Why I love Nigeria - Tolu Noah ~ Miss Anambra 2009/Miss Photogenic 2009

"I come from a land where family and community matter more than the individual.

Where relatives go out of their way to be supportive and welcoming

And the village raises the child, rather than the child ravaging the village.

I come from a land with rich, diverse languages

Where the word “ewa” can mean "beautiful," "beans," or "come"

And a person’s name is not just a name- it carries meaning

I come from a land with the most ambitious and hardworking people on the planet

Where education is of utmost importance

And citizens become doctors, engineers, teachers, and scientists

I come from a land where I can buy anything I need while stuck in traffic:

Cookies

Watches

Drinks

Belts

Pure water

You name it, they’ve got it.

My country may not be perfect

But we are more than the negative headlines

Gracing the newspaper page

We are creative.

We are ambitious.

We are caring.

We are driven.

We are intelligent.

This is why I love Nigeria."

Tolu Noah
Miss Anambra 2009/Miss Photogenic 2009

The Miss Nigeria in America 2009 Pageant

Wow! I can't believe it's almost here. Well Ladies and Gentlemen, we have started planning. We have 3 and 1/2 months to plan this great event. I am ChiChi Dike, for those of you who don't know me and I will be your guide as we plan this event that marks our 5th Year anniversary. We promise to bring you an event you don'twant to miss. Do you have any plans for Labor Day Weekend? I suggest that you make your plans to come to Los Angeles for the 5th edition of the Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant...

We are taking applications for the contestants and you can apply by clicking on this http://www.missnigeriainamerica.org/v2/cont_winners_application.php If you have any questions concerning the application, please call 213.471.2667. The deadline to Apply is JULY 6, 2009

Check out our website at http://www.missnigeriainamerica.org/ and be sure to check this blog on our journey to planning the 5th Anniversary!

Shalom

ChiChi Dike

Executive Producer and Director

The 2009 Miss Nigeria in America Beauty Pageant

Why I choose to DISCOVER

In the middle of a conversation about MNIA on Friday, I was asked, “why do you do this, why is this important to you?” I answered his question, but that question has stayed with me since then. I feel like I did not adequately express my WHY.

For those of you that are not familiar with the school system in Nigeria as in many other African countries, you pay for EVERYTHING. From pre-school till the very end of your schooling, essentially, education is a luxury that only the privileged few can afford. When we travel down into the villages and rural parts of Nigeria, in addition to affordability, we are now faced with the issues of accessibility and quality.

It becomes easier to detach ourselves from the reality of situations that our friends and families face back some the longer we remain in the Diaspora and makes lives for ourselves here. We feel like we are unaffected by what the average person unrelated to us has to deal with. Yet, more people are afraid to go home. Dejected by the conditions we return to, sometimes afraid to even go home, however, the reality is that we are all affected in one way or another.

One of my professors once said that “people are punished, and then they commit crimes”. That statement has stayed with me ever since and resonates more with me when I think about most of the social issues we face back home. People are suffering; there is a blatant disregard and disrespect of the citizens by our elected officials. As a society, we are apathetic to our neighbors, we simply do not care about each, and most importantly and sadly, we have failed our children.

I choose to discover because I believe in being my brother’s keeper. I choose to discover because I want my children to share in the pride that I feel to be a Nigerian. They say home is where the heart is. My heart is in Nigeria, I choose to discover because I want to be home. I choose to discover because it is our obligation to leave this place better than it was when we found it. The people who shed blood did just that. It is our turn to pass on that torch, most importantly; we can not and must not pass a dead torch to the next generation. We must re-ignite the torch before we attempt to pass it on. I choose to discover because I am tired of being a part of a society that punishes people unjustly for being born without a silver spoon. I choose to discover because I believe in the promise of a new Nigeria.


Queen Uchekwe
MNIA Team

Candid Questions with Dame Patience Jonathan

As you may know, Nigeria's very own, Dame Patience Jonathan (wife of Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan) is being honored on Saturday April 25, 2009 at the African Focus Awards. But with recognition comes responsibility. This is our chance to hold our people accountable!

We have to ask the tough, but necessary questions. We have to ask what they are doing for us and what they are doing for our future. We must question the time and effort they put into ending the disparities between people in Nigeria. We must interrogate the policies they adopt and the many ways they fail to help their people. We must bring our concerns to the forefront and with honesty and candidness ask why it is so difficult to get around the red tape (or should I say the green white and green tape) and provide HELP to my own people. We must ask why the governmental and non-governemental organizations (i.e. Ministry of Education) still exist when they cause more problems then solutions. And we must ALL get involved! Nigeria is not going to change unless WE do something about it and hold ourselves and, especially, our people of distinction to a standard worthy of respect.

