BABA Inc hosts second annual Black Unity Cookout to foster dialogue, connection

BABA Inc. has successfully hosted its second annual Black Unity Cookout in New York City on August 18, 2024.

The event was held at the Rev. Wendell Foster Park and Recreation Center in The Bronx.

This year’s event, which was held in honor of Black August, aimed at celebrating the shared heritage, history, and future of diverse communities of African descent in New York City.

The cookout provided an invaluable opportunity for attendees to connect with various communities that reflect the rich diversity of Africa and its Diaspora.

The gathering served as a platform to honor African history, celebrate shared cultures, and strengthen community bonds, emphasizing the significance of unity and understanding among diverse African groups while fostering an environment of mutual respect and collaboration.

Prominent figures Danielle Williams and Abdoulaye Cissé, Founder and Executive Director of BABA Inc, shared their insights in exclusive interviews conducted by Muslim Media Corperation (MMC) following the event.

Cissé articulated the cookout’s primary objective, “It’s for us to come together and have conversations about some of the divisiveness and issues that we have amongst our diverse ethnic groups… to create a platform to bring diverse groups of black people together and to connect and learn from one another.”

Williams highlighted the importance of dialogue, stating, “It’s important to bring us together to build relationships and better understand each other… It’s always been about keeping our group separated, and so we’re trying to bridge that gap, starting with us breaking bread, eating with one another, and just building relationships and understanding each of our experiences and stories.”

Addressing the significance of unity for future generations, Williams emphasized, “It’s important for the children to see this unity so that they could really understand the full beauty that comes out of Africa… and to see the beautiful manifestations of that and to say that, you know, wherever you are, that you’re African, you’re African slash black and you’re proud and you should be.”

Reflecting on her experiences, Williams recounted her visit to Ghana three years ago, expressing, “I was welcomed, I was showered with so much love and embracing… I’d say definitely get that experience. And to that point of welcoming, I definitely want us as African Americans to think about how we can create that experience for our brothers and sisters from the continent coming here.”

On the topic of political representation, Williams expressed her enthusiasm for Kamala Harris’s candidacy, noting, “When it comes to the election and the nomination of VP, Kamala Harris, that is something that I am excited about… She is Jamaican; she’s Indian. She is a she. And so I think it is important for all of the black and brown girls to see a woman of African descent leading this country.”

This event was graciously attended by numerous Bronxites. Among them were some popular Black community leaders, activists and pan-Africans.