Ugandan Birthday Celebration In OKC

 The Ugandan community of the greater Oklahoma City area came together on the evening of Saturday, March 27^th  in the home of Geoffrey and Jacqueline Oryema to celebrate the fifteenth birthday of their daughter Kelsey Oryema. Prior to the beginning of the actual festivities, a small fence was removed to allow the attendees to park their cars, and  in time  a flotilla of large vehicles was  in place on the grass lawn there and  some of  them displayed  license plates that indicated that  their owners  were from the Lone Star State. The honoree displayed the warmth and sophistication  that is often found in people  considerably older than herself as she welcomed the guests and thanked them for their birthday greetings. She had previously been featured in a Facebook Posting with her mother demonstrating a dance that is part of the heritage of the Acholi people of Uganda, and it was explained that their traditional homeland is close to neighboring Sudan and Lake Victoria which is the source of the Nile River. When she was presented with a large birthday cake,  the celebrant  began to cut pieces and offered them to the children present with a  gracious  smile.  Many of the guests, including Father Martin, a Roman Catholic priest originally from Uganda,  gathered outside where several bottles of liquor were in plain view on a table  and sat in chairs and spoke to one another cheerfully  in  different East African languages as children joyously frolicked around them. Under a pale full moon, when each individual container  of spirits was opened a small quantity of its contents were spilled on the grass in accordance with African tradition.
Large slabs of meat were put on an  equally  oversized  grill that was cheerfully manned by Geoffrey Oryema who took obvious pride in his  five children, the youngest of which were soon playing with the small offspring  of the other guests.  Some of the guests brought food as well, and  soon the attendees gathered in the garage where they were offered food that included Indian chapatti bread and a  chicken  concoction that is similar to the chicken  tikki masala that is served in Indian restaurants and became part of the cuisine of Uganda due  to the presence of Indian immigrants there when both of those nations were colonies of the United Kingdom in the last century . A large television set was in place in the family’s living room, and  music videos made in Uganda were shown  that displayed professionalism and skill on the part of the actors who appeared in them as well as the  technical mastery of those who had produced them. Several of the male guests could be seen working on the electrical wiring system  of the home, which was indicative of the cooperative nature of the Ugandan community of Oklahoma City.

Artist Simphiwe Mbunyuza’s Presentation At O.U.

O.U .Student Mya Sears At The Gathering.

Shortly after 11:00 A.M. on Friday, March 25^th, 2021 artist and teaching assistant Simphiwe Mbunyuza led a small procession from the Lightwell Gallery on the O.U. campus to a site behind that structure where a circle of  his life size sculptures stood in a circle  where a small fire burned. The artist and  several of those who followed him where dressed in the traditional  ceremonial attire worn by the Xhosa people of South Africa. Those present had  previously been handed  a guide that told of how the customs of the  Xhosa  Tribe  have been passed down for centuries through  an oral tradition, and that Mbunyuza was demonstrating  what is known as the  “Izila” tradition in which members of that community mourn the loss of its people and seek in a sense to   maintain contact with them. The burning fire, which is known as the “Isiko” is the center of the “Krall” where  the tribal members and family of the deceased  gather together  and eat food that has previously been prepared and talk of their loss. Mbunyuza greeted those who were in attendance under a pale blue sky  with the words “Wamkele  Woke  Umntu” that translates from Xhosa  into English as “Welcome Everyone.” In addition to the large  stark sculptures, there were several spears that the artist had also created  and he told that historically such spears were used to kill  animals and to defend the Tribe’s members from their external enemies.  On a small tree stump stood two bottles of liquor, and after Mbunyuza finished his  discourse  they were opened and dispensed to those present by the artist  in plastic shot glasses which may have accounted for the cheerful  disposition exhibited by many of the attendees. One of those present, Mya Sears, explained that she was an undergraduate student at  O.U.  and had taken a course at the Ceramics Studio that Mbunyuza had taught, and she spoke of her admiration for his artistic talent as well as his gentle nature that made him a good teacher. One of the others present identified himself as Stuart Asprey, the faculty member who oversaw the Studio’s operation, and told of how he was largely responsible for bringing the artist to the campus after encountering him and his art in France, and that the former president of the university, David Boren, had been an enthusiastic supporter of the art produced there, and was known to appear  in the Studio  unannounced on occasion.  It was further explained that the gathering had served as Mbunyuza’s thesis presentation. His work is very popular on various parts of social media, and questions were raised as to what the his future plans are. One of the attendees told of how the state of Montana has become an artistic center in recent years, and that there was a possibility  would be relocating to a institution there. But it is clear that he and his art have had an impact in Oklahoma and that the artists he has taught and mentored here will be part of his artistic legacy.

