story. With 

trust factor at an all-time high, Super- 

Nova said, “All the music is done live, 

it’s not prerecorded at all… If one of 

the guys skips a line, they trust me as 

a DJ to bring it back.” 

Currently, SuperNova is working a 

seven episode documentary series, 

(U).S.A. that will focus on the influential 

South African hip-hop artists and 

his own adventures as an international 

DJ. 

Always on the go, his travels have taken 

him from South America to South 

Africa. After his current tour through 

Southern Africa, he has eyes set on 

Europe and Asia to explore music in 

those areas. 

If you ever had any questions about how 

far you could go, take it from the inspirational, 

always on-time, multi-faceted 

DJ SuperNova, “Never be content. 

There are so many beautiful things that 

are out there that we can learn from… I 

just feel like I’m a better human being 

because of traveling.” 

Follow DJ SuperNova on IG www.instagram.com/djsupernova

Shakespere meets Hip Hop... It doesn’t get much better than that. The Q 

Brothers’ Othello: The Remix is making its debut in New York at the Westside 

Theatre (407 W. 43rd), on Tuesday, October 25th and officially opening 

on Thursday, November 17th and you need to be there. 

There are quite a few really good musicals and plays, remixed for lovers of 

the culture, coming to off Broadway and Broadway and Othello is amongst 

them. The Remix, which is spun out and lyrically rewritten over original 

beats, is an 80-minute,high-energy spin on Shakespeare’s tragic tale. GR 

will absolutely be in attendance for this one.

TK’s audio life is truly all encompassing. 

Her experience spans 7 

years on WBAI as an on-air personality 

and producer, to founding 

Bondfire Radio a live streaming 

web radio station where she 

curates and produces programs 

that air live and archive in podcast 

form. As an enterprising freelancer, 

TK produces audio stories 

and shows for private clients. Her 

one day intensive, The Podcasters 

Retreat is an intimate monthly 

class that makes podcasting easy 

and accessible to all. Learn more 

about TK at http://tastykeish.net.

BLOGGER OF 

THE MONTH 

Jessica Nambowa 

Catch Me If You Can

Close your eyes. Imagine walking 

into your kitchen. Turn on 

the cold faucet and pour yourself 

a glass of water. Now drink it. 

Taste every molecule as it makes its 

way down your throat, refreshing you 

with each drop. Now imagine that 

you are in Uganda, in a small village. 

It is 93 degrees and humid. You see 

Namubiru. She is only 14 and just 

walked two miles to fetch water for 

this evening’s meal. And while she 

is tired and dying of thirst, she will 

not chance drinking the water before 

boiling it, for fear of getting diarrhea, 

again. Open your eyes. 

What you just imagined represents 

me. It represents my duality. As a 

daughter of Ugandan immigrants, 

born and raised in America, I am 

constantly faced with the duality of 

my existence. 

My travel style is 

definitely inspired by my 

Ugandan heritage and my 

love of my blackness. 

From a young age I visited my family 

in Uganda, vacationed in the Caribbean 

during the summers and hung 

out with cousins in London. My parents 

introduced the importance and 

enjoyment of travel to my life. My curiosity 

of the world was truly inspired 

by my parents who gave me access to 

it. We had a globe in the house that 

I was constantly spinning, dreaming 

of the places that I might visit 

some day. Fast forward and I have

made my way around that globe several 

times. I have visited 65 countries, 35 

states and six continents. I have lived in 

five countries on four continents. 

My travels are largely driven by my desire 

to visit every country in the world. 

I believe that in order to understand 

others and be tolerant, we need to see, 

with our own eyes how people live. Traveling 

has made me more open-minded, 

empathetic and self aware. 

My travel style is definitely inspired by 

my Ugandan heritage and my love of 

my blackness. I wear my hair closely 

shaven as my mother did as a child. I 

wear very bright clothes and I love love 

love prints. I also make it a point to 

wear bright, bold lipsticks. My style is 

also inspired by my travels. One of my 

favorite things to do when I visit a new 

country is to head to the market to buy 

jewelry, clothing, or fabric to have clothing 

tailor made. Often times no matter 

where in the world you catch me, I am 

wearing items from no less than three 

countries. 

Since 2008, I have been blogging about 

my travels. What started as a blog for 

my friends and family to keep up with 

me when I moved to Japan, turned into 

Catch Me If You Can, a travel blog that 

takes readers around the world and 

aims to inspire people to travel more.

In 2015, I started Jet Black, a boutique 

travel firm that helps people to journey 

beyond their daydreams. We do group 

trips so that people can travel to awesome 

destinations with other dynamic 

individuals and we also curate unique 

itineraries for those looking to plan their 

own vacations. We also have a shop that 

contains Jet Black Finds, goodies that I 

pick up from my trips, #JetBlackFlash, 

temporary gold metallic tattoos that 

let you show off your love of travel and 

blackness and finally Jet Black branded 

products. 

My travels, my blog and my business 

all align because I am nothing, if not 

a nomad, itching to buy my next flight. 

------------------------------- 

Born and raised in Detroit to Ugandan immigrants, 

Jessica is Afropolitan. Seeds of 

travel and wander were planted at an early 

age when she embarked on her first international 

journey, traveling to London and 

Uganda at the age of six. Jessica’s sense 

of adventure led her to move to Japan in 

2008, giving life to Catch Me If You Can. 

Jessica has lived, worked and studied on 

four continents and visited over 60 countries 

on six continents. Catch Me If You 

Can chronicles her travels, the people she 

meets along the way, and features many 

of the poignant images she has captured, 

with hopes of encouraging readers to get 

out and see life through a different cultural 

lens.

“I want to go to as many 

places as humanly possible 

during my lifetime.”

BUTSU 

The Transformative Power of Design & Travel 

BY EBONY CHAPPEL 

There’s something about travel that changes 

your perspective. Being in an alien atmosphere 

with foreign tongues and customs 

forces you to rely on an often underutilized 

part of yourself - that part that is more instinctual, 

open and exploratory. That is if 

you’re doing it right. Author Miriam Beard 

once said, “Travel is more than the seeing 

of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep 

and permanent, in the ideas of living.” 

