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At African Network Television (ANTV), My Africa is Your Africa! ANTV is Africa’s First Global TV Network, the Only Place for all Persons of African Descent from around the world. 

African Network Television broadcasts globally from Gainesville Florida, United States featuring breaking news from across the African continent and lively discussion on current affairs, politics, health, money, cultural lifestyle reflecting the global African experience for all people of African descent.

ANTV bridges current media gap on Africa through trustworthy and reliable Africans led discussion on Africa; by engaging Africans in reshaping Africa’s image and by making it possible for Africans to take a lead in telling Africa’s story.
With enormous natural economic wealth and the abundance of numerous untapped resources, ANTV sheds unprecedented spotlight on Africa’s role on the global future while portraying the numerous highly skilled people of African descent that are crafting the global economic future.

ANTV Network provides reliable central platform for serious conversations on real issues, prospects, challenges, and concerns of both the continent of Africa and all people of its descent.

ANTV’s core audience spans the globe, and includes all people of African descent, foreign investors to Africa, and members of general public with interests on Africa and its beautiful culture.

African Network Television – ANTV visions

“a new Africa”

African Network TV is Africa’s first global TV network; the #1 place for reaching all people of African descent. 

At ANTV, my Africa is your Africa!

ANTV mission is clear and specific; as Africa’s first global TV network and the only place for reaching all people of African descent. ANTV missions are as follows:

To provide a global media platform for Africa’s affairs and concerns of all people of African descent.

To bridge the current Africa’s media gap through trustworthy and reliable African – led discussion on Africa.

To illuminate self-perspectives of Africans by re-engaging and educating the world about the real Africa.

To provide a reliable platform for serious conversation on real issues, prospects, and challenges of Africa and all people of its descent.

To re-brand Africa by shedding unprecedented spotlight on Africa’s role on the global future; and highly skilled Africans who crafting global future.

To showcase the cultural richness and uniqueness of the great continent of Africa and its people.

To widen global market horizons for investors with Africa’s interest by highlighting the abundant untapped resources and opportunities the continent possess.     

Why advertise  globally with ANTV

There are many reasons why ANTV stands out in its industry. We are proud of our service because we believe in nothing but excellent. Our partners that advertise with ANTV enjoy global name recognition secondary to unique market penetration of ANTV branding to Africa and beyond. We are committed to helping to expand the market horizons for business with Africa’s interest whether within or outside of the continent; and we take pride in surpassing customer expectations.

For more...https://www.africannetworktv.com/ 

The “Forgotten Communities Program’ is the cornerstone of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute and the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc.  The program is a major program under the National Cultural Heritage Initiative and serves as the catalyst for the promotion and marketing of the culture, heritage and the communities of people of African Descent. 
 
The program was created and developed to support the efforts of chambers of commerce, economic and community development entities address economic and job creation issues in disadvantaged communities.    The leadership at the local level is comprised of entrepreneurs, artist, educators, government, and community activists/leaders.  The goal by all is to access the viability of creating a tourism destination, by establishing an arts cluster as an attraction.  Art that focuses on the cultural history and people of the city and community, told in paint, with emphasis on faith and tradition.  
 
The program has proved itself as very successful and has allowed an industry to take hold and renewed interest in historic Black communities.  With the support of talented painters and performing artists, the program has been able to spiritually recapture the people’s memories and visions and dreams of the people that resided there, outside of the view of mainstream America.  Forgotten Communities is not Black Art, it is a spiritual movement, to showcase a people of dignity and neighborhoods that are a part of us.  Only through the arts, can the spiritual moment and importance of a culture be recreated and conveyed to another culture.
 
The Forgotten Communities Program is a ‘call to all artists’, particularly those of African descent, to begin painting their visions and memories of their culturally significant and historic communities.  The National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center was created to allow those images to be shared with the world and rekindle an interest in these forgotten communities.  The knowledge required to sustain the community and help it grow is provided by the research and teaching of the fellows and members of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute.

The National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center and the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute are poised to share their knowledge and resources to assist in ultimate goal being to create artistic images and performances that will cause a nation to think and consider redeveloping these cultural treasures for future generations reeducate others and ourselves on the value and importance of our culture in America and the Diaspora.

