California Story Fund
New African Immigrant in South Los Angeles
Labalaba Rediffusion Theater
Pasadena
Project Director: Debo Kotun
A dramatization of the stories of recent African immigrants
This project will explore the experiences of recent African immigrants in the Los Angeles area through a one-hour dramatic presentation based on personal interviews. The project is a collaboration of the California African American Museum, the Pan African Studies Department at CSU Northridge and Labalaba Rediffusion Theater.
A mix of people will be interviewed, ranging from those who immigrated because of war or political turmoil in their own countries to those who came seeking a better life.
Project Director Debo Kotun and award-winning writer Nkeonye Nwankwo will conduct the interviews and craft them into an hour-long dramatic play. The play will be presented at the California African American Museum in South Los Angeles. Kotun, Nwankwo and several well-known scholars and the writer and Council Board member Chris Abani will participate in a panel discussion about the play after the performance.
The two-hour program will be audiotaped and aired on KPFK 90.7 Los Angeles, 98.7FM Santa Barbara and www.KPFK.org.