What can you do? Ask questions! This is your opportunity to ask Dame Patience Jonathan questions that are relevant to the Nigerian movement, questions that hold her accountable and questions that you have been waiting to ask a person of distinction.

Sample questions:

• When you hear about atrocities and human rights violations committed against your people, what do you do and how do your remedy these situations?
• What are some of your interest and public involvements?
• Where do you see Nigeria in the next 5 years? 10 years? 50 years?
• What would be your contribution to the development of Nigeria in the next 10 years?
• How would you compare yourself to First Lady Michelle Obama?
• What is the wife of a Vice President responsible for? What do you do?
• What do you stand for?
• What will be your legacy?

We will gather all of the questions and present them to Dame Patience Jonathan when we meet her on April 25, 2009. Please submit your questions to me at ronke@missnigeriainamerica.org.

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE BY WEDNESDAY APRIL 22, 2009!!!

Love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America, 2008

Letter of Intent for Project WE - Discover

Tonight,

I believe we have come closer to achieving the first part of our objective and that is securing a girls' institution in Nigeria to assist with our objective of promoting education among women. As we wait for our questions to be answered, I cannot help but smile in my heart knowing how MNIA can help these girls take a step forward to acheiving thier dreams. Once we get all our feedback, I will introduce the name of the school and the reasons why this mission is very important to the reigning Miss Nigeria in America 2008 -Ronke Oke.

Another interesting aspect is that MNIA has booked 2 major meetings with 2 of the best PR in New York and Los Angeles. This will help promote our good deeds so that the rest of the world could join us in this fight for Education for Women in Nigeria.

Rememeber, I promised you all an insight into our journey of preparing for the launch of Project WE - DISCOVER. Keep reading!

Much love

ChiChi Dike
Executive Director
MNIA, Inc.

Progress Report for Project WE

So everyone is asking us, what is Project WE? Below is an excerpt of what Project WE stands for. Okay so I summarized it as follows:

Project Women’s Education (Project WE)
“Education and Literacy among Nigerian women”

Education among Nigerian women is one of the key objectives of MNIA, Inc. This program thus focuses on the advancement (Social, Financial and Sustainability) of the Nigerian woman through education. This project aims to assist women in rural villages and cities with funds to cover education costs. This will empower them through life’s struggles to forge on forward to attain the highest level of education with appropriate assistance. This program will aim at achieving the following:
~~Provision of scholarships for the less fortunate women in Nigeria.
~~Assist in providing school uniforms for deserving primary/secondary school girls.
~~Promotion of Women's teacher training programs.
~~Non formal education programs for adult women.
~~Initiation of a campaign to encourage parents in remote areas to send their daughters to school.

This is the founding program for MNIA and the reason, MNIA Inc. was started. I believe that when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. Wikipedia refers to education any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society, through schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions, deliberately transmits its cultural heritage--its accumulated knowledge, values, and skills--from one generation to another.

Having read that, can you imagine when the foundation of a nation is not educated? Can you imagine what the world will be like if there were no educated women?

Project WE takes a stand on the reasons why EDUCATION is very important for Nigerian women. It is our FIGHT!! It is our MISSION to continue to fight to ensure that the percentage of Nigerian Women who are educated is increased.

I cannot live in a world today were WOMEN EDUCATION is not a priority!

PROJECT WE will ensure that WOMEN EDUCATION becomes a priority in Nigeria and in the global world.!

By ChiChi Dike
Executive Director
MNIA, Inc.
Beverly Hills, CA

April is the month for Project WE (Women's Education) DISCOVER

There is a song that I really love - "Man in the Mirror" by Michael Jackson. The first verse and the chorus says:

I'm Gonna Make A Change
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good, I'm Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?Pretending Not To See Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On The Wind Ya' Know'
Cause They Got NowhereTo Go
That's Why I Want You ToKnow

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change

If you read the words of this song, it's telling us that if we want to effect change, we gotta look out ourselves (Man/Woman in the Mirror) and change ourselves, our attitude towards things, our beliefs and our commitment to helping the less fortunate.

This April, we would take you through our journey on planning the implementation of Project Women's Education (WE). We would chronicle our efforts on finding the right approach to helping achieve the objective of the programs and our quest to bring this vision to life.

For more about Project WE and DISCOVER, please log on to http://www.missnigeriainamerica.org/

ChiChi Dike
Executive Director
MNIA, Inc.