Our Faith-Based Initiative

FAITH, CULTURE, And HERITAGE​

'Honoring The Green Book'

Victor Hugo Green (November 9, 1892 - aft. 1964? ) was a Harlem, New York, postal employee and civic leader. He was the creator of an African American travel guide known as The Green Book. It was first published as The Negro Motorist Green Book and later as The Negro Travelers' Green Book. The books were published from 1936 to 1964. He reviewed hotels and restaurants that did business with African Americans during the time of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the United States. Green used postal workers as guides to tell him: Well, here's a good place here, a good place there. And, of course, as you travel, people picked up things and told him things.

He printed 15,000 copies each year. The Negro Motorist Green Book was a publication released in 1936 that served as a guide for African-American travelers. Because of the racist conditions that existed from segregation, blacks needed a reference manual to guide them to integrated or black-friendly establishments. That’s when they turned to “The Negro Motorist Green Book: An International Travel Guide” by a Harlem postal employee and civic leader named Victor H. Green and presented by the Esso Standard Oil Company. Originally provided to serve Metropolitan New York, the book received such an alarming response, it was spread throughout the country within one year.  The catch phrase was “Now we can travel without embarrassment.”
 
The Green Book often provided information on local tourist homes, which were private residences owned by blacks and open to travelers. It was especially helpful to blacks that traveled through sunset towns or towns that publicly stated that blacks had to leave the town by sundown or it would be cause for arrest. Also listed were hotels, barbershops, beauty salons, restaurants, garages, liquor stores, ball parks and taverns. It also provided a listing of the white-owned, black-friendly locations for accommodations and food.

The publication was free, with a 10-cent cost of shipping. As interest grew, the Green Book solicited salespersons nationwide to build its ad sales.   Inside the pages of the Green Book were action photos of the various locations, along with historical and background information for the readers’ review. Although Victor Green’s initial edition only encompassed metropolitan New York, the “Green Book” soon expanded to Bermuda (white dinner jackets were recommended for gentlemen), Mexico and Canada. The 15,000 copies Green eventually printed each year were sold as a marketing tool not just to black-owned businesses but to the white marketplace, implying that it made good economic sense to take advantage of the growing affluence and mobility of African Americans. Esso stations, unusual in franchising to African Americans, were a popular place to pick one up.

Within the pages of the introduction, the guide states:  “There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published.  That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States .”

The National Cultural HeritageTourism Center, Inc

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"The Entertainer"

​"The Negro traveler's inconveniences are many and they are increasing because today so many more are traveling, individually and in groups."

-Wendell P. Alston

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"Promoting Cultural Commerce throughout the  Global Marketplace”

The Florida Black Chamber was organized in 2004 as a ‘State Chamber’, with the mission of supporting the economic development platform of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Incorporated, Washington, D.C.; and to act as a resource for minority chambers and economic development organizations in the State of Florida. 

The Florida Black Chamber’s primary focus is to be an advocate for Pan African American businesses and communities.  All effort is placed on accurately marketing, advertising, and promoting the culture and heritage of African Americans and seeking opportunities for minority-owned businesses and chamber members, by involving the community, as a whole in our efforts. No resource or relationship is discarded in the Florida Black Chamber’s effort to create jobs and business opportunities. A Pan African and global cultural marketing strategy enhances the success opportunities for all chamber members.  We are the Pan African Cultural Heritage Market Place.  
 
Proven Research: The Florida Black Chamber organized around the proven research of how customers search for products and services and how they enter into the global marketplace.  As a result of those findings, a collaborative effort was established that led to the creation of portals and relationships to address disparity issues that inhibited economic growth and business development.  These disparities show up as indicators of poverty and are also used to measure prosperity.  Few organizations have the mandate to measure both.

Problem Solver:  The Florida Black Chamber reorganized, formed partnerships, and created entities that will effectively address poverty, disparities, and assist in creating wealth by educating our members and the communities we serve about proven economic development methods, procedures, and processes.  We designed our departments within the chamber to be resources, based on the cultural traditions and habits of our society.  Our focus on addressing the needs of our members and partners, from the economic principle of “Cultural Commerce”, led to the Chamber organizational structure and creating an alliance that will continue to foster “Cultural Commerce, Influence and Knowledge”: 

Partnering:  The Florida Black Chamber of Commerce seeks partnerships with state, corporate, non-profit, and businesses that sincerely want to partner.  Only with our state’s combined resources and knowledge, can the causes of disparity and poverty be eradicated and the middle class expanded in all communities.  We believe by focusing on our cultural heritage and the assets within our own communities, we as a people can move forward and develop a new leadership base that will guarantee our future prosperity.   Together with the assets of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Alliance and other partners, the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce is confident that improvements can be made in the economic and social welfare of all of Florida’s citizens.  We encourage you to become a partner by joining us as a member!   All Cultures are welcome!!  