For Zimbabwean native Patrick Simbarashe 

Chakauya, creator of Butsu Footwear, his 

diverse upbringing in concert with his vast 

travels have transformed his identity, spirituality 

and art. “Our sneakers have 

afrocentric influences, 

we are basically telling the African success 

story no one else has told,” he said. 

Butsu started as Chakauya sat at home in 

Zimbabwe broke and looking for a way to 

fund his summertime wanderlust. 

“I needed to raise money for experiential 

travel. I believe that as an artist, you need 

to get out and explore the world in order 

to get the stimulus you need to make you 

a full artist. I always think every single art 

form is beautiful on its own but once you 

combine it with the experiences you have, 

it makes it even deeper.” 

After coming up with a game plan, he 

reached out to friends in Italy who had 

connections to manufacturers. He was 

accepted into a design program for 

budding designers and things 

rapidly took off from

there. 

The kicks, which practically speak for 

themselves, are bright, bold and evocative. 

Definitely not for wallflowers. It is the antithesis 

of the minimalist chic, monochromatic 

look seen 

on street corners, 

rooftops 

and other social 

habitats 

around the 

country. 

The muse behind the 

shoes ... is a young 

man - African born and 

raised, who has left the 

continent to make a 

great life for himself. 

The muse behind 

the shoes, 

according to 

the 22-year-old 

recent college 

grad, is a young man - African born and 

raised, who has left the continent to make 

a great life for himself. He is unique in his 

style choices, personally conscious and an 

expert conversationalist. 

Butsu, a derivative 

of the word 

butsudan, means 

Buddhist altar or 

shrine in Japanese. 

Growing up in Africa, Chakauya had an 

intimate look 

into the bustling 

world of 

fashion due to 

his mother, a 

women’s clothing 

designer. 

His firsthand 

look into the 

industry as 

a youngster - 

which no doubt 

influenced his 

work today, included hanging around bustling 

factory spaces and seeing his mother 

design for beauty as well as practicality for 

her mature female clientele. At age 16, he 

was awarded a scholarship to complete his 

high school coursework as part of an International 

Baccalaureate program in Asia 

for three years, another markedly influential 

experience. There, he studied alongside 

students from over 90 different countries. 

He spent time in many of the continent’s 

major metropolitan areas and completed 

service projects in rural areas as well, all 

the while soaking 

in all that he could 

while also learning 

a valuable lesson 

in cultural awareness. 

“To be fair, from 

their part - many 

(Asians) have never 

seen a Black 

man before,” he 

said. “I used to go 

to the Great Wall of China, and that’s a 

tourist attraction but I would be an attraction 

as well. People I did not know would 

stalk me and ask me to take family photos 

with them. People would want to twirl 

with your hair because they’ve never seen 

hair like that before. Sometimes people 

would be scared. 

You would be sitting 

next to them 

on the train and 

they would get up 

and move because 

they were clearly 

afraid of you.” 

Unfortunately, his 

experiences are 

not unique. Much 

has been written 

about the Black experience in Asia as being 

at times very problematic. In a piece for 

National Geographic, travel writer Heather 

Greenwood Davis, describes her family’s 

month-long stay as one of the “hardest” 

visits they’ve ever made. She shared examples 

of her husband’s brown skin being

pinched and her children’s hair being very 

closely photographed. She said the attention 

was at first amusing and then became 

annoying very quickly. “We couldn’t concentrate 

on tours because of all the cameras 

pointed at us. We couldn’t walk quickly 

due to the crowds swarming us. We were 

grumpy. What we looked like was ruining 

our chance to enjoy where we were.” 

Despite the uncouth interactions, Chakauya 

shared that his time in the east greatly informed 

his approach to design. “I got a 

chance to experience the food, the culture, 

the people… all of those things play into 

my aesthetic. The name Butsu itself is a 

reflection of my experience in the east.” 

Butsu, a derivative of the word butsudan, 

means Buddhist altar or shrine in Japanese. 

In his own mother tongue - Shona, it 

simply means shoe. For him, Butsu serves 

a dual purpose. “I see my body of work as 

a gift to the world but at the same time I’m 

honoring all the people that came before 

me by doing something of significance 

with my life,” he said. “It plays on the two 

things. It’s my legacy.” 

The shrine, which has it roots in nearly every 

ancient belief system on the planet, is 

significant to Chakauya for other reasons 

as well. 

In Africa, the infamous exercise of coloni-

zation has nearly obliterated or ostracized 

many tribal and ancestral practices. Droves 

of natives have over the past few hundred 

years, traded in their ancient teachings for 

lessons found between the pages of Bibles 

and Qur’ans. Some natives even refer to 

ancient faiths as forms of witchcraft and 

idolatry. 

It was during his time in undergrad at Middlebury 

that the former architecture student 

decided to embrace that which had 

been labeled taboo through the help of a 

friend whose father is a Ghanaian spiritual 

leader. 

“He’s one of the first people that reached 

out to me like, dude, all these things you’re 

practicing are not really authentic and this 

is where our culture exists and who we really 

are.” Chakauya, who at that time decided 

to drop Patrick and go simply as Simba 

(which means “the power of God”) shared 

that his Christian background made him 

apprehensive at first but he believes his 

newfound convictions have made him more 

comfortable and self-assured. 

On the Butsu website, he gives viewers a 

personal view into this part of his life as 

his own personal shrine is featured on the 

site’s home screen. 

“Everywhere I go, I set up a shrine,” he said 

adding that he changes the water each day 

and keeps it looking beautiful in honor of 

those who came before. “You nourish them 

the same way you need to be nourished. 

You ask for guidance, protection, good 

health and they answer in abundance. It’s 

a sacred place and you’re the one who 

gives it all the power it has.” 