My grandmother – A WOMAN of Faith and Vision

In life, men and women who achieve success are those who are clear about their goals in life. Among other things, as Dwight Eisenhower once put it, vision is an integral quality of a great man. Having a vision means seeing a clear picture of the future you desire for yourself. Setting targets alone does not ensure the achievement of goals; deciding on how to reach these targets is also an essential part of success. A person of vision is clear about his/her ambitions and strategizes about how best to achieve them. This implies planning ahead for future success which often demands making difficult yet very necessary decisions without limiting one’s self. Indeed, visionaries are those who not only set their target high and clear but also have their objectives well-defined and achievable. Due to the fact that plans can be affected by unforeseen circumstances, versatility and flexibility are important tools for successful planning.

Efforts to secure a bright future through meticulous planning often involve forgoing current leisure for future pleasure. Your efforts are driven by your definition of success; what you desire to see happen. Frequently, your ability to dream big will be persistently tested by obstacles but holding true to your vision of what you want for your future will shape your behavior and actions and help you overcome all surrounding impediments. My late grandmother, who was my inspiration, is a testimony to this fact – her story is the epitome of how your vision can shape your thinking and actions leading to ultimate success in life.

My grandmother; the Late Princess Victoria Nzewi, was the daughter of the Late Igwe 1 of Nnobi, a town in Anambra State, Nigeria, His Royal Highness (HRH) Solomon Ezeokoli. She grew up in Nnobi. The common societal practice during her childhood was to educate male children and marry off the females at a tender age. Sure enough, HRH Igwe 1 of Nnobi was wealthy enough to afford foreign education for his sons – he sent them off to school in far away England. Conversely, my grandmother was withdrawn from school and married to a headmaster; she went on to have a total of twelve children. Unfortunately, when her children were still young, her husband passed away. Tragic as it was, my grandmother did not succumb to despair but pressed on in order to provide her children with decent living conditions. Shortly after her husband’s death, my grandmother picked up her pieces and began to “dream”. Though she had more female children, she envisioned that every one of her children would successfully gain a University education. She was determined that the girls would have a fair chance at education.

The odds were stark against her and given her situation, it seemed impossible. In spite of being a single mother, she was driven by her objective and ambition for her children and relentlessly soldiered on with renewed determination. Grandmother started a bakery venture which grew quickly and eventually extended to the distant town of Onitsha. She toiled and labored so that her children would have it better in life than she did. I learned that people commented that she was strong and worked like a “man”. That did not deter her, if anything it spurred her on and kept her moving. She succeeded in putting the first two (twin) children through school and continued until all her surviving children became University graduates. Today, all her surviving children – six females and one male – are successful doctors, dentists, pharmacists, chemists, food technologists to say the least.

Grandmother, a humble lady with no education, had the courage to pursue her vision. She had a clear picture of what she wanted and worked towards achieving it without compromising her morals and integrity. On December 19th 2000, my grandmother passed on. At that time, I was a secondary school student. I was deeply saddened at her death especially because I performed exceptionally well in school that term and was excited about making it home to tell her of my success. I knew she would be so proud of me. I remember on one occasion, a few years before her death my parents visited her in her Nnewi home and read her a letter I had written telling her that I ranked top in my class that term. As my parents read it to her, tears trickled down her eyes. I believe my letter caused her to remember her own success stories and the fact that her hard work had paid off. I remain thankful for the moments I shared with her and for the knowledge, inspiration and willpower that she instilled in me. Her life was exemplary and she taught me that I could achieve anything I wanted and that the only limitations that exist were in the mind.

As individuals, we must not let the circumstances and situation around us limit our dreams. The moment we stop dreaming is the moment we die. I chose to come to the United States to receive my education among the very best and to strive to do my very best. It has been a privilege. Like Mary Kay Ash says: “if you can dream it, you can achieve it”. Indeed your attitude in life determines your altitude in life. Dream big and set your eyes high up the ladder; that is the only way you can climb it and move on to your target goal.

Today, I celebrate this powerful woman, this mentor of mine who stayed strong and firm amid many odds and hurdles. She was a woman of faith which translated into her driving vision that enabled her achieve her coveted ambitions for her children. She taught me so much and I am grateful. Her story is one that will encourage young African women.

By Chinyere Nwabugwu
Miss Adamawa, 2008

The WOMAN who taught Wemi to be a WOMAN!!!

I have learned everything I know about being a woman from the most important woman in my life, my mother. I have learned how to love, to be giving and to be kind. I have learned to be confident, to be myself and to be graceful at all times. I've been taught to be proud of myself and to appreciate the success of others, I've been taught that there's nothing that is beyond my reach. I am happy with who I am today mainly because I have such a strong force guiding me, loving me and protecting me. My mother is my most loyal confidant. She has led by example, succeeded in business, love and family. As I share with her everyday, grow with her spiritually, I'm grateful to have this woman in my life.

Wemi
www.ruedechic.com

Why Banks LOVES Nigerian WOMEN!!

Nigerian women are very proud of their accomplishments. I have 3 beautiful older sisters and a loving mother and I must say they have shaped me to be the man that I am today.

