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Majella Hamilton: Preserving City’s African American History

BIRMINGHAM TIMES —

Published

5 years ago

October 6, 2019

Oakland Post

Majella Hamilton (Photo by: birminghamtimes.com)

By Erica Wright

As an avid student of race and culture with a passion for telling stories, Majella Chube Hamilton wakes up and goes to sleep with a love for history. That’s why her work as executive director of the Ballard House Project Inc. is so important.

“We research, document, preserve, and share the information we uncover regarding the African American experience in Birmingham,” said Hamilton. “We host oral-history sessions, community conversations, and temporary exhibits, and we’re [also] working on permanent exhibits.”

The Ballard House Project Inc., part of the downtown Birmingham Civil Rights District, is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to disseminating the history of the African American experience among children and adults within the community, across the state, and beyond.

The building, named after renowned Birmingham physician Edward H. Ballard, MD, was constructed in the first half of the 20th century as a medical office and residence for the doctor’s family; it is one of the few surviving live-work structures in the Magic City.

The Ballard home served as a meeting place for African American organizations barred from gathering in other areas of the city and hosted noted physicians, including Dodson Curry, MD, Herschell Hamilton, MD, and Ross Gardner, MD.

Hamilton and her team focus on and feature not only specifics about what happened in the Ballard House but also the innovative contributions, educators, business owners, and women who lived together and created amazing networks throughout Birmingham.

“We have some resources we’ve gathered that are part of our exhibits, some of which are from the early 1900s,” Hamilton said. “We have information we’ve been sharing about the African American experience in Birmingham, … what was going on here and what we think is important for the community to know.”

Shared Experiences

The Ballard House Project, which received its nonprofit status in 2010, began with community conversations, collective-memory sessions, and oral history.

“We have been working for more than 10 years to gather the shared experiences of [Birmingham’s] African American community. We started having community conversations and gatherings of individuals to learn about their shared experiences and also individual oral histories,” said Hamilton, who has long been interested in learning the back story of a particular initiative or why things are the way they are.

“I recognized early on that there were aspects of this community that had been marginalized, had been ignored, and we weren’t talking about it,” she said. “People talk about their culture and their families and their extended families and their neighborhoods, usually within their own circles. I felt through all of my community activism that some aspects were not being discussed and engaged.

“It’s important to uncover and discover rich, historical information not to dwell on the past but to connect what happened yesterday with what is currently happening in our community today,” Hamilton said.

“In order to move forward, we feel that we’ve got to reach back and find out about what happened in the past so we can empower each other,” she continued. “I’d like to see children, adults, all of us be empowered by this information. … I’d also like to make sure that this is the history of not just Birmingham’s African American communities but all of Birmingham’s communities, which are part of the history of this nation. It is universally important.”

Click to view slideshow.

“Culturally Rich”

Hamilton, who is in her early 50s, spent most of her childhood in Franklin, La., a small town outside of New Orleans. When she was 12 years old, her family moved to Gary, Ind.

“My childhood was culturally rich,” she said. “My parents were dedicated to the community in which they lived, and they worked all of their lives to uplift the small community we lived in. I have one brother and two sisters, and we all learned the importance of hard work, giving back to our communities, and using the opportunities we received in ways that would be beneficial for others.”

Both of Hamilton’s parents, O’Neal and Merion, were educators and community activists.

“They were Civil Rights activists in the sense that they broke down barriers in their community, as well as worked to unify their community,” she said. “[In Franklin], there is a street named after my dad and … a library named after my mom. In that community, my mother was the first African American librarian … and my dad was one of the first African American principals.”

When the family moved to Indiana, Hamilton’s parents were retired. They moved so her father could help his brother, who was a family physician, with his medical practice.

Hamilton finished high school in Gary and went on to Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she majored in public relations.

“I did several internships in that career and decided I wanted to stop after three years in school for a period of time to work in D.C.,” she said. “I started an internship and really liked it, so I was like, ‘Hey, this is cool. I want to do this.’ I decided to really get my feet wet and see if I really liked what I was doing. I worked for close to year and then I decided to finish my studies at DePaul University in Chicago, [Ill.]”

Hamilton earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with an emphasis on public relations and journalism. While living in Chicago, she worked in several different fields and was engaged to be married to her college sweetheart, Herschell, who she met at Howard. The Hamiltons, who have been married since the early 1990s, have two children, Jillian and Herschell O’Neal, called Neal. Jillian is a Howard University graduate currently pursuing a PhD in psychology at the University of Oregon, and Neal is a student at Howard.

