5 STEPS TO BECOMING PAN AFRICAN

1. Learn about African history and culture: Becoming Pan African means understanding the history and culture of Africa. This includes learning about African civilizations, traditional religions, and the current political and social situation. It means picking books to read that will provide a wide perspective of Africa and its civilizations. A wonderful place to find books written by members of the African Diaspora which covers a wide range of subjects is Pan- African Connection: Bookstore and Resource Center.

2. Connect with African communities: Connect with African-based organizations and individuals that are working towards Pan Africanism. This could include attending lectures, joining discussion groups, or volunteering with African-focused organizations. A wonderful place to start is to visit local (to you) churches within the African Diaspora. The goal is unification amongst our people, so we must go where there are many Africans of the Diaspora.

3. Support African businesses and products: Supporting African businesses and products is a key step towards becoming a Pan Africanist. Buy African-made goods and services and support African entrepreneurs. There are multiples ways to locate African businesses. There is We Buy Black, Black Enterprise, Topicals, Kinky Curly Yaky, and many more. Be sure to connect with other Black Businesses on social media platforms. Also, a simple targeted Google search will provide loads more information.

4. Educate others: Educate others about African history and culture, the importance of Pan Africanism, and ways to support the African continent. This could include writing articles, blogging, or giving lectures on the subject. You don't have to be a teacher to teach. You don't have to have multiple degrees. Just share your knowledge. Plus, listen, learn, and engage.

5. Participate in African-focused initiatives: Participate in initiatives that are in line with Pan Africanism, such as campaigns to address poverty, inequality, and injustice. This could involve joining protests, rallies, or other forms of activism. Unfortunately, everyone within the African Diaspora is facing injustice. There are plenty of organizations such as the African Union, NAACP, and the Pan African Council that we can become involved in to unite our people and to build Africa and the African Diaspora based upon the needs of our own people and not those that would seek to drain Africa of its resources.

Bonus...Targeted Google search: Pan African Organizations in America