Meeting In Support of Asian American Community In OKC

Veronica Laizure Of CAIR- Oklahoma

Oklahoma  City Mayor  David Holt recently spoke about how a century ago the small Asian community that was located in Oklahoma’s capital  saw fit to construct a series of tunnels that allowed them to live  much of their lives without interference from the White residents of the community. Holt was speaking at an event that was held in the Wesley United  Methodist Church in the  Asian District of Oklahoma City on the evening of Wednesday, March 24^th, 2021  to show solidarity  and support for the Asian community in light of the recent murder of Asian Americans in Atlanta, Georgia.  Holt when on to say that  the Asian community in Oklahoma City today is an integral part of the community and has a neighborhood that s name bears tribute to it, and the festivals that were held there prior to the onset of the coronavirus brought many people from throughout the state to it’ s confines.  Oklahoma State Democratic  Representative  Angela Munson also addressed the gathering , and told with obvious emotion about  the racism that she encountered as an Asian-American child in Lawton, Oklahoma , and said that all of those present must  be prepared to fight against White Supremacy and fight for the rights of all minorities. The Asian  American community has historically been reluctant to speak up about the discrimination and racism that its individual’s encounter, and Munson said that it should not remain silent in the face of such mistreatment in the future. The lawmaker further told of how that she has had a somewhat complicated relationship with her Asian mother, who refused to teach her Korean, but that the only time that she has heard her express fear was relatively recently when her mother told her that she was “afraid” after national  leaders began to use terms such as  the “Asian Flue” to describe the coronavirus. State Senator Kay Floyd was in attendance as well, and detailed how that her legislative district includes the Asian District, and that she was proud  of that fact, and that she was uniquely aware of the contributions made to by its residents as a result. Oklahoma City Councilman  James Cooper told of how the LBGT community also stands behind it’s Asian neighbors  and how one of the first Gay Pride events here  brought several members of the Klu Klux Klan to it, but that the  community refused to be intimidated by their presence.
When the event began, several young Asian boys distributed to the attendees  small white plastic candles that could be turned on, and the last individual to speak, Veronica Laizure, who  an attorney with the Oklahoma chapter of the Council of American –Islamic Relations, told of how she was born in Korea to an unwed mother, but was adopted by a loving family in Tulsa Oklahoma. She concluded her remarks by asking those present to hold those candles in the air as the lights were dimmed in a show of support for the Asian American community.

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Hema Patel And Dolci Paradiso In OKC

