The ARK Jammers activities caught the attention of the international media, expanding the reach of the organization's work, and bringing in partnership requests from countries as far apart as Brazil and Nigeria, Jamaica and France. ARK Jammers activities were covered by local and international media outlets, from The Washington Informer in the District of Columbia to international wires such as Reuters and Agence France Presse (AFP), and global broadcasters such as the BBC, France24, Al Jazeera, CNN and the Los Angeles-based Africa Channel.
2011
Multicultural Concert:
The ARK Jammers «Ancestry Reconnection Show» - During the Commemoration in France of the abolition of slavery, the ARK Jammers offered a musical show in Paris, during which African artists met and performed with their counterparts from the Caribbean. (May 2011)
Round Table Discussions
We have always kept an eye on the intellectual dimension and empirical basis of the work we engage in. We organized two important conferences with the objective of seeking a deeper understanding of topical issues such as the forced movement of people across oceans during the slave trade, and the science of DNA testing:
Conference on Ancestry Reconnection in Yaoundé Cameroon (December 2011)
Conference on DNA and the importance of knowing one's origin during the French national commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Paris (May 2011).
Other Events and Activities:
* A Traditional ceremony for a Cameroonian American The ARK Jammers organized a who had lost her husband. This intercultural event was attended by hundreds of Cameroonians and African Americans in Washington, DC. (February 2011)
* A Tribute in Hollywood - We received a tribute during an award ceremony sponsored by the Los Angeles-based Africa Channel (March 2011)
* An Invitation to the US Congress - We were invited to the US Congress in March 2010 to discuss the ARP with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
2010
Charity concerts
Through the concerts organized during the year, we provided a great platform to raise awareness, support and funds for existing children organizations. The concerts included:
The Baltimore Acts benefit concert- An ARK Jammers contribution to a solidarity initiative in Baltimore to raise funds for Haitian victims (May 2010)
The Africare Health Jam 2010 - A community service event in Washington, D.C. which The ARK Jammers supported by offering a live performance (July 2010)
Multicultural Concert
We worked to create opportunities for a unique and persistent dialogue among musicians of various cultures, emphasizing our message of friendship and respect for cultural diversity:
Evening with Jacob Zuma: Alongside the mythical group The Temptations, the ARK Jammers performed for South African President Jacob Zuma during a special event organized by the Sullivan Foundation. (April 2010)
The Cameroon 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration – The ARK Jammers performed along with others during an event that sought to highlight the music of different African countries. (May 2010
The African Investment Corporation Summit - The ARK Jammers performed during this special Diaspora event. (May 2010)
The World Bank Group "Celebration of Culture" – The ARK Jammers were among a very limited group of non-Bank performers at the event. (May 2010)
Ancestry Reconnection Program (ARP)
The ARP was launched in three phases, the first involving a DNA Reveal ceremony, the second a certificate delivery event, and the third, a trip to their ancestral home for descendants of former slaves:
The African Ancestry «We are Africa Tour» - Held at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC. in February 2010 during which DNA results for some prominent African Americans were revealed.
Cameroon's 50th Independence Anniversary Celebration - The ARK Jammers helped organize and performed for this celebration; we organized a special event during the ceremonies for 25 African Americans whose DNA has traced their origins to Cameroon. All 25 of our guests received a recognition certificate from the hands of the Cameroon Ambassador during a highly emotional "Welcome to Cameroon" ceremony.
Ancestry Reconnection Program/Cameroon 2010 - During this special edition of our ARP, we offered 53 African Americans who had traced their origins to Cameroon through DNA testing, the historic opportunity to visit the land of their ancestors. We offered 5 acres of land to this pioneer group of Cameroonian Americans.
2009
Multicultural Concert:
The Corporate Council Summit on Africa Concert: The ARK Jammers performed as cultural representatives of Cameroon before a large audience including African Heads of States and dignitaries. (September 2010)
Charity Concert
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts Concert to raise awareness and support for the Potomac Job Corps (October 2009)
Embassy Visits:
Over 200 students visited 9 African Embassies in Washington, D.C. including the Embassies of Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte D' Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, and Nigeria. Pending requests from other embassies could not be accommodated during the year.
Africa Gastronomy:
A Taste of Africa cocktail reception - A multicultural reception designed to showcase the richness of African cuisine. Many African embassies in the US capital contribute food – among them, the Embassies of Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, Swaziland etc.
Music Master's Classes
More than 1, 300 students participated in these programs. The ARK Jammers organized musical master's classes in several schools in the Washington DC metropolitan area including: The Potomac Job Corps (Washington, DC) The Wellwood International School (Baltimore, MD.) The Park School (Baltimore, MD.) The Frederick Douglas High School (Baltimore, MD) Coolidge High School (Washington, D.C.) The Duke Ellington School of the Arts. We teach youth about music, expose them to the African source of American beats and enrich them with complex syncopated rhythms originating from Africa.
2008
Charity concert: The IMF Auditorium Concert: Organized to mobilize staff of the Bretton Woods institutions (IMF, World Bank Group) and other members of the Washington-based African Diaspora to support the DC Child and Family Services Agency. (August 2008) This concert was a unique event through which we provided a great platform to raise awareness, support and funds for a DC children organization. Along the way, we sought to promote global solidarity by encouraging the modern African Diaspora in the United States to give back to their host country, and to help make a difference in the lives of children in need. The event was organized with the support of the Ambassador of Cameroon, the World Bank Group/IMF African Society, the Washington DC Mayor's Office.