They are all are a true definition of what it means to be an INDEPENDENT WOMAN. My mum is a wife of 44 years and has managed to balance the responsibility of a loving wife and being a mother of 8 kids with working full time and running an international business. My mum can boast of nurses, engineers, bankers, and entrepreneurs as kids. My dad is a part of the family as well and is definitely doing a lovely job, but since my message is about women I will concentrate on my mum. She never passed on anything that we needed; if daddy didn't have it due to slow contracts, mummy would go to any length to get it for us. She would do anything necessary for us to make it including closing down our business and moving with me and the babies (myself and the last set of twins) to America when we started college.

My sisters will always tell you what it takes to be a young girl going to college in America and U.K and working full time to pay for college They will also tell of the hardships of maintaining their dignity by not selling their bodies for money.

So Nigerian women are very very proud and they are what I call THE ALL AROUND INDEPENDENT WOMAN!

By Banks Omishore

Diane Mbeo is PROUD to be a WOMAN!!!

“It’s a man’s world, a woman’s place is pregnant, barefoot, and in the kitchen.” These phrases were commonly spoken by members of the community I grew up in, and it disheartened me to see several potent women resign themselves to such backward and primitive sayings. That is why this has come to be my portal into a new era, one in which my fellow sisters and I take a stand and show our male counterparts that we too have a place at the table.

I am proud to say that I took part in this year’s teleconference held on March 5th to celebrate International Women’s Day. This day is becoming increasingly important around the world; in Bosnia for example, every man buys flowers for every woman in his life to celebrate it. In Iraq and Africa, this day is even bigger than mother’s day! You see, my sisters, we must celebrate ourselves first if we want our men to celebrate us. In traditional African mythology, the lion is portrayed as the king of the jungle; this translates to the man being the head of his household. Behind every successful lion, is a strong lioness. Chinua Achebe, a famous Nigerian writer, demonstrated this concept in his books.

They say a woman should treat her man like a king, just as a man should regard his wife as a queen. BUT, this should not be expected to come automatically, for a king must love his wife into her place. I say this to urge my fellow sisters not to be intimidated into mindless servitude by chauvinistic men, and to bear in mind that we should never shy away from demanding the same love and respect that our men think they deserve.

A final word of advice to my sisters, let’s thirst for knowledge and education, for this is the key to success. President Obama said, “In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity, it’s a prerequisite.” In most places today, women still have to work twice as hard as men to obtain only half the recognition, especially in the workplace. Let’s not listen to people when they say “school isn’t for everyone.” Infact, if you’re a woman, education is definitely for you, go get it. Let’s show the world that the corporate ladder can be climbed in heels.

This is 2009, two-thousand-and-MINE, my (our) time to shine. Join me in celebrating all things feminine.


By Diane Mbeo

Why Kola LOVES Women

I love that women can use both the logical and emotional sides in their decision making process. Women can also multi task efficiently balancing work, family, friends and other activities without missing a beat. Lastly women opinions always provide balance to any decision to be made with a man.

By Kola Ogunlana (Junior)

Celebrating Our Women: From MAN to WOMAN

March is Women's History Month. As we celebrate the contributions women have made in this country and track the genealogy of her development from the historic woman to the modern woman we must remember that this month is also a CELEBRATION! A celebration of what it means to be a woman and why being a woman is like no other. In my entire life, through it all, I can honestly say that I wouldn't want it any other way. From the hardships and sorrows to the strength and triumph, from the second-class status to the mover-and-shakers of the world, from deference to power, from mother to leader, (and best of all) FROM MAN TO WOMAN....being a WOMAN means being the best, the strongest, and the shoulders on which you stand and hold everyone else up. And because of the pride that all women have (or should have) in who they are I would like us to take this moment to talk about why WE LOVE BEING WOMEN!!!! So enjoy these messages of encouragement, inspiration, and pride.

Much love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America

Our BLACK History! winner

I am happy to announce the winner of the MNIA, Inc Our BLACK History contest!

M Y K W A I N......G A I N E Y !!!

Mykwain is a filmaker/photographer from the Bronx, NY. He is a graduate of Morehouse College and a student at New York University Film School. He has worked on a lot of big projects and with even bigger names. He is extremely talented and has a true knack for capturing everyone in their best. Simply stated: he takes BRILLIANT pictures. His work and artistic eye will easily caste him into People's 25 Most Influential People Under 30! If you don't know about him you better find out and find out FAST!! (Click on the link below to visit his website)

http://www.mykwain.com

Mykwain gave me my first break in the industry and has captured me in picture as well as on film. I was the star of a film he directed at Morehouse College and I'm sure if you ask him he will send you the link to the movie. You can also contact him on Facebook and on his myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/mykwain.

