–Eteh-Benissan, T; Pánsá Pánsá Forum Attendee
“The event to me was really great. Although I missed the portion where the panel specifically expressed their experiences with their parents, I did like how the discussion flowed afterwards. When it was getting off topic, both you and your panelists made sure to keep each conversation on track. I do think the panel was effective in getting parents to see where us children are coming from. I also liked the fact that issues affecting us as kids in relation to parenting were also spoken about, specifically the issue of mental health and incarceration.
I would suggest that maybe in the next panel of kids speaking to the parents, you get younger panelists as well as the age group that you already had. Having at least one perspective in the high school setting is very helpful because there is so much that actually happens to us in those years that we aren’t really able to identify as issues until after the fact. It also allows parents to have the space to listen to their child as the issues occur, as opposed to them finding out when their child is an adult and not under their direct care. And By maintaining older panelists, they’d be able to provide insight onto the experience of the younger panelists, since they may have the right vocabulary to describe it. I know in high school there were a lot of things I noticed and experienced that I didn’t have the language to describe. It was only afterwards I learned the proper terms for things.
Otherwise, the event was amazing and I really hope I can make the next one.”
– Gloria Mesa; Pánsá Pánsá Forum Attendee
“I met Ms. Kemi Seriki about four months ago at a monthly meeting with African Communities Together. Our initial conversation was passionate, positive and liberating. She informed me about Pansa Pansa Forum and immediately I knew that I wanted to be involved with this project. It was a wonderful opportunity being a part of the planning committee for Pansa Pansa. I learned a lot throughout the entire process of assisting with the planning of this event.
I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation that took place; it was refreshing to hear stories from all of the panelist who participated. It was a safe space to talk about a lot of taboo topics that comes from being an African immigrant living in America. One of my favorite part of the event was networking amongst my peers, I met so many great individuals that I see myself building lifelong friendships with. Pansa Pansa was created for a reason and I am looking forward to more events in the near future.
With love,
Gloria Mesa”
-Baaba Abaka-Yanson; Pánsá Pánsá Forum Attendee
“As part of the organizing team of the Pánsá Pánsá forum, I witnessed the care, thoughtfulness, and dedication that was poured into the event. Still, I was blown away by the event’s success. As one would imagine, the success of an event like that depends on the willingness of the panelists to open up about their experience, the openness of the youth in the audience to contribute their own opinions, and the ability of older folks to receive those experiences and opinions without judgment or indignation. Thus, while I had faith that the work invested in the event would pay off, I was uncertain as to how the different groups present would interact.
At the end of the event, I stood laughing with one of the parents with whom I disagreed with on the topic of who is primarily responsible for the positive changes in the African household. I posited that the boldness and success with which African children are forging paths outside the prescribed career choices of medicine, law, and engineering have convinced African parents that there are other version of success that do not necessarily involve those careers. He believed that I was overlooking the agency parents possess to understand and support the unconventional career aspirations of their children. In the end, we concluded that parents and children have equal parts to play in alleviating the pressure many African youth face to bend themselves into uncomfortable shapes just to fit into a narrow mold of success. Standing in the middle of the event space, laughing with various parents, the essence of the Pánsá Pánsá forum and Aunty Kemi’s vision came into clear focus for me. The goal is to boldly confront misunderstandings relating to the disparate experiences of African immigrant parents and their Americanized children. Engaging in healthy dialogue allows us to sit through the discomfort of these misunderstandings and process the ugly emotions that may arise so that we can begin to strengthen bonds within our community.
By the end of the forum, my uncertainty about how the different groups at the event would engage had completely dissipated. Pánsá Pánsá forum creates a safe space where everyone can express themselves without judgement. True to that mission, the young people present shared their experiences while recognizing that their parents’ actions, regardless of their outcomes, were always driven by love for them. Likewise, the older generation did not invalidate the difficult realities of the youth regardless of whether they believed that African parents had some culpability in shaping those difficult realities. I thoroughly enjoyed the event and look forward to more productive dialogue between the older and younger African generations!”
– Baaba Abaka-Yankson
-Saadjo Sow; Pánsá Pánsá Forum Attendee
“The Pánsá Pánsá Forum event on August 3rd, 2019 highlighted the challenges and successes facing African youth and their parents. The panelists consisted of young African professionals and students who shared their experiences attending school in the U.S. while negotiating their passions/interests as well as their cultural, racial and religious identities within and outside their home environment. The open Q&A veered towards the voices of parents who emphasized how their upbringings differed from that of their children, hence influencing their perceptions on how to best raise their children in a new environment. Some parents further mentioned the growing changes in their parenting approaches such as being supportive of their children following unconventional career paths. Overall, the Pánsá Pánsá Forum held much needed dialogues surrounding parent-child relationships in the African community and pointed to areas of improvement in terms of developing mutual understanding between parents and their children. Such forums are vital to creating and fostering spaces that encourage necessary conversations and communications between various parties. Ms. Kemi Seriki’s initiative is indeed a beautiful vision and I look forward to assisting with future forums and more youth and adults participating.”
-Saadjo Sow