The Magic City

Hamilton accepted a position with Macy’s and took part in the company’s executive training program, which is how she ultimately landed in Birmingham. After living in Atlanta, Ga., she and her husband relocated to the Magic City, where Hamilton moved into a corporate position with the locally based Parisian department store chain (now known as Belk).

“Eventually, I became the public information director for the city of Birmingham and worked for Mayor Richard Arrington and his administration for a little more than five years,” she said. “In that role, I created and opened the Office of Public Information to inform, engage, and be responsive to the questions and needs residents had about their city.”

From there, Hamilton started her own strategic communications business.

“I did project management and worked on a number of different special projects, including editing magazines and conducting special-event initiatives,” she said. “[I also videotaped] projects, managing and coordinating … many that dealt with community, culture, and history.”

Hamilton put her business to the side for a time to work for Southern Living magazine, covering areas such as interior design and architecture. What she enjoyed most, however, was doing features that enabled her to chronicle the stories of prominent African Americans in society.

“I did stories on people like Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman and the quilters of Gee’s Bend,” she said. “I also did a story on Haley Farms, the farm outside Knoxville, Tenn., that [“Roots” author] Alex Haley purchased prior to his death.”

During her magazine stint, Hamilton was also able to cover the African American experience: “I saw a gap was there,” she said. “[There were so many] individuals and aspects of our community that had contributed so much but not very many people knew about them, so that was an opportunity I loved.”

After leaving Southern Living, Hamilton returned to being a businessowner, establishing Enclave Communication Strategies, where she created strategic plans for projects in the community. She spent her free time on efforts designed to raise awareness about history, art, and culture, and along with her husband and others started working on the Ballard House Project.

“Quietly and methodically, we started to pull back the layers on the Ballard House and began stripping things away and restoring what was here,” said Hamilton, who is currently enrolled in a PhD program in history with an emphasis on race and culture at Howard University.

“We realized how important this aspect of history in the community is to the entire history of the area, so we started making plans to do what we’re doing now—telling those stories and highlighting the voices and experiences of the African American community in Birmingham.”

Talking Circles

This summer, the Ballard House Project started hosting a new series, entitled “Talking Circles: The Impact of Jim Crow Then and Now.”

“We cover every facet of the impact of Jim Crow, [including] culture, health, education, business, housing, voting, traumatic violence, and everything as it relates to race and the laws, customs, and ordinances [under] Jim Crow in Birmingham,” said Hamilton.

“We didn’t know exactly how we were going to focus on it, but it was a wonderful opportunity because we focus on dialogic engagement. Through dialogue [among those attending the Talking Circle], we were able to determine the specific topics or facets of community impact we wanted to focus on. We’re inviting different individuals and community leaders who have some expertise on the different topics … to lead this initiative.”

So far, there have been three Talking Circles at the Ballard House and other locations. They are held on the second and fourth Saturday of each month; starting in October, they will be held on the second and third Saturday of each month. Among the myriad topics discussed are genealogy, migration, and the African diaspora. At the next event, scheduled for October 12, Greg Townsend of the Jefferson County Department of Health will discuss the impact of Jim Crow on health and health care in the African American community.

Ongoing Restoration

Currently, the Ballard House Project is conducting a $1 million capital campaign to raise funds to restore the building.

“We want to fully restore the building,” Hamilton said. “[We’ve been making improvements] little by little throughout the years as needed, but we know full restoration of this building is critical. We also have already started on the development of a master community garden, which … will be in the lot next door. This plan also includes infrastructure for permanent exhibits, … [both] interior and exterior.”

In addition to the special events and Talking Circles series, the organization hosts community conversations and collaborates with other groups.

“We’ve hosted community conversations, … most of which are in different parts of the city, as well as sometimes here at the Ballard House and at several [local] libraries,” Hamilton said. “We’ve also hosted temporary exhibits, whether here or somewhere else, including one at the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, where we’ve hosted exhibits [that enable] people to come learn more about their history.”

The Ballard House also does presentations at schools for students and adults.

“We want this to be a community initiative. That’s our focus,” Hamilton said. “We’re doing more than just unveiling what happened. This is a collaborative process with members of the community.”

This article originally appeared in The Birmingham Times.