Here are the correct answers to the contest (submitted by Mykwain of course):

1.) CHINUA ACHEBE
2.) KING SUNNY ADE
3.) BABATUNDE

4.) PATRICIA ETTEH

5.) GANI FAWEHINMI
6.) BEKO RANSOME-KUTI
7.) FELA KUTI
8.) FLORA NWAPA
9.) OLUSEGUN OBASANJO
10.) HAKEEM OLAJUWON
11.) MICHAEL OLOWOKANDI
12.) WOLE SOYINKA
13.) SEAL HENRY OLUSEGUN OLUMIDE ADEOLA
14.) CHIEF COMMANDER EBENEZER OBEY
15.) KEN SARO-WIWA
16.) HELEN FOLASADE (SADE) ADU

17.) AKINWUMI ADESOKAN
18.) MAURICE IWU
19.) IBRAHIM BABANGIDA
20.) PRESIDENT UMARU YAR'ADUA
21.) PHILIP EMEAGWALI

So you need some assistance?

I recently advertised MNIA, Inc's first contest. I am sad to report that no one has won. I realize this is a difficult task but it just goes to show how much we need to know our history and recognize the movers and shakers of our repective countries. But I am always here to help. If you don't know already here are the rules for the contest:

In the picture to the right of this message are 20 famous Nigerians. The first person to correctly identify, in order, the people depicted wins the contest. To enter, please send an email, with your answers to me at ronke@missnigeriainamerica.org. You can submit as many entries as you want but please remember that THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE A CORRECT LIST wins the contest. The winner of this contest gets an official MNIA prize pack!! We will mail it to you and I promise that it is something you definitely want.

Contest ends SUNDAY MARCH 8, 2009!!!!

So now that we all know what's going on here are some clues:

1. He wrote a famous book about Ibo life. Very popular. Everyone has read it!

2. His 'Odu' album was nominated for Best World Music album in the Grammy awards.

3. A famous drummer who influenced musicians such as Carlos Santana, Mickey Hart, John
Coltrane and Bob Dylan, and died from diabetes.

4. She is/was the Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives.

5. Born on April 22, 1938, he is a Nigerian author, publisher, philanthropist, social critic, and human and civil rights lawyer. He has written openly about Former President Obansanjo.

6. He was the chairman for the Campaign for Democracy. In 1997 he was awarded the human rights award of the city of Weimar. He was inprisoned on July 25 1995 on charges of treason to the Abacha government.

7. An Afrobeat musician who formed the band Koola Lobitos (later changed to Africa '70), the Kalakutu Republic, a commune, and a recording studio.

8. A famous Nigerian writer who is mostly known for being the first African woman to publish a book in English.

9. He was the President of Nigeria from 1976 until 1979.

10. Basketball player for the Houston Rockets.

11. Basketball player nicknamed the Kandi man

12. First African writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.

13. Married to Heidi Kloom.

14. Has an album entitled, "Juju Jubilee"

15. Soyinka's book "The Open Sore of A Continent" was, in part, a dedication to him. He was the leader of the human rights activists for the Ogoni people, until he was executed in November 10, in 1995, along with 8 other leaders

16. Famous songs include, "Smooth Operator", "The Sweetest Taboo", and "No Ordinary Love"

17. He is one of the two 1998 recipients of the Freedom-to-Write award. This is an award to honor "writers who have produced work in the face of extreme adversity and have defended freedom of expression and fought against censorship.", and he won because he "risked his life and a promising literary career to write on behalf of his friends and colleagues who were imprisoned by the regime of Nigerian General Sani Abacha."

18. This man took his precious time off his pharmacological exploits and cure of Ebola to conduct the worst election in human history.

19. Former Nigerian President

20.The current President of Nigeria.

21. He is an inventor and computer wizard.


Hope this helps,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America

Our Black History!

As you may know the running theme for our February blogs is a celebration of our BLACK history. And if you live in the States (Yankee-town), then all around you, through various mediums, you will find yourself bombarded with facts, dates, VIPs, and other celebratory achievements of African Americans. You will hear widespread reports, receive invitations to historical re-tellings of a life and time when things were different for Blacks in America, and feel inclined to participate in the teeming number of cultural events held all around the country. Not to denigrate the expansive and well-deserved recognition of Black American history in the States, but as a Black person that is not necessarily American I feel impelled to ask, "Where is my Black History?" Where are the facts, dates, VIPs, and other celebratory acheivements of my fellow Nigerians? Where do I attend the cultural events depicting the re-tellings of my family's history? Where are my reports? Where are my invitations?