 Guides to the British capital of London often  detail   the Indian flavor that is found there due to the fact that India was formerly  a British colony,  and that that fact accounts for the variety of restaurants, stores, tea shops, that  convey  a memorable  taste of the Indian subcontinent to the  citizenry and visitors to that metropolis, and Brick Lane in East London is informally known as “Curry Row” due to the number if Indian establishments located on that thoroughfare where barkers stand outside those places and  loudly seek to entice passersby to enter  them in a manner that is comparable to the barkers that are found at the doors of  the strip clubs on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. And in recent years  Oklahoma City  has developed a somewhat  similar South Asian  flavor  with a  number of Indian eateries, such as the popular Gopuram  restaurants,   and stores that sell Indian foods and beverages that are found in strip shopping centers in various place that are operated by entrepreneurs who are Indian in origin A more recent addition from India is  in the form of a photogenic  woman named Hema Patel, who has opened an establishment , Dolca Paradiso, that sells a wide variety of pastries, sweets,  cakes, and gelato  in two locations, one of which is on South May Avenue and the other is found on Fifth Street in Edmond. Patel, who is also a  registered nurse,  recently explained how that she has been interested in pastry and sweets preparation for years, and has had the  opportunity to study with several  experts in the field, such as pastry chefs  Dominque Ansel, Bruno  Albouze, DinaraKasko, Peter Yuen, and gelato master  Maria  Cossin. In addition, she  has also used many  flavorful ingredients from her native India to enliven the items that she prepares that have not previously found their  way into popular desserts, which has delighted  many of her customers who were formerly residents of that nation. Like many contemporary preparers of food, Patel tells of   her passion for natural ingredients and proudly asserts that all of her products are made from scratch by her trained staff. In addition, the fresh  gelato that she serves, that  was first created  in Florence Italy  in the Sixteenth Century, is much lower in fat than the ice cream that is sold here, and also has a higher density then most commercial ice cream that is sold, and is not stored for months in the way that ice cream is. Patel also said that she is excited to see that her creations are being well received in Oklahoma City and looks forward to developing an increasing customer base here  from both of her locations.

Britton District Meeting Of March 17th, 2021

 Amidst talk of renovated  buildings  and the purchase and sale of  properties, the Britton District meeting of March 17^th was called to order by Grace Powell  at the 89^th Street-OKC  bar and music hall  at 6:00 P.M. Powell, who serves as the executive director of the Britton District, distributed to those attendees  a document  that bore the words “Britton  District” in bold  red lettering and  were advised  that that is what will be put  in place  on Britton Road adjacent to Western Avenue later this year and many of them expressed enthusiasm  for that undertaking. A representative from  the  Oklahoma City city government,  Susan Atkinson, who serves as a liaison with the district, told of how the city will be putting out for public comment shortly a proposed expansion of the bike and walking lanes that are currently in place, and said that if any  party wanted to extend them to include thoroughfares located in the Britton District they could submit such a proposal. The liaison further detailed how that the centennial of the construction of Route 66, which ran through the district, will take place in 2026, and that a nation- wide celebration will take place and that the   district may wish to be part of it. She further told of that how Route 66 was altered on occasion,  and that may account for the fact that several different streets in Oklahoma City were part of that fabled thoroughfare that has been called  the “Mother Road of America,” and that many Europeans have travelled it in recent years.   Maura Baker, who operates the popular  Zero  Tolerance Coffee and Chocolate in the district  was in attendance, and she told of how a tourist from Europe had asked her to stamp a document to confirm that he was traveling on it, which prompted some of the other members to suggest that she should have such stamps created for that purpose. It was also announced that  the annual Britton Day Festival will be held  on July 31^st this year, and will  result in  closure of the section of Britton Road that is part of the district, and the attendees were told that vendors would be on the street for much of the day, but live music will be performed there from 5 P.M. until 9:00 P.M.
 It had previously been made public that both a brewery and a pizzeria   were coming to the district, and the owners of the latter, which  will be known as Venn Pizza,  were present and told of how they anticipate opening their establishment officially on May 1, but that they anticipate approximately 5 or 6 soft openings to ensure that their staff is adequately trained. It was further revealed that a popular Oklahoma  artist,  Carlos Barboza,  whose murals are increasingly found throughout the state of Oklahoma, had already painted a mural on the wall of the building that will house that undertaking.  It is possible that decades from now students of art history may be traveling to that location as part of an effort to chronicle the work of Barboza.