“If you’ve lived in different countries 

throughout your youth you don’t really 

know where you belong. And as you move 

further and further away from home, this 

(spirituality) is one of those things that 

grounds you in the western world.” 

Chakauya shared that while he is internally 

cogent, his boots won’t be staying put too 

much longer. The world traveler plans to 

explore much more in the future. 

“I want to go to as many places as humanly 

possible during my lifetime.” 

Ebony is the editor in 

chief of the Indianapolis 

Recorder Newspaper and 

Indiana Minority Business 

Magazine. 

You can connect with her on 

Twitter @ebonythewriter.

03 JASON 

ANDREW 

TRAVELER PROFILE 

Jason Andrew is a menswear influencer 

and consultant, who doesn’t 

hail from a fashion background. 

Instead the practicing speech pathologist 

treats and rehabilitates 

those who have learning and language 

disabilities. 

Jason’s professional career allows 

him to hold a unique perspective 

that examines fashion from both 

style and function that has gained 

him several sartorial nods; they 

include: Esquire Magazine’s Best 

Dressed Real Man nomination and 

features in the Huffington Post’s 

“These Men On Instagram Have 

Some Serious Swagger,” GQ and 

Essence magazine’s.

TĀ 

M OKO

THE INTERSECTION OF 

ART & CULTURE 

By CosmoLatina 

What images come to mind 

when you hear New Zealand? 

For many, Aotearoa, the Maori 

name for the South Pacific Land of 

the Long White Cloud, is a country of 

pristine natural beauty, an adrenaline 

junky’s paradise, a lamb lover’s heaven 

and thanks to the All Blacks, a rugby 

fan’s source of pride. While these are 

indeed the images that are exported, 

there is another side to the two-island 

nation. 

The Māori, or indigenous people of 

New Zealand, have achieved international 

recognition with the haka. Māori 

& Pākehā (white New Zealanders) 

alike can be seen performing the haka 

on rugby fields, at airports and even 

at weddings. However, there are more 

traditional art forms that remain distinctively 

a Māori tradition. One of those is 

the tā moko (permanent body & face 

markings). While tribal tattoo designs 

have increasingly gained popularity, 

the tā moko is much more than a cool 

way to get some ink on your body. In 

fact, the term kirituhi (drawn skin) was 

created to refer to Māori designs used 

by non-Māori. 

Historically, the tā moko was a sign of 

someone’s social status, thus not having 

one would signify a lower social 

status. The placement of the moko was 

also significant. Māori culture has traditionally 

been very gendered. Everyone 

had their role and followed suit accordingly. 

Thus, the men have moko on 

their mata (face), raperape (buttocks) 

& pūhoro (thighs). Women’s moko is 

typically on their kauae (lips and chin). 

Moko can also be found on other parts 

of the body, depending on their rationale, 

such as making oneself appear 

more attractive to the opposite sex. 

Modern day tā moko has gone through 

different stages. In the 1970s and 80s 

it was associated with Māori gangs and 

seen very negatively. By the 1990s, just 

a few years after Te Reo Māori became 

Aotearoa’s second official language, 

tā moko once again became a sign of 

cultural pride. Tā moko artist Paitangi 

Ostick, shares what it means to carry 

on this tradition, “to wear moko kauae 

is not only an honor but very humbling. 

I wear the cultural identity of the Māori 

people so I have become an ambassador 

wherever I am in the world.” 

Tā moko are more than just designs. 

They, like hieroglyphics, tell a story. 

Similar to many indigenous communities 

around the world, Te Reo Māori,

was an oral language until the 20th Century. 

The traditional arts of wood carving, 

basket weaving and knots were what 

helped the various iwi (tribe) understand 

each other. One’s moko, then, is also a 

way of communicating with others. It allows 

someone to know one’s place within 

one’s iwi. For someone like Chief Kingi 

Taurua, his moko demonstrates his role 

as an orator. For others like Academic 

Te Kahautu Maxwell, it is a symbol of his 

eternal tears for the loss of his daughter 

who passed away suddenly. 

There are many influences that go into 

a moko. It is not something to be undertaken 

lightly. There is a ritual of consent, 

whakapapa (genealogy) and history. The 

whakapapa is an important component 

of Māori culture. It allows individuals to 

know and present themselves. A people 

connected to nature, Māori have a wider 

concept of belonging. Thus, there are 

layers to where one is from. In reciting 

one’s pepeha (introduction), it is imperative 

that one know in the following order 

one’s māunga (mountain), awa (river), 

waka (canoe)*, tōku tīpuna (founding 

ancestor) *, iwi, hapū (sub-tribe), marae 

(meeting grounds)*, where one is from, 

one’s parents and one’s own name. 

Rotorua native, Rawiri Bhana explains 

how he had his moko “done on [his marae 

[with] permission granted by [his] kaumatua 

(elders) in two straight sessions.” 

They lasted 11 and six hours, respectively. 

His iwi, Te Arawa, takes their name from 

the mango pare (hammerhead shark), 

who followed and protected his tīpuna’s 

waka when they made their initial voyage 

from Raaiatea to Aotearoa. Thus, Bha-

One’s moko, 

then, is also 

a way of 

communicating 

with others. It 

allows someone 

to know one’s 

place within 

one’s iwi.

na’s moko is his iwi’s kaitiaki (guardian). 

They are a tribute to his eldest son Kelly, 

who passed away as a child and his 

youngest son, Amaru. Bhana chose to 

have his moko on his calf, so that Kelly 

could be with him wherever he went 

and see all the things his father saw. 

When it came time to choose a place to 

honor Amaru, Bhana chose his pūhoro. 

Due to the renaissance of tā moko, it is 

imperative for artists to have the knowledge 

of the significance of their designs. 

Traditionally, tāne (men) were the sole 

artists. Wahine (women) slowly began 

breaking gender barriers, becoming tā 

moko artists. Talent alone, however, 

has not been enough for wahine artists 

to be embraced by the community at 

large. 

