Milwaukee African Cultural Festival celebrates local diversity through food, culture and music

Colorful patterned fabrics and flags blowing in the wind shone brightly at the Milwaukee African Cultural festival Saturday in Brown Deer Park. People traveled from all over Wisconsin, some even coming from Africa, in support of the event.

Yollande Tchouapi, one of the event's organizers, had family visiting from Cameroon. She said the event featured representatives from 22 African nations.

What is the African Cultural festival?

The African Cultural Festival came to Milwaukee this summer for locals to celebrate African culture through music, traditional African art, food tasting and a dance demonstration.

The free event took place at Brown Deer Park from noon to 7 p.m. There were vendors in the park selling art, clothing and accessories. The full program schedule can be found on festival's website .

The event started when three women came together to bring the African Cultural Festival to the Milwaukee area with hopes it would share culture with community and also help raise funds for African refugee programming. The last event of its kind in the Milwaukee area was a picnic in 2019.

Tchouapi said she wanted something local that spoke to African heritage while also supporting the community.

She said the purpose of the event is to showcase the culture of African people in the Wisconsin area.

"This event really highlights the entrepreneurship part of what we're trying to foster, which is small, family-operated businesses that are doing great things but are not yet featured across town."

In addition to the many food vendors selling traditional cuisine, there was also a free food tasting that featured sample food from different African cultures. There was also a parade where some locals got to participate by carrying their country's flag around the park.

The importance of celebrating diversity

Nakeesha Brown of Milwaukee came to the festival with her son as a way of showing her support and wanting her family to stay connected to their culture.

"Not every city has this (event) and we haven't had it in a while, so it means everything to have it," Brown said. "People mistakenly look at Africa as a country when it's a continent with a vast amount of different people and they don't all look alike. It's important for people to have a better understanding of what Africa is."

Many residents and families showed up, but there were also performers, volunteers and organizers.

Zacharia Nchinda is department chair and history instructor at Milwaukee Area Technical College, but is also a highly respected elder in the Cameroon community, according to Tchouapi. Nchinda said the festival holds importance by enriching society as a whole because everybody gains from being able to express their authentic self.

"What you will find here is the cultural aspect of Black Africa," Nchinda said. "There is a deep sense of community."

The event also helps support the community as locals can purchase from small Black-owned businesses.

Vendor Thomas Adeetuk came from Madison to be a part of the event and sell clothing and other souvenirs.

"This is a melting pot," Adeetuk said. "As people, we are one. We bleed the same blood. We should learn from each other and what unites us, I believe in that very strongly," Adeetuk said.

Brown said that is exactly what she wants her son to do: learn.

"I want him to be a well-rounded child. My motto in life is that wherever I go is home, I just need to get to know my family," Brown said. "And that is what I want him to learn."

What groups were performing at the festival?

• African Gospel Music: City of Praise
• Traditional Dance: Umu-Ada Dance Group
• Fashion Show: Traditional and Contemporary African Attire
• Medley of African Musical Instruments: Lucky Diop
• Traditional Dance: The Nefertari Group

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee African Cultural Festival celebrates local diversity through food, culture and music