Abu Omar Halal Food Truck In OKC

Mory Sacko is a Parisian restaurateur  and chef and he and his  place,  Mosuke,  in the Paris neighborhood of  Montparnasse   were the subject of an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal late last year. He told of how his parents were immigrants from  Mali in West Africa, and that his mother, who had lived for a time  in the Ivory Coast and Senegal, knew a lot about West African cooking, and “That she is a great cook too.”  Sacko formerly  served as a chef  at the Michelin two star Sur Mesure that is located in the Mandarin Oriental, and while there he developed a fondness for Japanese cooking that influences the food he currently prepares for his guests, but perhaps surprisingly,  he is quoted as in the Journal  saying that “the word fusion makes me cringe.”  But a Mediterranean  food truck that recently rumbled into Oklahoma City is apparently piloted by someone who has no such aversion, since its menu, which is in place on bold lettering on   it’s side panel,  offers quesadillas as well as “Italian with fries” and tortilla bread and other items not normally associated with traditional Mediterranean fare.  That vehicle is currently moored in the parking lot of the Bismallah Grocery Store that is located on the intersection of Portland and 37^th Street in Oklahoma City, and a recent visit to that location revealed that it is known as “ Abu Omar Halal” and   was originally a native of Houston, Texas, and was driven here by a dynamic young man, Qusai Masalmeh, after  having a successful run in the Lone Star State. Masalmeh himself is an immigrant from the Middle Eastern Kingdom of Jordan, as are many other Mediterranean  chefs in the Oklahoma City area, and may have sensed that food that is popular  in Texas would also sell well in Oklahoma. And the fusion of different food types is  a result of his having lived in many locates in the U. S., and realizing that this nation has had a long history of fusing the food offered by different groups of immigrants together in imaginative ways. In addition, as the popular CNN  series  presentation “Searching For Italy” hosted by Italian-American actor Stanley Tucci has documented, much Italian food owes its origins to the Arab world.  And the standard Mediterranean fare that he serves, that includes shawarma, falafel,    gyros, lentil soup and baklava, is said to be of high quality and may account in large part for the hurried food preparation that is  ongoing in that vehicle and the number of people who lined up before it on a recent windswept  day. And like many successful immigrants in the Oklahoma City area, Masalmeh is expanding his operations to include a new truck in the Tulsa area and has plans for another one in Norman. The Journal detailed how Mory Sacko’s affable and generous nature had become known to many people in France through his participation in a popular television show that demonstrated  the work of different Parisian chefs, and it is possible that in time  both  Qusai Masalmeh’s  food  truck and his friendly personality will  make their way into  the  print and visual media in the  Oklahoma City area.

Ugandan Birthday Party In Edmond OK

Birthday Boy Emmanuel Kelly

The Ugandan community of the Oklahoma City area  recently came together for the purpose of celebrating the third birthday of Emmanuel Kelly, an exuberant child  whose mother Flavio Kelly is a native of Uganda and whose father Michael Kelly is from Oklahoma but telecommutes to an executive marketing position in Minnesota. The party was held at the Kelly’s home in an affluent area of Edmond.  His grandfather  Emmanuel Sekimpi who he was named for,  was also in attendance, and reported that he had had knee  surgery in Minnesota recently and had been in Oklahoma for the past two months but was preparing to return to his Ugandan farm shortly. The African man was reserved as many men of his  older generation often  are, but he displayed a warmth and gentleness to the children who were present at the gathering  that seemed to  endear  them to him. And when he was asked if he liked Oklahoma, he replied that he has only been here for a short time, and since he was convalescing  from surgery he had not had much opportunity to  see the state, but when he saw how many people, both Black and White, had come to his daughter and son in law’s spacious home  to commemorate his grandson’s birthday, he concluded  that it must be a very good place.
The food offered included  chaps that were  made of a combination of eggs and flour that are  popular in East Africa as well as the chapati bread and samosas that were brought to Uganda by Indian immigrants over a century ago. Several pizza boxes that were endowed with a variety of ingredients were also available and  eaten by many of the young people present enthusiastically. Those children were attired in a fashionable manner that was indicative of the relative prosperity of their immigrant parents, and many of them availed themselves of the swings that were present in the backyard to swing towards the grey Oklahoma sky  with  a smiling pride. And  while many of the adults present spoke to one another in the East African language of Luganda, and seemed to enjoy speaking to others in their mother tongue, most of the young people present  spoke to one another in an exuberant English.
In the recent popular film “Crazy Rich Asians” several scenes showed the children of wealthy residents of Singapore driving small sports cars in penthouse dwellings on that island. A similar vehicle that was bright red in color that had working headlights and taillights  and a Mercedes symbol affixed to it  was available to the children at the party, and many of them attempted to pilot that vehicle with limited success.