Ostick, who is based in Paihia, on the 

North Island, is one of few women in 

the entire country to excel in this art 

from. She has experienced first hand 

rejection based on her gender and her 

response to how she has dealt with the 

Due to the 

renaissance of 

tā moko, it is 

imperative for 

artists to have 

the knowledge of 

the significance 

of their designs. 

backlash from those who oppose her 

artistry is that “the challenges [she] has 

[met] along the way due to ignorance or 

jealousy only make [her] walk stronger.” 

So, tā moko is more than an artistic expression. 

It is the transference and retention 

of culture. It is a way to honor 

family. And finally, it is a symbol of cultural 

pride. 

*Optional components of a pepeha depending 

on one’s iwi(s) 

LA native, CosmoLatina, fell in 

love with Aotearoa 10yrs ago. 

She is a globetrotting polyglot 

with 8 languages, 38 states, 

40 countries and 11yrs as an 

expat under her belt. 

Follow her on IG: cosmolatina 

& Twitter: Cosmo_Latina

SKLAREK 

The “Rosa Parks of Architecture” 

By Alexis K. Barnes 

If you were among the 74,937,004 

passengers that traveled through 

the Los Angeles International Airport 

(LAX) in 2015, then you may 

know Norma Merrick Sklarek - or at 

least witnessed some of her work. 

Her designs and supervision helped 

create terminal 1, which opened just 

in time for the 1984 Olympics. Perhaps 

you visited the United States 

embassy in Tokyo, Japan. She was a 

part of that meticulous and modern 

building as well. 

A Harlem native, Sklarek’s professional 

marks are left throughout 

southern California and San Francisco 

areas. Her hands helped bring 

the brilliant blue glass siding of West 

Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center, 

better known as the Blue Whale, to 

life. Her designs birthed the elevated 

six-story San Bernardino City Hall 

building and the 2.5 million square 

foot fashion center known as California 

Mart. 

“Architecture should be working on 

improving the environment of people 

in their homes, in their places of 

work, and their places of recreation. 

It should be functional and pleasant, 

not just in the image of the architect’s 

ego,” Sklarek said in Brian Lanker’s 

1989 book: I Dream a World: Portraits 

of Black Women Who Changed 

America. 

The black architect lived a life of 

“firsts.” She was one of only two 

women in her 1954 graduating class 

at Columbia University’s School of 

Architecture. After 19 potential employees 

turned her down, Sklarek 

took a job at New York’s Department 

of Works. She would later tell the 

Palisadian Post in 2004 that employers 

were not hiring women or African 

Americans so she “didn’t know which 

was working against me.” 

She passed the four-day New York 

state exam on her first try in 1954, 

earning a license as the first African 

American woman architect, then did 

the same in California in 1962. 

In 1980, the American Institute of Ar-

chitects (AIA) elected her as their first 

black woman fellow, the organization’s 

highest honor. Spending most of her career 

working with Gruen Associates and 

Welton Beckett Associates, she eventually 

became the first black woman to 

start her own architectural firm. Siegel-Sklarek-Diamond 

opened in 1985 

and was the largest woman-owned and 

mostly woman-staffed architectural 

firm in the United States. 

“She was excellent at putting the whole 

package together,” said Marshall Purnell, 

a past president of the American 

Institute of Architects. But, because of 

race, Sklarek often had to take a backseat 

in designing. 

It was the 1950s, and although she was 

highly capable according to her employers 

and colleagues, “it was unheard 

of to have an African American female 

who was registered as an architect. You 

didn’t trot that person out in front of 

your clients and say ‘This is the person 

designing your project.’ She was not allowed 

to express herself as a designer. 

But she was capable of doing anything. 

She was the complete architect.” 

Despite those stigmas and setbacks, Sklarek 

was known for handling complex 

buildings on time and under budget. 

Ahead of her time and current software 

capabilities, Kate Diamond, a partner 

in Siegel-Sklarek-Diamond said, “She 

could see three-dimensionally-understanding 

how things fit together.” 

Now, 60 years later, Sklarek’s work still 

stands. A recent $508 million renovation 

project is underway to modernize 

LAX’s terminal 1 and build upon her

“I had absolutely 

no role model. I’m 

happy today to be 

a role model for 

others that follow.” 

work. Although the number of black 

women architects has quadrupled in the 

last 15 years., that total number is still 

a low 196, representing only 0.2 percent 

of approximately 91,000 licensed 

architects. 

Referred to as the “Rosa Parks of Architecture”, 

Sklarak died in 2012 from 

heart failure. But her legacy is evident, 

from the 29-story Fox Plaza in San Francisco 

to the Norma Merrick Sklarek Architectural 

Scholarship Award offered 

at HBCU, Howard University. Without a 

role model of her own, she managed to 

blaze a trail. 

“Until the end of World War II, I think 

there was strong discrimination against 

women in architecture. The schools had 

a quota, it was obvious, a quota against 

women and a quota against blacks. In 

architecture, I had absolutely no role 

model. I’m happy today to be a role 

model for others that follow,” Sklarek 

said. 

__ 

Alexis Barnes is a multimedia freelance 

journalist currently working in development 

in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She holds 

journalism degrees from Howard University 

and the City of New York Graduate 

School of Journalism (CUNY). Her 

work reveals her passion for sustainability 

and technology in developing nations, 

social justice, women and gender 

issues. Alexis has also reported from 

Zambia, Belgium, Kenya, South Korea 

and Tanzania. She has worked with 

Vice, Al Jazeera English in the United 

Nations bureau, Africa Times and Norwegian 

publication, Bistandsaktuelt. 

You can find her work on www.alexiskbarnes.com 

or blogging at kurlsandkimchi.com.

