A Visit from Sen. Chris Coons & Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester
“I am a descendant of slaves but today I am a Congresswoman.” Delaware Congresswoman, Lisa Blunt Rochester.
Today is one of those days that I can easily label as a day of enlightenment.
All interactions with the Mandela Washington Fellows were centered around the 60’s socio-political uprising movements in America, current political climate as well as words of encouragement from Delaware’s own top role models.
I went to bed last night, having it on my mind that the following day was going to be the day to write my share of the blog as a Mandela Washington fellow here at the University of Delaware, where I am being hosted with 24 of my African colleagues.
What the day was going to be like, I had no clue. All I knew was I had to pay attention and give the best report of the day.
My night was short and edgy as I slept late trying to figure out the best way to write a concise outline of my ignite speech for the summit in DC. So, I really had very little, if any thought of the day at dawn.
The day kicked off with Prof. Carl Suddler’s presentation on the Civil Rights Movement in the 60’s. His intro was challenging as he asked all of us Fellows to name a name which comes to our minds, anytime we think of the Civil Rights Movement.
Most people mentioned their countries’ freedom icons and my answer was Malik el Shabazz, otherwise known as Malcolm X.
As a teenager, I was obsessed with Black consciousness movements and I read a lot of literature pertaining to these charismatic leaders and their journey to free the minds of black people around the world in general and America, particularly.
As much as all of us thought we knew a bit about American black history, it turned out that we did not know much. A few names of the flock behind Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were mentioned by the Professor and only a handful of us had ever heard of them. So, this was a real eye opener concerning the other individuals who fought alongside Dr. King as well as the pain of the black American people as illustrated through a short video played during the session.
One particular story stood out; that of a young man who was brutalized by a white mob, shot, lynched and then mutilated by his assailants. His mother requested an open casket at his funeral as a way to send a clear message to the masses about the reality of the racial tensions in America at the time.
As a historian, Professor Suddler gave a detailed account of what he could on this sensitive issue. However, most Fellows felt like we were pressed by time to consume this sensitive topic as it forms a crucial part of the American history and that of our fellow people of color in particular.
After this early session then came the highlight of the day: Senator Christopher Coons’s Question and Answer session.
Introduced by the Deputy Provost of the University of Delaware, Lynn Okagaki, the Senator came across as a sharp-minded man, a true magnet of people’s admiration, speaking a bit of Swahili and aware of Africa better than an average African.
I was personally impressed by his simplicity as compared to the strong leaders of my country. For once I saw a dignitary without any guns and spooky looking soldiers trying to intimidate everyone around him, like it is the norm back home.
After a short introductory speech, he went on to answer a series of questions from the fellows. So, I was privileged to be the second to take up a question. Before he could answer my question, he asked me if I had been in the mining sector before. That moment was golden for me as I knew for sure that he had read my bio thoroughly. Actually, putting it into perspective, he used me as an example by saying that at times before being a good civil servant, one has to explore the private sector.
Some of the questions asked were pertaining to his switch from having served as a Republican to becoming a loyal Democrat today. From his explanation, it was clear that even as a leader, some mistakes are unavoidable along the way as one tries to find himself.
At the delicious luncheon, we went on to have a one-on-one interaction with the man of the day, Senator Coons. Some took souvenir pictures whereas others requested personal telephonic meetings after the programme. Yes! The man is just as simple as that.
After the luncheon then our lecture room was graced with the presence of one senior officer of the US state department, Ms. Britta Bjornlund. She had come to collect feedback from the Fellows as to how we perceived the whole programme so far.
I believe whatever was discussed in the room was not meant to be public as I noticed that even the University of Delaware staff in charge of our programme were not even allowed in the room and, for that matter, I would prefer keeping mum on what was discussed. However, there was nothing discussed or divulged in there which was out of context or which was ill-placed, as a matter of fact Fellows shared stories of fulfillment and contentment during their brief stay in Newark, precisely at the University of Delaware.
We proceeded to go to the lounge where Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester was waiting for us.
Oh Lord! The lady is a woman of substance like we call it back home. She epitomizes beauty, brains, power and charisma. I don’t know why but I guess she spared herself a number of unnecessary questions when she announced that she was 55 years of age. The whole room went quiet because here is a woman who looks barely above 35 and, mind you, no plastic surgery nor Botox in her body.
She started with her personal life story; a moving story of her personal journey in life. A fairytale of adventure, ambition, love, heartbreak, happiness and motivation. She inspired and motivated the Fellows on a very high note and she was like the cherry on top of the cake after a day so well spent in the company of all these amazing people.
Her presentation was so moving that our own Tineyi Mukwewa of Zimbabwe, stood and announced that he was definitely vying for the highest office in his country. That was just one of those moments full of awe as we watched good energy get at work in the room.
As we left the lounge in high spirits, only one thing kept ringing in my mind: “Am I exploiting my full potential or should I push myself a little harder?” Clearly Ms. Rochester’s name will ring in the Fellows’ heads for many moons to come because the impression she had on us was tremendous. It’s like at this time that’s what we really needed. The interactions were a rare package of gems and therefore none of us has any reason not pursue that one dream he or she has ever had.
I was impressed by her closing statement as she said: “I have had jobs in my life but right now what I am doing is a calling.”
Adams Cassinga, Environmentalist
Mandela Washington Fellow from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Adams Amini Cassinga, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is an environmentalist, social entrepreneur, writer and public speaker. After running a successful mining consultancy business for seven years, he decided to dedicate his time to protecting the Congolese ecosystem. He is currently the founder and CEO for Conserv Congo, a nature conservation-aligned NGO which fights poaching, promotes scientific tourism and environmental conservation through education. Adams was a former investigative reporter with the South African media. He was shot three times while investigating a story in 2006 and was a recipient of the Caxton’s “No guts, no story?” award for showing courage in the face of danger. He is an alumnus of YALI Regional East Africa and a finalist for the Community Solutions program in 2017. He studied at the Rhodes University’s School of Journalism and has education in environmental and project management. Upon his return from the fellowship, he intends to empower park rangers through specialized training and logistic support. He also wants to kick-start community subsistence farming projects to curb poaching and ensure food security. Upon completion of the fellowship, Rita intends to expand her work on improving rural education and women’s empowerment and to serve as a voice for abused women and girls to help them gain confidence, maturity and independence. |