Mildred and Richard Loving after their Supreme Cout victory in 1967 To end the summer on a sweet note, I suggest you do as I did a few days ago and pick up “L’Amour des Loving” a lovely novel by Gilles Biassette that tells the story of a modest couple who changed the course of American history. Like many young couples at the time, in 1958, Mildred Jeter et Richard Loving decided to get married. No big deal except for the fact that their honeymoon turned into a prison stint. Mixed marriage in the U.S. at the time was illegal…
Posts Written ByRokhaya
Ferguson, a year after the death of Michael Brown
I arrived in the US a few days ago, in St. Louis, MO. I met up with my activists friends to participate in the commemoration of the first anniversary of Michael Brown’s death in the suburbs of Ferguson August 9, 2014. That day, the face of the unarmed African American teenager, killed at the hands of a white policeman became the symbol of the struggle against police violence. A year later, Sunday August 9, activists from around the country came together to remind the world of the banal cruelty of the loss of hundreds of Black lives, snatched with impunity…
[VIDEO] Launch of the graphic novel “Pari(s) d’Amies”
Paris d’Amie(s), the first graphic novel written by Rokhaya Diallo and illustrated by its co-author, Kim Consigny is an urban comedy reflecting the colors of today’s Paris. It was published on April 8th of this year. The launch party brought together Lilian Thuram, Zinedine Souaem, Inna Modja, Imany, Françoise-Marie Santucci and Katell Pouliquen from Elle, Kery James, Juliette Fiévet, Sebastien Abdelhamid, Aya Cissoko, Aïssa Maïga, Fatou Ndiaye from BlackBeautyBag, Awa Ly, Raphal Yem, Princess Esther Kamatari, Chrystèle Saint-Louis-Augustin, Kareen Guiock, Eriq Ebouaney, Lucien Jean Baptiste and Anasthasie Tudieshe among many others! Black Spoon catered the affair. Big thanks to Phyto…
Mahmoud Ahmed, breathtaking
Cabaret Sauvage’s Black Summer Festival enchants Parisians every summer. This evening, the auditorium shook to Ethiopian pop rhythms laced with funk. Mahmoud Ahmed, 74 years old and counting, flooded the room with his almost supernatural energy. His style? The kind of music that takes over your life and limbs. Wearing his national colors, his eyes squinting from his malicious smile while he worked his shoulders as only he can – many tried unsuccessfully to imitate the movement – but I won’t say who – the patriarch literally transported us into his universe.
#NelsonMandelaDay
Nelson Mandela International Day
Breaking the Fast at city hall in St-Ouen
I had the pleasure of taking part in a special moment on the esplanade of Saint Oeun’s City Hall: Bocar Niane of the An-Noor Association gathered all the city’s major players around an ecumenical feast breaking the Ramadan fast. The lovely table set in front of City Hall including delicious chorbas (traditional lamb and vegetable soup) and tuna steaks and a tasty thieb bou dien (Senegalese rice and fish dish), along with classic desserts such as strawberry tart or very sweet sweets like chabakias took our taste buds on a culinary voyage. This cordial meal brought together guests from…
Justice for Sandy Bland
Sandra Bland, 28 years old, originally from Chicago, had just moved to Texas where she had gotten a job. Last Friday, she was stopped by police due to a non-working tail light on her car. She was put in holding and died in her cell. The Police call it suicide. Sandy Bland was a Black woman. Her name is now on the long list of Black men and women who died while interacting with police officers. Her family is contesting the official explanation of her death. Demand the truth from the State Department* No Justice. No Peace. Translated by Alberta Wilson,…
Welcome to Rokmyworld!
I’m excited to welcome you to my blog – I hope you will make it your own. Since you are reading these lines, I know that you know who I am – a committed journalist and author, especially passionate about equality. Until now I have expressed myself on TV, on the radio, through my books and documentaries and even most recently in my graphic novel, “Pari(s) d’amies.” I want, first of all, to thank you for supporting me throughout the years – time flies, right? With RokMyworld I have something a little different for you. Interacting with you on social media made me realize that some of your questions have gone unanswered. I get…