GA 

BY RODNEY GOODE

NT

There was a time in the 80’s that Jersey 

natives could not drive anywhere in the 

northern part of the state, particularly Essex 

County, and not see the work of young 

Jerry Gant. Not to be confused with his 

contemporaries who used vibrant colors 

and amazing graphics to tag their name 

on any and all open spaces, Jerry departed 

from that norm and depicted strong ethnic 

male and female faces with even stronger 

statements to make passersby not only 

ponder the messages but wonder about 

the messenger. A graduate from Newark’s 

Arts High School, Jerry Gant is the byproduct 

of middle child syndrome. “I had to 

be a superhero and a scientist to keep my 

imagination engaged.” In a world where 

the oldest and the youngest get most of 

the attention, he relied on imagination to 

keep himself entertained and honed it into 

creative expression. 

Fast forward 30 years later…. 

Walk into Jerry Gants home and you enter 

an almost surreal environment that is reminiscent 

of a mad scientist’s workshop but 

with a lot more color and ethnicity. In one 

corner sits twisted, hinged, welded metals 

that are shaped into amazing ethnic images. 

The other corner houses spray paints 

and stencils (tools of the trade). And yet 

another holds screen printed and treated 

clothing across from another that houses 

a desk where he writes. After mere minutes 

there, you cannot help but ask yourself, 

“Who is this guy?” One thing that is 

certain, this artist is a jack of all trades 

and master of many. 

GRIOTS REPUBLIC (GR): ARE YOU 

A GRAFFITI ARTIST, A SCULPTOR, A 

POET, A DESIGNER? JUST WHO THE 

HELL ARE YOU? 

Jerry Gant: Craig Mack said, “My style

ain’t a style so I can go buck wild” and 

so what I’ve learned from hip hop is there 

aren’t any rules. I didn’t know a painter 

couldn’t be a poet or a poet couldn’t be a 

sculptor. There is no mandate that says I 

can’t do it all. It all depends on what space 

I am in. I feel it and I use whatever medium 

I have at my disposal to give it a voice. 

I move between mediums with regularity 

that they are all now interconnected. I love 

transforming physical spaces. 

GR: TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MESSAGES. I 

SAW SOMETHING ON CHANCELLOR AVE- 

NUE IN NEWARK THAT I KNEW YOU HAD 

PAINTED ON A STOREFRONT. IT READ, 

“WHO’S NEXT.” WHAT IS THE MESSAGE 

THERE? 

Jerry Gant: There was a show at the criminal 

justice building at Rutgers called, 

Who’s Next. They were a series of portraits 

of ordinary guys, a shoemaker and a 

chef and these men had been assassinated 

by the police. I decided to do that piece 

right by the jail. 

GR: WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU TAG? 

Jerry Gant: Cloudy days are good. Late 

nights or early mornings. I love old buildings. 

I look for places off the beaten track. 

I love the boxes the train conductors use 

and although they cover it up regularly 

with silver paint, for me that’s like a new 

canvas and for folks who follow me, it gives 

me an opportunity to communicate fresh 

and new with each coat of new paint. The 

streets never sleep. Eternally awake. 

GR: WHERE IS YOUR FURTHEST TAG? 

Jerry Gant: I’ve done work up and down 

the eastern seaboard, England, Mexico 

and Canada.

GR: TELL OUR READERS ABOUT YOUR 

MOST MEMORABLE TRAVEL EXPERI- 

ENCE IN ENGLAND. 

Jerry Gant: I was in Brixton trying to get 

my poetry chops up and I went to a comedy 

club and I was told to sign up to do a 

piece, so I did. Well, the announcer comes 

on and sets my time on stage up as me 

coming from nowhere and about to do 

some mediocre stuff in comparison to what 

they are used to. So, I walked on stage to a 

stone-faced (almost Apollo Theatre-esque) 

crowd. Essentially, he had set me up to fail 

but by the time I got to my second piece, 

the audience was transformed. Their looks 

of admiration and the applause told me 

that I had surpassed their expectation. 

The same cat who set me up, ended up 

asking me back. So, I encourage anyone 

who is hitting the stage, to travel outside 

of their comfort zone to a place where the 

language, jokes and colloquialisms are 

different and rock it. If it makes it there, 

you know you are onto something. Later 

we crashed at a friend of a friend’s flat in 

exchange for doing a set on a pirate radio 

station. We get on there, did a two-hour 

slot and rocked that! 

GR: TELL US ABOUT YOUR FASHION 

MOVES. 

Jerry Gant: Well I know you know because 

Griots just did a piece on the Lincoln Park 

Music Festivals and how that was a by-product 

of night-life culture. My age-group is 

post disco but one thing that stuck was 

the importance to be seen and recognized 

when you went out to a hot spot. Your attire 

is something to be taken very seriously. 

You could not be seen in the same place 

with the same outfit. Don’t come rocking 

the same thing you had on last week. 

So, not being wealthy, we had to be creative 

and make our stuff. We changed our

clothes by literally changing them. Whether 

it’s silk screening, tie dyeing, bleaching 

or even painting directly onto something, 

you changed it forever. I love denim. I did 

some research. I work heavily with denim 

and interestingly enough the Indigo Plantations 

were considered the death row for 

slaves beyond cotton and textiles. If you 

worked with indigo, your life expectancy 

was drastically reduced because the vat 

that makes the indigo was so putrid that 

it would kill you. Runaway slaves were sentenced 

to work there as punishment and 

certain death. Denim has a long history 

rooted in cotton and slavery. I looked 

at using bleach as a way to purify it and 

purge the ghost from it and cleanse the 

history. People wear denim every day and 

it’s a huge part of their wardrobe and do 

not know its history. It’s not just clothes. 

For me, it’s a canvas. 

GR: WHAT’S NEXT FOR JERRY GANT? 

Jerry Gant: Maya Angelou said, “If you 

don’t define yourself, someone else will 

damn sure do it for you.” I’m going to let 

my works define who I am as a person. My 

works and the messages I infuse in them. 

Yeah, that’s the way I’m going to play it.

04 

A.V. 

PERKINS 

TRAVELER PROFILE 

A.V. is a lifestyle content creator living in Bed 

Stuy “Do or DIY” Brooklyn, NY that may have 

been a 90’s rapper in a previous life. Unfortunately, 

those musical talents did not transition 

into this life. Luckily, she developed other skills 

that resulted in a successful career within the 

film industry as a set decorator. 