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California, Districts Try to Recruit and Retain Black Teachers; Advocates Say More Should Be Done

SACRAMENTO OBSERVER — Many Black college students have not considered a teaching career because they have never had a Black teacher, said Preston Jackson, who teaches physical education at California Middle School in Sacramento. Those who consider a teaching career are often deterred by the cost of teacher preparation, taking required tests and unpaid student teaching.

Published

6 days ago

December 17, 2024

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A Series by EdSource | The Sacramento Observer

Recruiting and retaining Black teachers has taken on new urgency in recent years as California lawmakers try to ease the state’s teacher shortage. The state and individual school districts have launched initiatives to recruit teachers of color, but educators and advocates say more needs to be done.

Hiring a diverse group of teachers helps all students, but the impact is particularly significant for students of color, who then score higher on tests and are more likely to graduate from college, according to the Learning Policy Institute. A recently released report also found that Black boys are less likely to be identified for special education when they have a Black teacher.

In the last five years, state lawmakers have made earning a credential easier and more affordable and have offered incentives for school staff to become teachers — all moves meant to ease the teacher shortage and help to diversify the educator workforce.

Despite efforts by the state and school districts, the number of Black teachers doesn’t seem to be increasing. Black teachers say that to keep them in the classroom, teacher preparation must be more affordable, pay and benefits increased, and more done to ensure they are treated with respect, supported and given opportunities to lead.

“Black educators specifically said that they felt like they were being pushed out of the state of California,” said Jalisa Evans, chief executive director of the Black Educator Advocates Network of a recent survey of Black teachers. “When we look at the future of Black educators for the state, it can go either way, because what Black educators are feeling right now is that they’re not welcome.”

Task force offers recommendations

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond called diversifying the teacher workforce a priority and established the California Department of Education Educator Diversity Advisory Group in 2021.

The advisory group has made several recommendations, including beginning a public relations campaign and offering sustained funding to recruit and retain teachers of color, and providing guidance and accountability to school districts on the matter. The group also wants universities, community groups and school districts to enter into partnerships to build pathways for teachers of color.

Since then, California has created a set of public service announcements and a video to help recruit teachers and has invested $10 million to help people of color to become school administrators, said Travis Bristol, chairman of the advisory group and an associate professor of education at UC Berkeley. Staff from county offices of education also have been meeting to share ideas on how they can support districts’ efforts to recruit and retain teachers of color, he said.

The state also has invested more than $350 million over the past six years to fund teacher residency programs, and recently passed legislation to ensure residents are paid a minimum salary. Residents work alongside an experienced teacher-mentor for a year of clinical training while completing coursework in a university preparation program — a time commitment that often precludes them from taking a job.

Legislators have also proposed a bill that would require that student teachers be paid. Completing the 600 hours of unpaid student teaching required by the state, while paying for tuition, books, supplies and living expenses, is a challenge for many Black teacher candidates.

Black teacher candidates typically take on much more student debt than their white counterparts, in part, because of the large racial wealth gap in the United States. A 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute showed that the median white family had $184,000 in family wealth (property and cash), while the median Latino family had $38,000 and the median Black family had $23,000.

Lack of data makes it difficult to know what is working

It’s difficult to know if state efforts are working. California hasn’t released any data on teacher demographics since the 2018-19 school year, although the data is submitted annually by school districts. The California Department of Education (CDE) did not provide updated data or interviews requested by EdSource for this story.

The most recent data from CDE shows the number of Black teachers in California declined from 4.2% in 2009 to 3.9% during the 2018-19 school year. The National Center for Education Statistics data from the 2020-21 show that Black teachers made up 3.8% of the state educator workforce.

Having current data is a critical first step to understanding the problem and addressing it, said Mayra Lara, director of Southern California partnerships and engagement at The Education Trust-West, an education research and advocacy organization.

“Let’s be clear: The California Department of Education needs to annually publish educator demographic and experience data,” Lara said. “It has failed to do so for the past four years. … Without this data, families, communities and decision-makers really are in the dark when it comes to the diversity of the educator workforce.”

LA Unified losing Black teachers despite efforts

While most state programs focus on recruiting and retaining all teachers of color, some California school districts have initiatives focused solely on recruiting Black teachers.