Maybe my rearing in the States has been a handicap to my development as a Nigerian women. I think I missed taking the course in Nigerian history in high school and college (not that it was offered in either place) and maybe I should have asked my parents more questions. But would they have known the history of their country as well as I can recapitulate the history of oppression and slavery in the States? I think that the answer here is a giant NO! I'm sure that my parents can help me with the culture aspect of the Nigerian lifestyle, but the historical precedence that nourishes that culture, I'm not too certain. Where would they have learned it? It could have been in their primary or secondary school; I know that Nigerian history is taught there. But for me, for my individual set of circumstances that render me removed from that kind of direct teaching and removed from the memories of my 40+ year old parents, where can I learn this information?

I don't think that anyone has thought that this information is important enough to put in print. I tried to go to Amazon and purchase the "Concise Introduction to Nigerian History" and "1960: The Annotated History of a Civilization" but I don't think they are out yet (probably because I just made them up). I assume that this information, in the thorough way I find in African American history, is not out there (and just to lay into the point a bit more and prove to you that I did my research: I spent all of 30min on Google trying to find this information and its not there. Experience has taught me that if it can't be googled then it doesn't exist!). So what do I do? I must celebrate BLACK history month. It's simple: I'll re-tell my history myself!

On a majority of African American owned radio and television stations I have noticed that their commercials provide you with information about what happened "on this day" in history. I love it! and feel that it would be appropriate to institute this same kind of "commercial break" as we celebrate the history of all Blacks this month. So for the month of February, this is what happened on a particular day in the history of Nigeria: (if you have anything to add, please feel free to leave it in the comment section)

February 9, 1979 - Nigeria amends Constitution.

February 11, 1971 - Whitney Young Jr, National Urban League director, drowns in Nigeria.

February 13, 1976 - General Murtala Mohammed, head of Nigeria, killed during a coup.

February 13, 1944 - Rebop Kwaku Baah,the Nigerian percussionist, was born.

February 27, 1999 - Olusegun Obansanjo becomes Nigeria's first elected president since mid-1983.

February 26, 1885 - Congress of Berlin, gives Congo to Belgium & Nigeria to England.

(all facts come from http://www.historyorb.com/countries/nigeria )


Happy BLACK history month!

Love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America, 2008

P.S. : I was just kidding about not finding it on Google. I just said it for dramatic effect. EVERYTHING can be googled! But the point I was trying to make is that we need to know the history of our county and our people, and celebrate the strides we have made especially this month. It doesn't matter if that country is Nigeria, Cameroon, Haiti, Jamaica, Madagascar, or Ghana. Next year I hope to hear about some events or exhibitions depicting our rich history. We can make it happen. We need to make it happen for our future generations. They need to know their story and we need to re-tell it as often as we can.

TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE YOU MUST FIRST KNOW WHERE YOU COME FROM!!!

Here are some websites that discuss the history of Nigeria

• http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ad41
• http://history1900s.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.motherlandnigeria.com/history.html
• http://www.iss.co.za/Af/profiles/Nigeria/Politics.html
  

Here is a book on the history of Nigeria:

• http://www.amazon.com/History-Nigeria-Toyin-Falola/dp/052168157X

Evolution of a Legacy

So it’s Black history month again, and traditionally, we celebrate and recognize the achievements and contributions of Africans and African Americans from our respective societies. The election of the first African American President of this country makes this year’s celebration a little more unique.

Amidst the excitement that I’m sure most of us feel this Black history month, we must take a moment and reflect on the shift that has occurred in our history with the election of President Obama and what stories we will produce for future generations to celebrate in their black history months. The change that we have all hoped for is finally upon us. Knowing that this moment is possible because of the sacrifices that individuals that have walked this earth before me continues to serve as an inspiration to me.

I cannot help but to think about Nigeria as the whole world celebrates with America. It saddens me that we find ourselves in this very dismal situation, the future seems bleak, and I shudder to think about how brave men and women who sacrificed and fought for our independence would react if they woke up today. We have become apathetic and it seems that we have lost our zeal to survive. However, it gives me pleasure when I talk to other young Nigerians who are hopeful about the inevitable change that will come to our home land. To those people who are holding on to this hope, thank you! For me, I am hopeful as well. Surely we know that change does not come by the waving of a magic wand.

What sacrifices are we willing to make today so that our children and grand children can one day stand in unison and declare that change has finally come? How will history remember our generation? We must all play a role if we want the vision of the new Nigeria to come to pass. It is not enough to sit and hope for things to happen. We must support each other, affect change even if only one person is touched, and we must preserver because that moment, our moment will be so much larger than any of us can imagine today.

I encourage us to stay in that hope, motivated by that dream and commit ourselves to the vision of effecting that change that we wish to see come to fruition and together make a difference that will inspire the future generation to also continue the spirit of hope that we instill in them.

