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Ewaso Vilage: Poems, Stories, and Photography from Laikipia County, Kenya

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “Enriched with hauntingly beautiful photographs and poetic stories, Ewaso Village provides a richly detailed portrait of a nomadic society known for their centuries-old rituals and dazzling ornamentation, but a culture mostly hidden from outsiders,” National Geographic filmmaker and author Kevin McCarey stated.
The post Ewaso Vilage: Poems, Stories, and Photography from Laikipia County, Kenya first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

July 1, 2022

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Acclaimed filmmaker, photojournalist, writer, poet, and humanitarian Chip Duncan takes readers on a tour of Laikipia County, Kenya, in his new release, “Ewaso Village: Poems and Stories.”

The SelectBooks, Inc., offering provides a birds-eye view of Ewaso Village in a unique publication that incorporates stunning full-color images – the product of Duncan’s experience as a veteran photojournalist – and his poignant literary sensibilities as a poet and memoirist.

“All of this is focused on a community in southern Kenya, Ewaso Village, which has become an important place of spiritual connection for the author over the years of his travels,” according to a news release.

The book’s publishers noted that the Maasai people of East Africa comprise one of the most intriguing and resourceful cultures on Earth.

“For more than a thousand years, the Maasai and their Samburu neighbors have survived and thrived as pastoralists on the savannah near Mt. Kenya and the Maasai Mara borderlands of Kenya and Tanzania,” the publishers wrote.

“Chip Duncan exuberantly combines prose, poetry, and photography to celebrate the stories, songs, rituals, and dreams of people who live in this magical place called Ewaso Village.”

Further, those who speak of Ewaso Village with admiration include Wisconsin Poet Laureate and Rubinger Fellow, Dasha Kelly Hamilton, who described it as “eloquent and frank, braiding culture and commentary, justice and joy, imagery and intimate impact. The collection of these pieces traveled me, not as a vapid tourist, but as a human.”

“Enriched with hauntingly beautiful photographs and poetic stories, Ewaso Village provides a richly detailed portrait of a nomadic society known for their centuries-old rituals and dazzling ornamentation, but a culture mostly hidden from outsiders,” National Geographic filmmaker and author Kevin McCarey stated.

“In this thoroughly engaging book, Duncan captures the heart and soul of the Maasai – an African tribal people grappling with the challenges of political strife and climate change.”

A lifelong Midwesterner and native of western Iowa, Duncan has produced more than fifty non-fiction films for international broadcast and distribution.

His work as a photographer and filmmaker has taken him to ice fields, war zones, slums, shipyards, museums, palaces, vineyards, beaches, deserts, rainforests, savannahs, and farmlands.

Duncan’s previous books include the short story collection Half A Reason to Die (SelectBooks, NYC, 2017), photographic collections Inspiring Change (Thunder House Press, Milwaukee, 2019) and Enough to Go Around (SelectBooks, NYC, 2009).

Duncan also speaks publicly on the impact of climate change as part of The Three Tenors of Climate Change.

Ewaso Village is Duncan’s first book featuring his poetry, and the first in a trilogy featuring indigenous cultures from around the world.

The post Ewaso Vilage: Poems, Stories, and Photography from Laikipia County, Kenya first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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PRESS ROOM: 81 Grassroots Organizations Awarded a Total of $750,000 in Grants through Industry’s ‘Make Golf Your Thing’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative

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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2

Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

Published

3 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82

Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

Published

4 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Sly and the Family Stone play the Opera House in Bournemouth. Mojo review. Photo by Simon Fernandez.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire

Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.

His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.

Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.

In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.

The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.

Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.

As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.

Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.

His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.

“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”

Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.

“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”

Sly Stone is survived by three children.

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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

Published

5 hours ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

By Congressman James E. Clyburn

WATCH HERE

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10^th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.

“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”