Oprah Winfrey’s Interview With The Duke And Duchess of Sussex

It has long been said that a good offense is the best defense, and it is possible that is why  Buckingham Palace supposedly leaked to the  royal friendly  “The Times” of London a story about how an investigation was going to be conducted into allegations that the Duchess of Sussex had bullied staffers  at that royal household on the day before  Oprah Winfrey’s interview  with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was to be televised.
It is noteworthy that such allegations would justify  such an inquiry, since uncontroverted evidence of  Prince Andrew’s involvement  with Jeffrey Epstein and his procurer of young girls Ghislaine Maxwell that includes sworn testimony  that the prince had sexual relations with an underage girl apparently does not warrant such official scrutiny. Andrew has  ignored requests  from the F. B.I .that he submit to an interview  to discuss his  relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, which apparently has not generated much interest in the British tabloids that often demeaned the duchess.  But it has been  reported that Prince Andrew will not be allowed to stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with the other members of the Royal Family  when the next official parade is held in the United Kingdom  which is apparently sufficient punishment for a member of that family.
One of the more explosive  moments in the actual interview occurred when Duke  Harry revealed that “a senior member of the royal family” expressed concern during Duchess Meghan’s pregnancy that the child that she would give birth to  would not be adequately pale in appearance  due to her multiracial heritage. Ms. Winfrey subsequently revealed that the he  later  told her that that comment did not from either the queen or her husband, and it has been strongly suggested that it was his father, Prince Charles, who made that odious statement, and shortly after the interview was shown in the United Kingdom  the prince saw fit to visit a charity in London where  Black people were  visibly present.
But one wonders if Harry should have exercised some discretion and not revealed it to his wife who was understandably pained by it. But Harry is said to harbor resentment against the prince arising out of the way he treated his mother, Princess Diana, and that may account in part for his decision to reveal it.
A woman of African heritage recently described the British royal family as being the “last of the silent film stars” in that they are seen in television shows and in print media  appearing in public but their voices are rarely heard, and they are not asked questions by the media  personnel  who cover their appearances. And it is possible that that family may in time be consigned to history just as the  silent film stars of early Hollywood were.