The Art of Faith Network

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Our Pan African Patriarch

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'The Pan African Trail'

Africa - Europe - Caribbean -  South America - Central America -  North America

'The Southern Cultural Heritage Trail'
Alabama – Arkansas – Florida - Georgia - Kentucky - Louisiana - Mississippi - North Carolina

South Carolina - Tennessee - Texas - Virginia 

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Gateway Countries to Gateway Cities (GC to GC) effectively applies time-tested cultural principles that produce optimum socio-economic development in the "New and Old Worlds".  Similar to the Marco Polo era and other historical examples, GC to GC recognized the cultural and heritage routes of the "Old and New Worlds" are as the roots of the "New Marketplace".  Gateway Countries to Gateway Cities supports the idea that the "New Marketplace" will currently thrive best in the "New World".  Nevertheless, it promotes and celebrates the "New Marketplace" globally through the formation of strategic socio-economic linkages with countries in both the "New World" and the "Old World".  Of significance, it recognizes Europe and African countries; as important Gateways to the heritage routes of the New World, via the Caribbean, and Florida, the "Gateway State".

Based in the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, the Gateway Countries to Gateway Cities:

1. Establishes Gateway Trade, Travel and Transformation Centers to promote effective socio-economic development perspectives for individual, organizational and community development, including community-based socio-economic development

2.  Assists Chambers of Commerce to become more effective in reaching deeper and more broadly into the marketplace by creating within each chamber a Culture, Commerce and Community identity that integrates different socio-economic perspectives" 

3.  Uses cultural explanations to describe the physical and spiritual resources of the "New World" and the "New Marketplace" thereby assisting individuals and organizations to more easily capitalize on the available wealth in their culture and heritage.

4.  Designs and implements tourism packages for greater experiences of the "New Marketplace and the "New World" and focuses on developing new attitudes and improving relationships by "taking" individuals and organizations back to the "Old World" through Ghana and "The Joseph Project".

The "New Marketplace" or knowledge economy is a physical representation of a spiritual world we are now beginning to discover. Some of us increasingly comprehend that the rules governing the Spiritual World are the same as those that guide the "New Marketplace". Just as the spiritual world is deeply influenced by our attitudes and our relationships; likewise, success in the "New Marketplace" is largely dependent on our renewed commitment to improving our attitudes and building great relationships. Attitude will indeed determine altitude in the "New Marketplace".

Information and knowledge will only be utilized properly when we gain a thorough understanding of culture in the "New and Old Worlds". Likewise, the information and knowledge economy will only realize its maximum value when we achieve an intelligent understanding of Spirit in the Spiritual World. The degree to which we develop culturally is the exact degree to which our physical and Spiritual Worlds develop.

The Pan African American Cultural Heritage Market Place (The Market Place) is designed to celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Pan Africa and to connect businesses and prospective clients.  The Pan African American Market Place is the cornerstone of the ‘Pan African Cultural Heritage Initiative’, whose ultimate goal is to rebuild Pan African communities and villages and create wealth and jobs, through the promotion of our businesses, culture, and heritage to the Global Market Place.  The Market Place has also partnered with the National Black Business Support Corporation to facilitate Access to Capital and the National Black Tourism Marketing Corporation to enhance marketing.  Access to Capital and Marketing are the weakness of all micro-enterprise and cultural businesses.

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"THE PAN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE INITIATIVE"

“Culture is one of the most important levers to pull in order to rehabilitate and relaunch an economy; It also provides direction.”  Aminata Traorẻ

Sharing “Our Cultural Knowledge and Experiences” in the areas of Commerce, Culture, Community, Education, Influence, Knowledge, and Faith; via established business, educational, social and tourism networks.  The ultimate goal being to “Rebuild and Connect” the global people of PAN AFRICA, via the technology platforms of the internet and to use proven Cultural Economics and Heritage Tourism programs to  develop Forgotten Communities, foster prosperity through business growth and job creation; and to  facilitate cultural exchanges  and services with other members of the African Diaspora, in partnership with the Pan African Cultural Heritage Alliance.

The Florida Black Chamber presents:

The Pan African Cultural Heritage Alliance

Purpose Driven: Business, Diversity and Inclusion in the Commerce, Culture, Community, Education, Influence, Knowledge & Faith.

