A collaboration between the State of New Mexico's Office of African American Affairs and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center are implementing activities to educate and support the historical bonding of the African American and the Native American cultures.
Opening the doors to this hidden treasure of information is a committee comprised of, Charmaine Jackson-John, Independent Film Media Specialists; Tazbah McCullah, Marketing and Advertising Director for the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center; Dr. Harold Bailey, Executive Director of the Office of African American Affairs; Edward Hakim Bellamy, Program Specialists for the Office of African American Affairs; and volunteer Alicia Lueras Maldonado.
Nearly 300 students, teachers, community leaders and performers crowded into the confines of the Indian Pueblo Cultural center to be a part of New Mexico history. This is one of the first celebrations of its kind in the state of New Mexico celebrating the racial fusion of Native and African Americans, a story which literally began with the birth of America.
The program opened with a processional celebration, led by Native American drummers, Spirit Wind, and several African-American Drummers. The events that followed included live storytelling by renowned storytellers, Ramona King and Shkeme Garcia.
The program was anchored in film screening sessions that included, “Black Indian: An American Story", "American Red and Black: Stories of Afro Native Identity, "Singing Our Stories", and "Through Martha's Eyes ".
Integrated in the film presentations was the panel discussion identity: Red and Black Interconnectedness in Film. The panel discussion was with film and television writer/producers, scholars and actor, Nancy Holly, Charles Foxx, Eileen Torpey, Robert Russell and Jeremiah Bitsui.
Call of All Drums was an intriguing concept that initiated, with Charmaine Jackson-John and Tazbah McCullah's desire to provide something special for Black history month. Dr. Bailey and his office was contacted to be involved and the committee was off and running.
“The concept of the festival was to celebrate in a contemporary sense biracial people of African American and Native American descent who are making inroads in the world today. We are extremely proud of Radmilla Cody, who was a former Mrs. Navajo, who is of biracial decent, for taking her story and telling it through her music,” said Tazbah McCullah.
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