Whether it is producing online DIY classes, 

planning crafty events or developing a community 

of like minded individuals that love glitter 

and saw dust she has always had a thing for 

doing it herself. After experiencing the sudden 

death of her father, she channeled all of the 

handy lessons he taught her and created Av- 

DoesWhat.com. What better way to keep his 

memory alive than developing an entire site 

dedicated to what they did best, build stuff. 

What began as a traditional Do-It-Yourself 

blog quickly grew into a multi-media lifestyle 

platform including crafts, recipes, childhood 

anecdotes, and travel. A.V. is determined to 

change the face of “DIY,” by encouraging 

young millennials to realize that life is better 

when you Do-It-Yourself! 

A.V.’s writing contributions and ambassadorships 

have increased her overall reach to 

over 10,000 people worldwide. She is also the 

co-creator of University of Dope, an exciting 

thought provoking card game that inspires 

dope discussions about Hip Hop culture.

TINY 

& THE BLACK TRAVELER 

By LeToya Garland 

The dream of lighter living and 

career freedom started for Jewel 

Pearson when her daughter 

was in kindergarten. They made a pact 

that once she was living her successful 

adult life, Jewel’s daughter would 

buy her mother an RV. Jewel’s dream 

of downsized living did not change and 

turned into a reality after reading an article 

about tiny house living. She was 

inspired to forgo the more expensive RV 

in exchange for a tiny home. 

Jewel spent 1.5 years researching design 

and construction options before 

building her home. She found online 

groups of tiny home owners and quickly 

realized that people of color were 

grossly underrepresented within the 

tiny house movement. This could be in 

part due to misconceptions about the 

lifestyle and societal ideals of success. 

When sharing her dream with family and 

friends, Jewel was sometimes asked if 

she was having hard times or needed a 

place to stay. 

Popular ideas about success today include 

a high paying job, expensive car 

and a big house. Living in a small one 

room home, off the grid or without typical 

utility sources could remind some 

people of involuntary impoverished living. 

Jewel made a conscious choice to 

start simplifying and downsizing her life 

over the course of 10 years. One year 

prior to the construction of her tiny 

home, she was living in a one bedroom, 

one bath apartment in preparation for 

her transition. 

First home ownership goals can be a po-

for tiny home costs because many of 

them are built without mortgage loans. 

It is also difficult to find a legal definition 

of a tiny home and most cities and 

states have few if any regulations regarding 

their construction. Many home 

owners within the community have built 

their homes with costs ranging from 

$30,000 to over $80,000. Construction 

expenses can vary depending on the 

types of materials used and the amount 

of labor needed. Some tiny home owners 

are compelled to contribute their 

own labor, design skills or collect free/ 

recycled materials for construction to 

help reduce costs. 

sition of status. “You don’t have to give 

up luxury to go tiny. ”comments Jewel. 

She wants to share her experience as 

a “normal” home owner whose house 

just happens to be tiny.The only sacrifice 

she has made was moving away 

from the big city. Tiny house living can 

help families achieve home and land 

ownership much faster than typical 

mortgage loans for homes with higher 

living expenses. This allows families to 

build generational wealth. Then begin 

to make choices about careers that will 

avoid the trap of working to pay bills instead 

of fully enjoying the freedom and 

experiences of life. 

According to Zillow, the median home 

price in the United States is $188,100 

and the median rent price is $1,575. 

There are no official statistical reports 

The challenges of tiny home ownership 

start with the decision of the type of 

home you want to build. Does a moveable 

or stationary tiny home interest 

you? Do you want to buy land or rent 

space in a backyard or an RV/mobile 

home park? Do you want to have off grid 

or on grid utility design? Like choosing 

any neighborhood, your choice of location 

can impact the type of home you 

build and your quality of living. Many 

RV/mobile home parks are in rural areas. 

Some of those communities may 

be more diverse and welcoming than 

others. 

You can build a tiny home without relying 

on any city infrastructure. Heat 

and electricity can be provided using 

propane and solar power. Water can be 

collected and stored in tanks. Black water 

tanks can be installed and serviced 

for sewage and waste water collection. 

Depending on the city, you can simply 

get connected to their infrastructure for

“Our purpose is to highlight 

tiny house builds, tiny house 

living and the stories of people 

of all colors and walks of 

life- while also providing a forum 

for discussing the issues 

and telling the stories of tiny 

house living and the movement 

from the lens of people 

of color. Our purpose is never 

to be exclusive, instead our 

purpose is to ensure we’re 

always included…” 

– Tiny House Trailblazers.

heat, water and electricity. There are 

many combinations of options for foundational 

design. 

Jewel has taken the experience in research 

and building her own home to 

offer consultation services to new tiny 

home owners. She has partnered with 

materials vendors and tiny home builders 

that can help navigate available options. 

Her home is proof that tiny house 

living does not have to sacrifice style 

and comfort. You can view more details 

about Jewel’s personal home ownership 

journey at msgypsysoul.com. 

Tiny House Trailblazers is the online 

blog site that Jewel and her partners 

Bonnielee and Dominique use to share 

news of the tiny house movement with 

a diverse audience of readers. 

You can follow them for information 

about future tiny house workshops on 

their website at tinyhousetrailblazers. 

com. Maybe you too will be blazing 

trails in your new tiny home and living 

a life of freedom that allows you to do 

more of the things you love.

LeToya Garland got her 

first taste of international 

travel as an Air Force brat. 

Her love of family, real 

estate, gardening, technology, 

food and dancing 

shape her world today.

