Litfest Harare joins the world in commemorating Black History Month with a Black History Month Symposium to be held on the 4th of March at Afrotopia in Harare. LitFest Harare is an arts and culture organisation. It runs the annual LitFest Harare international literature festival, as well as outreach programmes, workshops and research projects focused on arts and culture development.

By Kudzanai Thondhlana 

The theme for Black History Month 2022 is ‘Black Health and Wellness ’ and the symposium will highlight the contributions of people of African descent to the development of global health and wellness. Through discussions and performances from local and international resource persons, the various challenges, interventions and achievements of black people in cultivating community health and wellness will be explored.

Discussions throughout the day will look at contributions of black medical professionals, how traditional African and alternative medicines play a role, as well how African literature and art contribute to health and wellness.  There will also be a session on community interventions on drug abuse and mental health.

The role of literature and the arts will be a critical consideration throughout the day’s sessions. The keynote presentation will be by Dr Ignatius Mabasa and will evaluate how the Shona novel interrogates health and wellness issues.

Other presenters, panelists and performance artists will be drawn from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswathini, Sierra Leone, the United Kingdom and USA. The symposium will be run both physically and virtually. 

LitFest Harare Festival Director, Chirikure Chirikure, spoke on the importance of such a convening;

“There seems to be a belief that black people lag behind in health and wellness development. However, Africans and people of African descent have been at the forefront of ideas and innovations in these spaces. The Black History Month Symposium will highlight some of these critical contributions, both past and present, as well as showcase community-driven initiatives to current health and wellness challenges.”

The Black History Month Symposium is supported by Africa No Filter.

For more information, contact Zaza Muchemwa on email litfestharare@gmail.com