Remain Inspired,

Queen Gideon

MNIA. Inc. Team

"Ask Me Anything" w/ Ronke A. Oke

I really don't know what I want to call it. Ask Me Anything gets right to the point, but its not catchy enough. Another suggestion is either I Tell Ya! or The Inquisitive Soul but neither one of these really captivates me. You're probably wondering what I'm talking about. I'm talking about my video blog, the program/show/videoepisode that I initiated that would allow me to respond to the questions that you all ask me. A lot of people ask me questions about myself and want to know where I stand on certain issues. Others, I am aware, are simply dying to ask me some questions (and this may be an overstatement but I hope its true). I want to share my responses to these questions with my audience and also give those who have inquired into the personal areas of my mind a medium to join the spotlight. I think this would be an innovative way to reach out and see who is listening and who is supportive. Here's how it works: If you have a question for me just send it to ronke@missnigeriainamerica.org. If you want me to personally mention who submitted the question, please leave your name. All submissions are due by Friday and you should see a posting by Monday or no later than Wednesday (unless there are extenuating circumstances, i.e. the first video response). I am also giving shout outs. So if you have an event, or just want your name stated for the world to hear or see, or even if you want to share anything, send it to me and I will make sure that you get your space. I would also include any poems, songs, spoken word or (this can be recorded or written) original peices, questions you have for those who are watching, an problem that you want advice on, or a picture that you want others to see. I will make sure that it makes it on and give you the credit you deserve.

Now I want to know what you all think about this. How does this idea work for you all? Do you all feel more involved with what I am doing? That is the goal for all of this to get you all involved. Please let me know and feel free to share your comments, thoughts, and suggestions for a name for this videoepisode.

Much love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America, 2008

The Inauguration/Oprah really got to me

One unforgettable moment, five words: The Inauguration of Barack Obama! It was my intention to join the 1.5+ million people in DC and stand face to face with the man whose story is the stuff of legends. But the $800+ airlines were asking for plane tickets to DC made me rethink how I was going to celebrate this moment in history. I normally do not praise Memphis but the city actually came through during the Inauguration. The relationship that many drew between President (hee-hee. I can say that now) Obama and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made Memphis the 2nd best place to watch the Inauguration. Memphis is the city where MLK was assassinated 40 years ago and I was able to view the inauguration at the exact location MLK was assassinated, the Lorraine Motel, which has been transformed into the historic Civil Rights Museum. I even managed to make it on CNN....well not me exactly but the auditorium of the Civil Rights Museum made it onto CNN. I was honestly almost brought to tears (and I am not one to shed them, but I was at the brink of complete exposure) when I saw Pres. Obama cross the threshold of the Capital and take his place on the podium. I mean I definitely felt the presence of something in that room and felt a great wave of joy and confidence overtake my body. But as all things, my reflection of the moment did not mimic my sentiment of the experience.

I began to wonder why I was so invested in this election and what it meant for me as a Nigerian to be excited that this man is now the President of the United States. How can I and do I relate to this moment? Pres. Obama is not Nigerian; his father is from Kenya so that makes him partly African and I can relate to the occasion because of his ancestry. But he's not known as the first African President of the United States but the first African American President of the United States. He does make a point to acknowledge and re-emphasize the diversity of his background, especially his African roots, but is this simply it? Does it even make a difference? I know most of you all are thinking that I should just be happy for this moment and rejoice in the triumph of truth, justice, faith and hope, and in the power of democracy.....but as a Philosopher I must ask these tough and trying questions. Do I have a place in President's Obama's legacy? Is his dream the same as mine? How deep is the bond between President and constituent? Obama includes me in his dream on the condition that I keep my end of the bargain and work to make the Dream a reality not only for myself as an resident of the Americas but as a citizen of the world, a believer in a more perfect, harmonious and equal utopia. The thing that me, MLK and Obama have in common is that we are all Dreamers and we all believe that our dreams will one day be a reality. Whereas I tried to cause division by making the Dream about country lines, the Dream is really about the width of one's heart and the triumph of one person who will work to elevate millions. That's the significance of January 20, 2009 and the legacy of President Barack Obama.