THE KINGDOM 

Extraordinary Bamoun Museum Design Rivals the 

Six Centuries of Its Prized Collection 

BY KELLEY PAGE JIBRELL 

While many Royal Dynasties operate in 

secrecy, few are as welcoming as the 

Bamoun (or Bamum) Kingdom. Founded 

in the 14th Century, the Bamoun 

Kingdom is nestled in the Northwest 

Grassfields region of Cameroon. Foumban 

is the city hub of the Bamoun Kingdom 

and attracts world-travelers for its 

chic design in fine arts, craftsmanship, 

music, dance and festivals. The high design, 

art and storied Royal Palace architecture 

draw visitors from across Cameroon 

and the world. 

With such a long, fabled history, the 

Bamoun Kingdom has had a succession 

of 19 men crowned King. Each King has 

made his mark and the current Sultan 

is no exception. His Majesty Ibrahim 

Mbouombouo Njoya, the 19th king of 

the Bamoun Dynasty launched a worldclass 

project which is nearing completion. 

The upcoming Bamoun Museum 

will house more than 13,000 Bamoun, 

Tikar and related artifacts. Part of the 

lure of the Bamoun Kingdom is its fusion 

of cultures with Fulani and Hausa influences 

and historical migratory roots 

from Sudan. The Bamoun Dynasty is 

primarily Islamic yet lives harmoniously 

with significant traditional animists and 

Christian influences from German and 

French colonization. The Royal Palace 

serves as the current museum for textiles, 

masks, jewelry, statues, thrones 

and documents dating from the birth of 

the dynasty more than 600 years ago. 

YOUNG ARCHITECT LEADS DESIGN 

AND CONSTRUCTION 

The Sultan of this historic dynasty 

chose one of its own young architects 

for the historic landmark. Mr. Mbouombouo 

Issofou is the talented architect 

appointed by the Sultan to conceptualize, 

design and build the new Bamoun 

Museum. Mr. Issofou, as a young man, 

won the coveted design contest for this 

museum project. The Bamoun Kingdom 

has other notable architects including 

Ousman Moluh, but decided to give this 

landmark project to a young man to inspire 

others in the Kingdom. 

The Museum’s architectural design is 

inspired by the three primary symbols 

of the Bamoun Kingdom. King Mbuem-

ue, of the 11th Dynasty, expanded 

kingdom borders. His Majesty then endowed 

his kingdom with mythical symbols: 

a double-headed snake, illustrating 

the successful army who endured 

simultaneous battles and the double 

bells, which is ubiquitous of Cameroonian 

Nationalism and the spider. The 

spider represents the nimble dexterity 

and fine production of the famed 

Bamoun artisans. These three elements 

are referenced in the body of the building, 

the archway and the aerial view, respectively. 

The museum is supported by the government 

of the Republic of Cameroon 

under the Ministries of Culture and 

Tourism. Supporters and champions 

of the museum extend beyond the continent, 

as The Bamoun Kingdom has 

been welcoming back its long lost relatives 

who survived the Middle Passage. 

AFRICAN-AMERICAN LINKAGES

With the development of more detailed 

DNA testing, many African Americans 

and others of the diaspora in the New 

World have traced their heritage to the 

Tikar, inclusive of this Kingdom. The migratory 

origins of the Bamoun people, 

known as the Tikar, hailed from Sudan 

to the fertile Grassland Region of Cameroon 

more than half a millennia ago. 

The Tikar split into three major tribes 

which became three separate Kingdoms. 

Since 2010, the Bamoun Kingdom 

has welcomed its long-lost African 

American relatives of the larger Tikar 

origin through organized trips and welcome 

ceremonies. Numerous black celebrities 

of Tikar heritage include: astronaut, 

Mae Jamison; actors, Taraji P. 

Henson, Blair Underwood and Anthony 

Anderson and music legends Quincy 

Jones, Nas, Erykah Badu and Stevie 

Wonder. Condolezza Rice and Oprah 

Winfrey are also connected. Many African-Americans 

and Afro-Caribbeans 

who return are in awe of the design and 

art displayed in the famed Artist Mar-

ket next to the Royal Palace, a UNESCO 

World Heritage site. 

FAMED ART AND ART COLLECTORS 

Avid collectors of African art learn two 

facts. One, the famous animator, Walt 

Disney, was an avid African art collector 

and lured other collectors toward the 

historic, spiritual and financial value 

and prestige of African art and design. 

Secondly, no major African art collection 

is deemed complete without a fine art 

piece from the Bamoun Kingdom. Even 

the Chief Curator, Ms. Christine Mullen 

Kreamer, of the Smithsonian National 

Museum of African Art in Washington, 

DC has publically shared special fondness 

of a Bamuoun mask that was donated 

by the private Walt Disney collection 

into the Smithsonian’s permanent 

collection. 

NGOUON FESTIVAL 

If the museum, ancestral reconnection 

and an ancient Kingdom excites 

you, Foumban will welcome you like the 

thousands of visitors who come annually. 

The Ngouon Festival celebrates and 

exhibits Bamoun culture and tradition. 

The next Ngouon will be held 4-9 December, 

2016, but a visit any time is 

worthwhile. The 2014 Ngouon Festival 

was featured on CNN and is often referred 

to as one of the Top 10 Festivals 

in Africa by numerous travel sources. 

Centered around the Royal Palace, the 

Bamoun people, tourists and dignitaries 

descend from all corners of the world. 

A visit to Foumban will be memorable for 

its art, culture and the nearly completed 

façade of the museum. The Museum is 

focusing on partnerships, conservation 

and exhibit design. Completion is estimated 

by Ngouon to be in 2018. Much 

respect to an ancient dynasty for showcasing 

and preserving the talents of its 

people. And bravo to the young, ambitious 

architect, Mr. Issofou Mbouombouo, 

for his extraordinary design and 

vision of the 19th King, whose museum 

will marvel for the next 600 years. 

Kelley Page Jibrell, Founder of Sachem Global, 

is known as “The Visionary’s Change Agent.” 

