I See Hip Hop Afrika

In March 2014 I came across a professional development grant offered by the University of CaliforniaRiverside. I had just been hired to teach West African dance in the Department of Dance as a physicaleducation class for the general student body. With all my credentials in dance I felt compelled to visit themotherland to gain firsthand knowledge and education on the subjects of West African dance and culture. Thissabbatical journey was a long-awaited dream.The twelve-day sabbatical included Senegals cultural destinations: Dakar Pink Lake St. Louis Saly/Mbourand a tour of the Door of No Return on Beer (Gore) Island. While there I maintained three daily journals:a written journal a video journal and a sketch journal. From those works I created a video documentarythat included the guided tour of the Slave Mansion on Beer Island a greeting card collection called theSankofa Collection which features the twelve sketches and a photo of me jumping into the ocean at BeerIsland a nonfiction book titled 12 Days in Senegal: An Artists Journey which is my twelve-day account of thesabbatical as well as this picture poetry book.My vision was to create a nonfiction book for young readers and adults alike that allows them to travel alongwith me through the rich cultural countrysides and cities of Senegal. In this book I return to my craft as aspoken word artist poetically capturing the beauty intrigue and joy of Africa.