Then enters Oprah Winfrey. One particular statement she made during her Inauguration recap show with Gail, Forest Whittaker, and Bon Jovi really boiled my blood. Everyone was commenting on how the entire world tuned in to watch President Obama take the oath of office and Oprah made a comment that aggravated the biggest pet peeve I have about references to Africa, bigger than the question "Do you all wear clothes/shoes?"It is the pet peeve of referring to Africa as a country. Oprah said that even her girls in Africa were watching the Inauguration, as if to say that from this statement one could pinpoint the location of the girls. The picture I imagined was a small cottage with the words "Africa" written on the mailbox and all of Oprah's girls sitting around cross-legged watching the tv screen as President Obama took his oath. Africa is not a small cottage but an enormous palace with 54 rooms, all with unique decores, structures, and styles. I am sure she did not intend to mean that Africa was a country but when I heard her statement I immediately heard her saying: Africa = country, not continent. I would rather, in circumstances where you know the specific country in reference, people call the country by name. If it is not a country that most people know you can do them dual service to list the country AND the continent. That way they will know that the country is within the continent and not continue to think that the continent is a county. She could have said that (1) her girls in Johannesburg were watching the Inauguration or (2) her girls in Johannesburg, South Africa were watching the Inauguration. Truly, I would have liked for her to say that her girls in Henley-on-Klip were watching the Inauguration. I opt for the latter statement because I think it would encourage people to do research on their own and figure out exactly where it is located. A significant majority of people (and I will go out on a limb and say Americans) are not aware of a world outside of their country, especially the world of Africa (and here I can sayAfrica because I am referring to the continent and not to a specific country or locale. And I also know that Africa is a continent not a country).

Well I guess that's it for now. I'm sure you have a lot to say in response to this blog and I LOVE IT! I welcome all opinions and comments. This is a discussion not a personal rant (even though at times it could read as such :-P). Even if you agree with my statements, the whole point is to make your voice heard. If you don't then that's even better. Make your point so we can talk about the world around us and open up the world around us......

Much Love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America, 2008

Some days it really is HARD!

Good ideas are fairly easy to come up with, but every good idea is never as easy to implement. I guess this becomes the ever growing pile of discouragement that some Nigerian men and women cite as reasons they are spectators to the perpetuating problems and fail to contribute to the solution. The problems facing Nigeria are, without a doubt, overwhelming, and before a sign of hope appears in the horizon, it is met with more obstacles and increasing problems at every corner. Some believe that in order to defeat the obstacles they must secure better positions that enable them with the capacity and resources to make a difference (i.e. being a citizen with one vote cannot guarantee that your voice is heard but being an elected official with one vote can move and shake a multitude of things), but that too doesn't make matters easy. Sometimes it really is the state of things, and in particular the state of a nation, that is the impediment. Sometimes it really is HARD!!

As Miss Nigeria in America it is assumed that I am in a position to "move and shake." It is true that I have resources and a wide network of individuals and, even if I cannot manage to make direct contact with a resource, I can quickly be put in contact with someone who can. But with all these benefits I am still having difficulty trying to get what I want DONE. It is not a lack of passion or because of an impeding schedule but rather the difficulty in understanding what is really going on in Nigeria. It is at this point when I try to wrap my head around the fact that my call to the Orphanage in Okwelle just will not go through and added to that the fact that no one in Owerri knows where the orphanage is, that I realize what has happened: I have become Westernized. I operate with Western ideals and hopes, clouded expectancies in which I expect that answers to my questions will return to me in an "instant"; spoiled by the luxuries of communication devices, transportation systems, and other "advancements". I erroneously think that the world resembles my immediate surroundings and commonplace experiences. I have shut myself in from the outside world and have lost touch with reality. And the reality for most, including those in Nigeria and from Nigeria, is that my tunnel vision focus is surreal or rather, no reality at all.

Its not that I was disappointed that I could not get through to anyone at the orphanage but I honestly could not and do not understand why I couldn't get through and ultimately, why Nigeria is the way it is. Why don't we have better communication devices? Why aren't the roads paved and the transportation vehicles reliable? Why aren't we more advanced (technological and otherwise)? It is definitely not because we suffer from a lack of ingenuity. There are thousands of Nigerians in the States and all across the globe that are Engineers of all sorts, Entrepreneurs, Nurses and Doctors, Lawyers, Politicians, Educators, Inventors and Scientists, and who hold a host of other occupations and degrees, and whose opulence and intelligence would shock us all. This should at least warrant us a multitude of progressive staples in our country but to our dismay Nigeria is still the way it is and I am still a bit disconnected from it all.

I wanted to write this entry as my attempt to communicate to you the difficulty in getting anything of substance accomplished in Nigeria. I truly wanted to discuss the relentless attempts MNIA has made to make the dream of free education possible to the children at the Motherless Babies Home in Okwelle. I wanted to describe the setbacks of such a dream and the setbacks of Nigeria, but all I seem to point out are the setbacks of being away from home. I have spent 23 years way from my home and have let ambitions and other commitments prevent me from getting in touch with my roots. And though it really is hard some days to hold on to a dream, its even harder to let go of it. The great thing about this dream is that it not only allows me to be of service to others but it also keeps me grounded in Nigeria.

Much Love,

Ronke A. Oke
Miss Nigeria in America, 2008