The state’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, passed the Black Student Excellence through Educator Diversity, Preparation and Retention resolution two years ago. It required district staff to develop a strategic plan to ensure schools have Black teachers, administrators and mental health workers, and to advocate for programs that offer pathways for Black people to become teachers.

When the resolution was passed, in February 2022, Los Angeles Unified had 1,889 Black teachers — 9% of its teacher workforce. The following school year, that number declined to 1,823 or 7.9% of district teachers. The number of Black teachers in the district has gone down each year since 2016. The district did not provide data for the current school year.

Robert Whitman, director of the Educational Transformation Office at LA Unified, attributed the decrease, in part, to the difficulty attracting teachers to the district, primarily because of the area’s high cost of living.

“Those who are coming out of colleges now, in some cases, we find that they can make more money doing other things,” Whitman said. “And so, they may not necessarily see education as the most viable option.”

The underrepresentation of people of color prompted the district to create its own in-house credentialing program, approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Whitman said. The program allows classified staff, such as substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, administrative assistants and bus drivers, to become credentialed teachers while earning a salary and benefits at their original jobs.

Grow-your-own programs such as this, and the state’s Classified School Employee Credentialing program, and a soon-to-be launched apprenticeship program, are meant to diversify the educator workforce because school staff recruited from the community more closely match the demographics of the student body than traditionally trained and recruited teachers, according to research.

Los Angeles Unified has other initiatives to increase the number of Black educators in the district, Whitman said, including working with universities and colleges to bring Black teachers, counselors and psychiatric social workers to their campuses. The district also has programs that help school workers earn a credential for free, and channels employees completing a bachelor’s degree toward the district’s teacher preparation program where they can begin teaching while earning their credential.

All new teachers at Los Angeles Unified are supported by mentors and affinity groups, which have been well received by Black teachers, who credit them with inspiring and helping them to see themselves as leaders in the district, Whitman said.

Oakland has more Black teachers than students

Recruiting and retaining Black teachers is an important part of the Oakland Unified three-year strategic plan, said Sarah Glasband, director of recruitment and retention for the district. To achieve its goals, the district has launched several partnerships that make an apprenticeship program, and a residency program that includes a housing subsidy, possible. A partnership with the Black Teacher Project, a nonprofit advocacy organization, offers affinity groups, workshops and seminars to support the district’s Black teachers.

The district also has a Classified School Employee Program funded by the state and a new high school program to train future teachers. District pathway programs have an average attrition rate of less than 10%, Glasband said.

This year, 21.3% of the district’s K-12 teachers are Black, compared with 20.3% of their student population, according to district data. Oakland Unified had a retention rate of about 85% for Black teachers between 2019 and 2023.

Better pay, a path to leadership will help teachers stay

Black teachers interviewed by EdSource and researchers say that to keep them in the classroom, more needs to be done to make teacher preparation affordable, improve pay and benefits, and ensure they are treated with respect, supported and given opportunities to lead.

The Black Educator Advocates Network came up with five recommendations after surveying 128 former and current Black teachers in California about what it would take to keep them in the classroom:

Hire more Black educators and staff
Build an anti-racist, culturally responsive and inclusive school environment
Create safe spaces for Black educators and students to come together
Provide and require culturally responsive training for all staff
Recognize, provide leadership opportunities and include Black educators in decision making

Teachers interviewed by EdSource said paying teachers more also would make it easier for them to stay.

“I don’t want to say that it’s the pay that’s going to get more Black teachers,” Brooke Sims, a Stockton teacher, told EdSource. “But you get better pay, you get better health care.”

The average teacher salary in the state is $88,508, with the average starting pay at $51,600, according to the 2023 National Education Association report, “State of Educator Pay in America.” California’s minimum living wage was $54,070 last year, according to the report.

State efforts, such as an initiative that pays teachers $5,000 annually for five years after they earn National Board Certification, will help with pay parity across school districts, Bristol said. Teachers prove through assessments and a portfolio that they meet the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. To be eligible for the grant, teachers must work at least half of their time in a high-needs school. Teachers who qualify are also given $2,500 to cover the cost of certification.

This incentive will help teachers continue their education and improve their practice, said Los Angeles teacher Petrina Miller. “It’s awesome,” she said.

Teacher candidates must be actively recruited

Many Black college students have not considered a teaching career because they have never had a Black teacher, said Preston Jackson, who teaches physical education at California Middle School in Sacramento. Those who consider a teaching career are often deterred by the cost of teacher preparation, taking required tests and unpaid student teaching.

