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The
term 'MAAFA' (pronounced MA-AH’-FA) is a Kiswahili word
that gives definition to the catastrophic event experienced
by millions of African people during the Transatlantic Slave Trade o r
Middle passage journey from freedom in Africa to bondage in the New
World.
‘MAAFA’ also means great disaster, the great suffering, the
great catastrophe. Our Jewish brothers and sisters have coined their
word, Holocaust, that is theirs. Now we are blessed to coin our word
that talks about our experience and that word is
‘MAAFA’.
It is our
contention that in order for the African-American family to engage in a
liberation process,
it
must face the trauma and consequences of its bondage in America.
The
journey began in 1994, Dr. Johnny Ray Youngblood, Senior Pastor of the
St. Paul Community Baptist Church in
Brooklyn, New York,
provided the leadership and inspiration that gave birth to the first
annual
commemoration of the ‘MAAFA’, sponsored by an
African-American congregation. The
commemorative efforts on the part of the church begins as a combination
of spiritual ritual, transformative
theatre and educational workshops that help African-Americans to revisit
this horror experienced by their ancestors. The production has also
been performed in
Chicago through the leadership of world-renowned teacher and preacher,
Dr. Jeremiah Wright.
2004
marked the 10th anniversary of the commemoration of the
‘MAAFA’ and know that Dr. Youngblood, also a world-renowned
leader, has passed the legacy and the torch to Dr. Anthony L. Bennett
and the People of The Mount Aery Baptist Church. Audiences near and far can
experience the ‘MAAFA’ in Connecticut. Dr. Youngblood
coined the phrase and reminds us, “The Way Out
is Back Through.”
The ‘MAAFA’
Production is historical drama at its best. It brings to the American
public, a story that
places the history of
a nation in its truest perspective, and offers an opportunity for
all people to
understand the nature of the oppression visited on
generations of African-Americans in this
country.
Everyone who experiences the
MAAFA will be educated by our
history, moved by the music and
dramatic reflections
and reminded of the hope! The ‘MAAFA Influence Production’
is a local production, with nationwide appeal to be proud of,
with local residents
displaying a professional presentation. The ‘MAAFA’ is an
EXPERIENCE —
'NOT' a play. The ‘MAAFA’ is a professional psychodrama
taking a look at the 'Pain of the Past' and how that pain directly
affects our communities, even today.
On
October 25th, 29th and 30th, Mount Aery Baptist
Church and the Mount Aery Development Corporation present MAAFA
Influence 2009
"Evoking the Pain of the Past...Building A Strong and Powerful
Future"
The
MAAFA Influence is written and directed by Mount Aery's own
Gina LeVon Simpson, (a long time resident of Bridgeport) and the entire
cast is
Mount Aery disciples from the greater Bridgeport Community and throughout Connecticut.
This
production, as
expected, will be no less than excellent! To this end, we ask all Community / Business leaders and
residents
throughout our city, state and even the country, to
joined
us in prayer, fasting
and a strengthened relationship with God which will enable us to provide
the community
with another unforgettable experience.
Through our very first ‘MAAFA Production,’ hundreds of lives have been
transformed.
We have seen an increase in church participation and a better
understanding of life’s challenges. The ‘MAAFA Production’
is a means of rebuilding a people, through education and a healing
journey. We will continue to provide ongoing sessions to discuss the
transformation taking place in hundreds of lives. And we will also
examine ways in which our ‘MAAFA’ experience continues to
affect the cast, crew and those who are open while witnessing our
production.
Get your ticket
now!!! |