Brewery Coming To The Britton District

Future site of brewery at 925 W. Britton Road

 It has been said that transplanted New York City gangster Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegal  was traveling through Nevada and that when he stopped at a small windswept community of Las Vegas he had a vision of it transformed into a gambling and entertainment mecca filled with upscale hotels and casinos, and that he subsequently undertook the construction of what would he would christen “The Flamingo Hotel”  as a result. A recent history of Las Vegas would challenge that assertion by  pointing out that there were several hotels being built there before ground was broken for the Flamingo, but that story has become part of the legend of Vegas and has made its way into novels and films such as the “Godfather” epic where a character named Moe Green plays a thinly disguised Siegal. But what is  not in dispute is that several years ago  several foresighted individuals came together to purchase a dilapidated structure on West Britton  Road that was slated for a rendezvous with the wrecking ball  that would eventually result in  the surrounding areas rebirth and renovation  and  being designated the  “Historic Britton District.” That section of that thoroughfare had once been the  commercial hub of the municipality of Britton that had been annexed into Oklahoma City in the Post-war era and had been part  the fabled “Mother Road” of America, Route 66, but it had subsequently   fallen into a state of  disrepair and decay and most of it structures had been subject to decades of neglect. Recently several of its building have been renovated and transformed into  operating businesses that include art studios and galleries,  a barbershop, and a coffee shop that sells coffee and chocolate made  from beans from various parts of the world . In “Our Towns” journalists and husband and wife  James and Deborah  Fallows chronicled their prolonged tour through much of the nation and what they had learned as a result. One of their perceptive conclusions was that the presence of a brewery  in a neighborhood was a sure sign that the place was on its way to rebirth and prosperity.
And it has been made public recently that the Britton District will soon be home to a brewery at 925 West Britton Road. Observant neighbors and students of rebirth in the Oklahoma City area had previously seen small beer kegs in place at that currently unused location, and the firm of  Madhopper Brewing  has announced that it will soon be brewing beer there. It is anticipated that it will also include a restaurant and bar.  A pizza place has signed a lease  for a neighboring location, which will serve to bring an Italian flavor to that area.   And one can discern  a palpable sense of excitement in those who are currently affiliated with the Britton District that is comparable to the feelings that were shared with those in Oklahoma City’s Plaza District when it began its renaissance  and rebirth.

Suan Grant At Mama Z’s African Supermarket & Restaurant.

On the morning of Sunday, March 7^th 2021 Suan  Grant  came to the “Mama Z’s African Supermarket And Restaurant ” that is located in a strip shopping center located on the intersection of Meridian Avenue and 16^th Street in Oklahoma City and met with OlawaleAzees, who is the patriarch of the  handsome and unfailingly cheerful immigrant family from Nigeria that owns and operates that popular facility. Grant, who is originally from Kansas, lived for several years in the Caribbean island nation of Jamaica,  and tells of how   that  like most people who have resided there for a time, she developed a love for the  food and culture found there, that   combines African, British, Chinese, and Lebanese traditions,  which prompted her to start a business that sells Jamaican pepper  jellies  that are prepared  in accordance with Jamaican tradition.  She started doing so in 2009, with training and encouragement that she   received at the Robert M Kerr Food and  Agricultural Production Center at OSU in Stillwater, and soon small bottles of Scotch Bonnet Pepper jelly were found in kitchens in various parts of Oklahoma and subsequently in other locales in both the U. S. and foreign nations. And she was recently a guest on the popular radio production “The Fired Up Kitchen” where hosts Sean and Cathy Cummings documented the numerous awards that her products have received.
   Jamaica’s Black majority, as part of the African diaspora, has long played an important role  in African culture and culinary traditions, and Jamaican  performers such as Bob Marley’s   music  of protest and empowerment  is heard throughout the African continent  and the meat pies that British colonialists brought to both their  Caribbean possessions  and Nigeria  remain popular in both locales.
The senior Azees has previously  told of how he drove a taxi when he first arrived in Oklahoma and his wife worked the night shift at a local McDonalds, while their older children cared for their younger siblings, but he soon realized that the growing African immigrant community  in the Oklahoma City area was large enough to support a retail operation  stocked with goods from that continent, and opened an African store on Portland Avenue. The success of that undertaking  prompted the newly minted entrepreneur  to move to his current large location and to open an African restaurant there as well where he cheerfully greeted Grant and  examined the brightly colored jars of Jamaican  jam  that she  had brought there with interest. Azees asked Grant to bring a case of her creations to his place later this week, and with characteristic generosity, handed her a menu and asked her to take  some of the fare offered in it  as a gift. She selected a meat pie, and told of how they are known as “patties” in Jamaica and were one of her favorite foods during her tenure there. And one party who witnessed their warm  interaction  was reminded of the concluding lines of the classic movie “Casablanca” in which Humphrey Bogart advises Claude Rains character that “This maybe the start of a beautiful friendship.”