“In order to increase the number of Black teachers in schools, it has to become deliberate,” Jackson said. “You have to actively recruit and actively seek them out to bring them into the profession.”

Since starting in 2005, Jackson has been one of only a handful of Black teachers at his school.

“And for almost every single one of my kids, I’m the first Black teacher they’ve ever had,” said Jackson. “… And for some of them, I’m the first one they’ve ever seen.”

Mentors are needed to help retain new teachers

Mentor teachers are the key ingredient to helping new Black educators transition successfully into teaching, according to teachers interviewed by EdSource. Alicia Simba says she could have taken a job for $25,000 more annually in a Bay Area district with few Black teachers or students but opted to take a lower salary to work in Oakland Unified.

But like many young teachers, Simba knew she wanted mentors to help her navigate her first years in the classroom. She works alongside Black teachers in Oakland Unified who have more than 20 years of teaching experience. One of her mentor teachers shared her experience of teaching on the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was shot. Other teachers told her about teaching in the 1980s during the crack cocaine epidemic.

“It really helps dispel some of the sort of narratives that I hear, which is that being a teacher is completely unsustainable,” Simba said. “Like, there’s no way that anyone could ever be a teacher long term, which are things that, you know, I’ve heard my friends say, and I’ve thought it myself.”

The most obvious way to retain Black teachers would be to make sure they are treated the same as non-Black teachers, said Brenda Walker, a Black teacher and president of the Associated Chino Teachers.

“If you are a district administrator, site administrator, site or colleague, parent or student, my bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and my special education credential are just as valuable and carry as much weight, and are as respected as any other educator,” she said.

“However, it’s just as critical for all those groups to acknowledge and respect the unique cultural experience I bring to the table and acknowledge and respect that I’m a proud product of my ancestral history.”

Black teachers: how to recruit THEM and make them stay

This is the first part of a special series by EdSource on the recruitment and retention of Black teachers in California. The recruitment and hiring of Black educators has lagged, even as a teacher shortage has given the task new urgency.

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Christmas Travel: When is the Best Time to Take Your Trip

BIRMINGHAM TIMES — When planning for your trip, the thoughts of hitting the road or boarding a flight can be stressful. You envision not “sugar plums dancing in your head”, but crowded airports, long lines and very heavy traffic because Christmas travel can be notoriously difficult. It’s a time of high demand and volume with millions traveling during the winter weather, which is often synonymous with snowstorms, icy roads and delayed flights.

Published

6 days ago

December 16, 2024

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By Samuetta Drew | Birmingham Times

Christmas is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. It’s a time when people schedule trips to visit family and friends, take that winter wonderland vacation or simply enjoy a festive getaway.

When planning for your trip, the thoughts of hitting the road or boarding a flight can be stressful. You envision not “sugar plums dancing in your head”, but crowded airports, long lines and very heavy traffic because Christmas travel can be notoriously difficult. It’s a time of high demand and volume with millions traveling during the winter weather, which is often synonymous with snowstorms, icy roads and delayed flights.

This safety article is meant to help you dodge the busiest crowds and make your trip as stress-free as possible, but also not to lose focus on practicing good safety measures. It will identify the best travel dates and times.

Most travelers wait until closer to Christmas, so plan your trips this year earlier in the week – specifically Monday, December 16, through Thursday, December 19. This is ideal for several reasons:

Lower Crowds – airports and highways are less congested.
Cheaper Flights – airlines often offer lower fares earlier in the week before the rush begins.
Less Stress – with fewer people on the road and shorter lines at the airports, your travel experience will be much smoother.

The least busy days with fewer travelers during Christmas are:

December 24 (Christmas Eve)
December 25 (Christmas Day)

While not as bad as the days immediately before, Christmas Eve still poses some challenges, such as:

Last Minute Travelers – many people wait until the last minute to travel.
Shortened Hours – some businesses and transportation services close early.
Higher Stress Levels – the pressure to arrive on time can add a little additional stress.

Avoid peak times at the airport. Opt for the late or early morning flights. The red-eye flights and early morning flights are generally less popular but offer significant advantages such as:

Fewer Delays – airports are generally less busy during these times, reducing the risk of delays.
Faster Security Checks – shorter lines at TSA means you will get through the airport faster, especially if it’s a large airport.
Affordable Options – airlines sometimes offer discounts on less desirable flight times.