She is an award-winning global advisor to 

leaders and organizations providing expertise 

in strategy, collaboration and implementation 

across five continents. Prof. Jibrell is Adjunct 

Professor at Howard University teaching international 

business to MBA candidates and contributes 

to international publications. 

www.sachemglobal.com 

@AskProfDiva

Three Things You Always Wante 

AIRPLA

d to Ask the Airlines but Didn’t 

NE 101 

By Rodney Goode

As travelers we often have questions 

we’d like to ask the airlines, but in the 

process of rushing to our next destination 

we let the questions go and 

simply comply. Recently, I took the 

opportunity to ask flight attendants 

and pilots about three of the travel 

questions that bugged me the most. 

WHY MUST I TURN MY CELL 

PHONE OFF? 

It has been estimated that nearly 40% 

of flyers do not bother to turn off or 

put their phones on airplane mode. 

Now, if you’ve ever made the “mistake” 

of not turning your phone off 

in flight, you quickly learned that in 

most cases, your phone will not work 

once airborne, so why do you have to 

turn it off in the first place? Are the 

flight attendants just being big ole 

meanies? Well, that could be true but 

they are simply doing as instructed. 

The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) mandates all cellular phones 

and personal electronic devices be 

turned off as they are simply unsure 

how much they can/will interfere 

with airplane communications and 

the onus is on the airlines to prove 

that they do not. So, why haven’t the 

airlines put us out of our collective 

misery and proven it once and for 

all? Well, it seems that in order to be 

released from that FAA restriction, 

they would have to test all (and that 

means all) devices to ensure there 

are no negative impacts to ground 

and air communications which would 

prove to be quite expensive. Frankly, 

it’s just easier and cheaper on the airline 

for you to hear and obey. 

WHY IS AIRLINE FOOD 

SO DARN AWFUL? 

Many of us have been seated next 

to the passenger who has pulled out 

their bag lunch. We scoffed at them

ut quickly regretted not doing the 

same. Next, we wait with bated breath 

in hopes that the gruel the flight attendants 

bring is at least edible only 

to be disappointed for the umpteenth 

time. It’s god awful. So, what’s the 

deal with airline food? Well, this question 

came back with a few scientific 

answers and one very interesting one. 

Scientifically speaking, it seems that 

our taste buds just do not work that 

well at high altitudes and what you 

have been eating at 32,000 feet all 

these years would taste a whole lot 

better on the ground (yeah, right). 

In truth, altitude does indeed wreak 

havoc on your nasal passages, alternating 

sometimes between congestion 

and drying, both of which could 

impact taste. Another factor is that 

the combination of stress and the 

constant noise in flight can distract 

the brain from the food as it focuses 

on the noise. The mental distraction 

detracts from the true flavor of the 

food. 

Still not convinced? 

Finally, there is an answer that shifts 

the blame from biology to simple logistics. 

Airplanes simply do not have 

the facilities to cook and maintain 

food at proper temperatures, and 

since individual tastes are as varied 

as passengers, foods are selected 

for both palatability and their ability 

to stand up under heat for extended 

time periods. Needless to say, the 

combination does not make for the 

most delicious of meals. 

DOES AIRPLANE AIR 

MAKE YOU SICK? 

Many a traveler have gotten off a 

plane only to awaken the next morning 

feeling like crap, cursing that 

darn recycled airplane air. Airplane

air making passengers sick is really 

an urban myth of sorts. The fact of 

the matter is airplane air is not bad 

for you at all. 

Air from the outside is pressurized, 

mixed with filtered interior air and is 

maintained with low humidity. This air 

is typically free of 94 to 99 percent of 

airborne germs. The operative word 

here is airborne. The very last thing 

frequent flyers should be concerned 

about is the air quality. The real problem 

is your fellow passengers. 

Hygiene seems to be extremely lax 

among most passengers who have 

been frequently observed by airport 

employees rushing from flight to 

flight after using the restroom and 

have completely “forgotten” to wash 

their hands. Combine that with a sick 

passenger or two, and your armrest, 

overhead bin handle and even the 

headrest now become petri dishes. 

We won’t even discuss the seat pocket 

in front of you. Aisle seats are the 

most likely suspects due to continuous 

contact. One flight attendant said 

she goes through several bottles of 

hand sanitizer a week. Some health 

zealots have been observed wiping 

down their seating area prior to settling 

in for their journey. 

So, when you combine the germ laden 

surfaces, jet lag associated with 

long flights, and the stresses associated 

with travel, only caution and vigilance 

will keep you healthy.

JOIN THE 

MOVEMENT 

WEAREBLACKANDABROAD.COM

Tickets 

start at just 

$59! 

Sex Down South is a 3 day sex and sexuality conference 

taking place October 13th-15th, 

at the Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, GA. 

Featuring keynote speakers and vendors from around the country, 

SDS will climax with our exclusive Big Bang party! Expect a 

seemingly endless evening of flirtatious revelry, erotic 

demonstrations, and deliciously diverse (and perverse!) 

entertainment! 

Come enjoy over 50 presenters and workshops to choose from 

including appearances by Sex Celebs: 

Sunny Megatron & Ken Melvoin-Berg, Orpheus Black, 

Sinclair Sexsmith, and Tyomi Morgan! 

Sex Education. Sex Talk. Sex Play. 

Just Come! 

www.sexdownsouth.com

Griots Republic Vol. 1 Issue 10 

October 2016 

Cover Image 

Courtesy of Justina Blakeney 

Editor in Chief Davita McKelvey 

Deputy Editor Rodney Goode 

Copy Editor Alexis Barnes 

Video Editor Chidi Nwaozomudoh 

Business manager 

Alexandra Stewart 

Alexandra@GriotsRepublic.com 

director of media 

Brian Blake 

Brian@GriotsRepublic.com 

Write to: 405 Tarrytown Rd STE 1356, 

White Plains, NY 10607 

Phone: 1 929-277-9290 

For Photo Attributions Please Reference 

the following: 

www.GriotsRepublic.com 

info@GriotsRepublic.com 

Published monthly by Griots Republic LLC 

All Rights Reserved. 

The views expressed in this magazine are those of the 

authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect 

the views of Griots Republic.

GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - OCTOBER 2016

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