The Pentagram Pictures Media and Research Group, in partnership with the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the Centre for Memories, Enugu, and the Centre for African Studies, Michigan State University, will today kick off events to commemorate the 220th year of what has come to be known as the “Igbo Landing.”
We should recall that at the Dunbar Creek in Georgia, US, in 1803, about 75 Igbo people captured by slave raiders in the Otuocha/Aguleri area of Anambra State and taken through the Omambala River to the US, rejected the subhuman nature of the chains and chose to march with dignity and honour into the water from which they had arrived the US. The historic event is known by many to be the “first black civil rights movement in human history” and has been widely referred to as a “mass suicide” though the term has recently come under scrutiny, with “mass martyrdom” being suggested as an alternative.
It is in interrogating this event that Ikechukwu Erojikwe, PhD, a senior lecturer in the Department of Theatre of Film Studies of the University of Nigeria, has called for an “international conference on resilience against slavery.” The event which will run from today, the 23rd day of May, 2023 to 24th May, 2023 would feature poetry readings and performances, intellectual symposium, an art exhibition that “would capture the events of 1803 in various dimensions” and a stage play titled, “Ikenga: The Dramatic Recreation of the Igbo Landing Story.”
In a statement he made available to the Premium Times, the convener remarks that “the commemoration is aimed at exploring the Igbo worldview, spirituality, art, technology, science, and other concepts that will educate and inform the world on the rich cultural heritage of the Igbo people. The event seeks to” promote peace, culture, and unity among Africans and the Diaspora.” The stage play which will mark the end of the symposium will “tell the story of the heroic deed of our forebears, while the exhibition will preserve, promote and document this historical monument of our history.”
More details on the event:
Tuesday, 23rd May, 2023
5.00 pm – 9.00 pm: Candlelight Procession and Evening of Chants, Poetry and Interactions in the 220th year of the Igbo landing event. (Starting point is University of Nigeria, Nsukka Arts Theatre)
Wednesday, 24th May, 2023
11:30 am – 12:08 pm: First part of the symposium (Venue: Continuing Education Center, Niger Hall)
12:12 pm –2:55 pm: Second part of the symposium: Paper Presentations (same venue)
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm: Exhibition Opening and Tour led by the curator, Chijioke Onuora, PhD.
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm: Screening of “No U-Turn: A Documentary on Illegal Migration” by Ike Nnaebue
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Play Production of “Ikenga: The Dramatic Recreation of the Igbo Landing Story.”
It is important to note that the keynote will be taken by Prof. Chima Korie on the subject, “African Roots of Igbo Response to Slavery,” while Prof. Damian Opata, a retired professor of African Philosophical Literature of the institution will take the lead paper aptly “Odi Ndu Onwu Ka Mma.”
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