Hopefully this article will help you Keep an Eye on Safety when traveling over the 2024 Christmas season by decreasing your holiday chaos, which could result in your lack of focus while traveling.

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PRESS ROOM: Trace and ARDN Join Forces to Promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), a New York-based nonprofit, is committed to promoting the African Renaissance by strengthening ties between Africa and its diaspora through development and peace-building initiatives. Trace, an international multimedia platform focused on Afro-urban entertainment and youth success, is globally recognized for its contributions to Afrocentric cultures and its support of creators and fans from the African diaspora.

Published

6 days ago

December 16, 2024

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Trace, a global multimedia platform dedicated to Afro-urban entertainment and youth success, and the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN) have entered into a partnership to guide their joint actions over the next two years. The objectives and details of this partnership will be revealed during a digital press conference on Tuesday, December 17, at 3 PM (GMT+1). Main speakers will be Olivier Laouchez, CEO & Co-Founder of Trace, Djibril Diallo CEO & President of ARDN as well as Richard Gant, ARDN’s Art, Culture and Sports Chair and renown actor, screenwriter and director.

Mandatory registration here.

Two Organizations, One Shared Vision

The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), a New York-based nonprofit, is committed to promoting the African Renaissance by strengthening ties between Africa and its diaspora through development and peace-building initiatives.

Trace, an international multimedia platform focused on Afro-urban entertainment and youth success, is globally recognized for its contributions to Afrocentric cultures and its support of creators and fans from the African diaspora.

A Partnership for Global Impact

ARDN and Trace are collaborating to:

Advocate for equality and success,
Support the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030,
Foster peace and security, and
Provide aid to vulnerable communities”Our partnership with Trace represents a significant milestone in our mission to rally support for Africa and its diaspora. Together, we will amplify our impact and raise global awareness of African cultural richness and challenges,” said Djibril Diallo, President of ARDN.

“We are proud to collaborate with ARDN to contribute to the SDGs, positively impact people and societies, and elevate African cultures,” added Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Trace.

The ARDN Red Card Campaign: First Joint Initiative

A central focus of this partnership is the ARDN Red Card Campaign, which tackles gender-based violence and discrimination. Positioned within the “Pathway to Solutions” framework, the campaign features the Red Card Pledge—a global movement aligned with SDG #5 to advance gender equality and empower women and girls worldwide, serving as a critical step toward accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The campaign encourages individuals and organizations to symbolically raise a red card, taking a stand against discrimination and promoting actions to eliminate inequality. It underscores the indispensable role of women as agents of transformative societal change. With the support of Trace and its innovative Trace+ streaming platform, the initiative will scale globally, reaching broader audiences and galvanizing international efforts for change.

This launch marks the beginning of a worldwide collaboration aimed at mobilizing collective action through symbolic gestures like the red card. It is the inaugural joint initiative between ARDN and Trace.

Adding a dynamic musical element, Trace will contribute to the Afrobeat remix of the campaign’s theme song, AOFB (“Africa Open for Business”), produced by Mackadamion. Featuring a prominent Afrobeat artist, the remix will premiere on Trace networks, celebrating Africa’s emergence as a hub of innovation and opportunity through captivating rhythms and uplifting lyrics.

A Committed Partnership for Sustainable Change

The Trace X ARDN partnership reflects their shared commitment to inclusion, cultural pride, and sustainable development. Together, they aim to contribute to societal improvements benefiting the African diaspora and beyond.

For more information about this partnership and upcoming initiatives, please contact:

Trace Contact: press@trace.plus

ARDN Contact: angelauzoeme@gmail.com

About Trace

Trace is a leading multimedia and digital platform dedicated to Afro-urban music and cultures, as well as the success of youth and artists. Trace regularly engages 350 million fans in 190 countries through entertainment and empowerment platforms. Learn more at http://www.trace.plus | Download the free Trace+ app on the App Store and Google Play.

About ARDN

The African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, is a non-profit organization with consultative status at the United Nations and representation in over 80 countries. ARDN works closely with the United Nations to champion sustainable development across Africa and its diaspora. Its flagship initiatives, such as the Red Card Campaign, address critical issues like discrimination and gender-based violence while celebrating Africa’s potential and empowering women’s leadership. Through strategic partnerships, ARDN is dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals and fostering meaningful global impact. Learn more at: http://www.ardn.ngo