The 2026 ASNEAA programming season continues with CLP x International African Arts Festival (IAAF)! This was the second year that ASNEAA vendored at IAAF – transitioning to the new venue at Lincoln Terrace / Arthur A. Somers Park in Brooklyn, NY. Looks like ASNEAA is not the only organization being targeted for centering the African Diaspora and a not so distant sidebar: I recently learned about “white state power” in my current read – “Unleashing Black Power: Grassroots Organizing in Harlem and the Advent of the Long, Hot Summers” by Dr. Peter Blackmer.
Given the lost cause of white supremacy, the show went on (with both record high temperatures and looming rainstorms)! Because as Sankofa teaches us: the harder they come, the harder they fall. And with CLP x Dance Africa 2026 modeling the new ASNEAA “multi-dimensional” praxis (online + in-person); A.I. is also going to take a backseat to the power of the PEOPLE! The social justice business model is complete with BIPOC heritage exploration + arts as advocacy creative expression projects.
CLP x IAAF 2026 participants were invited to share their BIPOC heritage and explore the ASNEAA website as we commemorated both American Independence and NYS Abolition / Emancipation Day! The ancestors’ goal was more perfect, not we the [perfect] people. s/o to the folks who provided new ASNEAA geotags dedicated to BIPOC heritage (because we walk it like we talk it). St. Vincent and the Grenadines + French Polynesia is on the map!
Day One: Legacy Bracelets
Day Two: ASNEAA printouts / Social Justice Paintings
Day Three: Advocacy Chalkings + Quotes inspiration
And now with proof of concept in place, it’s time to scale CLP programming! The goal for ASNEAA America 250th Anniversary commemoration is to host at least one CLP pop-up activation centering BIPOC heritage in each borough in NYC! Though the haters have already started to hate, hate, hate (sidenote: congrats to Tay and Travis) Reminder: what makes America beautiful is DEIIS (diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality, safety) in practice – online + in-person (again, that’s multi-dimensional). Here’s to humanity (and ALL THE ANCESTORS)! Happy Emancipation…
Thank you to the CLP x IAAF 2026 host, participants, and donors:
