Read Book Recommendations & Critiques

Sister City book Recommendations Recommendations written by people to promote the book SISTER CITIES by Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2018-2019 Richmond Sister Cities Commission Chair Tom Lisk I have been working with Sister Cities International for more than 40 years, and I was delighted to find a book in the pipeline about the Richmond-Ségou relationship when I returned to become the 2018-2019 Chair of the Richmond Sister Cities Commission. Our relationship with Ségou has been rich, both because of the personalities involved (at both ends) with their dedication to international peace and friendship, and also because there are genuine links of history and culture between our two cities. Virginia’s food and music have West African roots. Their origin was the terrible slave trade of course, but the result is a commonality of culture and experience that Malians and Virginians can exploit to build deep friendships and new, shared re-interpretations of history. I have never seen these issues better described that in the new book SISTER CITIES, where Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton illustrate our 400 years of our shared history with stories, conundrums and solutions in both the Ségou and the Richmond environments. I recommend that every sister city commissioner in the world should read this book – as well as teachers and students of Africa and of the African American experience. Readers will find out how joint sister city projects work (or sometimes do not work) and how our rich shared history has created the opportunities for Citizen Diplomacy that President Eisenhower envisaged more than half a century ago. This is an interesting book, an exciting book, a satisfying story of peace building. It is a truly great read! Thomas Lisk, 2018-2019 Chair of the Richmond Sister City Commission, former Board Member and Chairman Emeritus of Sister Cities International, Attorney. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lydie Sakponou, VFoM president with her husband Francis, at the 2018 Mali exhibition in Richmond Public Library. In the corner stand a pair of chiwara masks loaned by Virginia Union University African Art Gallery. Lydie Alapini Sakponou As President of Virginia Friends of Mali (VFoM), it is both a pleasure and an honor for me to recommend most strongly the readable and amusing book SISTER CITIES and the amazing ten- year story it tells about friendship between Virginia and Africa. Since the first Africans came to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, slavery has been a part of our landscape. The lands of the Empire of Mali are connected by forced migrations to Virginia. Richmond became a slave trading center. The book SISTER CITIES describes 21st century connections with Malians who visit to Richmond for pleasure, talk to Virginian students, and dance at our Folk Festival. It also shows us their reactions to Richmond’s slave history. Mutual visits of Richmond and Ségou citizens since 2006 have provoked debates on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean not just about our common history of music and food, but also about colonialism and statues, cemeteries and massacres and remembrances, as well as about promoting economic, educational and cultural exchanges. For SISTER CITIES is very much a two-way relationship. Indeed, Richmond may be the greater beneficiary of our SISTER CITIES friendship. While VFoM and the Richmond Sister City Commission have been able to facilitate physical exchanges for students and teachers, as well as funding to build a maternity clinic, equip health facilities and support AIDS research in Ségou, the greatest value for Richmonders will be understanding that our history is not one of slavery only, but of the rich cultural and social inheritance of West Africa: of Sunjata Keita, the Lion King, whose rich and famous Mali-Sonrai Empire lasted from 1235 until 1591 and covered parts of nine modern West African countries. Many – perhaps most - African Americans have DNA from the Mali Empire. What a wonderful heritage! The book SISTER CITIES tells the Sunjata story too. With Ana and Robin, we visit the shared music and art and food and families of Virginians and Malians, whose lifestyles are molded by a shared history. This book should be read by every African American and by every Virginian. SISTER CITIES should be compulsory for study in every Virginian High School, and this book should be incorporated into African studies courses across the Nation from Sea to Shining Sea. Mrs Lydie Alapini Sakponou, is a qualified Attorney with origins both in France and in Benin (West Africa). Lydie is currently teaching in Chesterfield County Schools. She is the Mother of 5 children including twins (which is very special in West Africa) and she is also President of the 501.c.3 association Virginia Friends of Mali. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Laura Lay, Virginia teacher I strongly commend Ana Edwards and Robin Poulton for writing the story of the Ségou- Richmond SISTER CITIES relationship, which brings into the classroom and into our emotional experiences so many wonderful and different lessons about inter-cultural friendships and successes. The authors – who know Mali well and have implemented several projects in and with Ségou - provide humor and insight regarding connections between Mali and Virginia. This partnership is key, particularly with the strong focus on elementary education. Virginia’s elementary students, as part of their mandated history Standards of Learning, delve into the medieval Empire of Mali-Sonrai. They learn about the medieval Islamic University of Timbuktu, the actual conquering Lion King, and the trans-Saharan trade routes exchanging gold (from the forest) and salt (from the desert). All this brings into the classroom an exciting set of discoveries about commerce, language, religion and different lifestyles...yet it sometimes seems too exotic and distant in time. I wonder how many elementary students realize that they are actually studying parts of their own history when they are studying Timbuktu and the Lion King? That is what our “African Heritage” is all about. The Mali Empire, for example, is where much of our American pop, jazz, reggae, soul, blues, and rap music emerged. SISTER CITIES is a story about shared Virginian and African heritage, today and for the past 400 years. Ana and Robin retell the story of Sunjata Keita, the Lion King, in their new SISTER CITIES, but here it is updated because Mali, Ségou, and Timbuktu become real places with live people, some of whom visit Richmond. In SISTER CITIES, we meet plenty of colorful Malians from Ségou who discuss commerce with Virginia businesses. And while they are not selling salt from the Sahara desert, they are playing and dancing at the Richmond Folk Festival. The Malian visitors also meet students in school classrooms, bringing Mali into their modern reality. This new book allows teachers and students to relate a real-life story to our common heritage: our American music was originally Malian music; our Southern food is largely Malian food; our houses have porches because Malian houses have porches; many of our Virginia citizens share some of the same DNA. This is why SISTER CITIES is an important educational book that deserves to enter the classroom in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as colleges and universities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Laura Lay is a teacher working with VCU's School of Education and with Richmond Public Schools. She is a Board member of the Virginia Council of Social Studies (VCSS), and of the Virginia Conference of Social Studies Educators (VCSSE) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Virginian Entrepreneur Elisabeth Drumm Thanks to the Richmond-Ségou sister city relationship, I made my first-ever visit to Africa in early 2019, seeking new suppliers of cotton yarn for my business. I bought yarn from the Ségou cotton factory Comatex, but the overall experience of visiting Mali turned out to be overwhelmingly more important for me. The vibrant colors of West Africa, the generous friendship of Malians, the sister city achievements in Ségou, the wonderful music and art of the Ségou Festival and the lovely children swarming around Robin’s compound - these are my dominant memories of the visit and this book brings them all to life in a wonderful way. Everyone needs to read this book to discover West Africa as it really is! Elisabeth Drumm, artisan and fabric artist, owner of Wolle's Yarn Creations wollesyarncreations.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mme Safiatou Ba, international civil servant Americans need to learn about Africa, and SISTER CITIES will teach them. Written by a Black American and a White West African, both educators and civil society leaders, SISTER CITIES tells the story of the Mali Empire in West Africa (founded in 1235 by the Lion King) illustrated by health projects and contemporary cultural exchanges between the people of RICHMOND, Virginia and SEGOU, second city of Mali. West Africans helped build the USA. Many of the earliest African slaves, who came to America in the most horrendous circumstances, were from Mali. Most American music was originally Malian music. Southern cooking was Malian food. Southern houses have porches because West African houses have verandas. We learn these facts in this readable book filled with colorful people. Malians discover the music, museums and universities of Richmond, while Virginians dance at Segou’s famous Festival of the Niger River. In both cities, the Mayors place urban poverty at the top of their agenda: their school and health problems are different, but equally urgent. Sister City partnerships build citizen diplomacy, a pathway to international friendship and cooperation. Every diplomat, every aid worker should read this SISTER CITIES story. I congratulate the authors on their exciting book, filled with real stories about SEGOU and RICHMOND - long may their partnership continue! Mme Safiatou Ba, international civil servant in D.C. married to Moulaye Dicko.

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