Black Heritage Trails Portraying Cultural Journeys of Individuals, Organizations and Communities throughout the Americas and the World the BLACK HERITAGE TRAILS:

They are journeys by Black People in pursuit of the universal dream of fulfillment of individual, organizational and community life. They are adventurous expeditions of discoveries: discoveries of self and of a far greater organizational and community life than was ever dreamt. The Trails chronicle the cultural history of Blacks in their heroic efforts to build an individual, organizational and a community life out of the meager resources, both physical and spiritual, given to them by the traditional cultures in which they found themselves. 

There are those who choose to view these circumstances as a great misfortune and there are those who consider themselves fortunate and seek only to realize the benefits of the Heritage Trails: what they have taught us, what they offer us now and what lies in store for us, up ahead.The Heritage Trails are uniquely exciting routes of cultural explorations and cultural discoveries. The journey along the Trails has no beginning that anyone knows of and no ending that we can speak about. The journey is a process, a metaphor for life and living that offers the possibility of a new and improved socio-economic growth initiative never before seen in the history of the world. The journey along the Trails provides opportunities to demonstrate the process of development in individual, organizational and community life in low-income communities, small towns, cities and countries all over the world. 

The Black Heritage Trails, wherever they exist, can revitalize culture and commerce in unique ways. They demonstrate how Blacks can utilize their resources (whatever they may be) and the finer aspects of the traditional culture to gain a more rewarding balance of individual, organizational and community life. They graphically show how a culturally diverse people, speaking different languages, practicing different customs, un-welcomed strangers in often very strange lands, physically and spiritually trapped on the one hand by slavery and oppression and freed on the other by a fervent belief in the best of the world’s traditions, forged (and are still forging) a path that is a living testament to the power of a greater vision.

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Are 'We' Welcome!?

‘Art, Food & Music’
2014 First Settlement Children's Arts Festival

Pan African American Travel Club

Our Mission:

Click the link below and
​Visit 'The Pan African American Travel Club' portal.

Cultural Heritage Tourism and the Arts

Culture, heritage and the arts have long appealed to tourist and contributed to their selections of tourism destinations. In recent years ‘culture’ has been rediscovered as an important marketing tool to attract travelers with special interests in culture, heritage and the arts.

Cultural heritage tourism is the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry. There is a trend and need for travelers to enrich their lives with new cultural experiences. This is evident in the rise in the volume of tourists who seek their heritage, cultural - related experiences and adventures.

We Support the work of:

'Commerce - Culture- Community - Education - Influence - Knowledge - Faith'

Our Marketing and Advertising Partners

• Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.​
  

           www.floridablackchamber.com

• ​​National Black Business Support Corporation (Inc)
  

           https://www.nbbsc.org

• National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc. 
  

           https://www.nationalculturalheritagetourismcenter.com​

• Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Inc. 
  

           www.panafricanchi.org

• National Asset Building Coalition, Inc. 
  

           www.natlassetbldgcoalition.com    ​​

• National For Artist - By Artist Society                                 
  

           www.fabaarts.org

Pan Africa!

Our Research Model

The Belmont De Villiers Research Project

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Join the Cultural Heritage Movement!  Market, Advertise, and Promote your business in the:“PAN AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE MARKETPLACE”

The National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center was created to market and promote cultural heritage and tourism destinations of interest to people of African Descent. The Center markets, advertise and promotes historical communities, major attractions, tourism-related businesses, and cultural arts and entertainment venues. 

In honor of "The Green Book", information is also provided to serve the unique cultural needs of the Diaspora. The National Cultural Heritage Society and its local community-based affiliates serve as cultural heritage tourism ambassadors, preservationist, and educational advocates. The ultimate goal being the preservation of our past and the education of future generations concerning our culture, our heritage, and our traditions, by celebrating via the arts!! ​

For more.....www.nationalculturalheritagetourismcenter.com

​​We are ‘Florida’s’ Advocates for the PAN AFRICAN AMERICAN Culture!  Dedicated to promoting Pan African  Culture, Heritage, and its economic diversity and opportunities to ‘New World Market Place’, the diaspora of PAN AFRICA!

Florida has the most diverse Pan African population in the United States.  People of African Descent from Africa, Europe, The Caribbean, South and Central America, have made Florida their home.  African Americans from every state have migrated to Florida, bringing the unique blend of their culture, customs and traditions, and integrated them into the Cultural Gumbo Pot of FLORIDA.

The Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. and its affiliates and partners have united to promote “OUR” Great State and have enlisted other organizations to join our network to foster the development of a Pan African American Cultural Economics Infrastructure to promote Florida and the businesses and communities associated with the African Culture to the Global Market Place, to include partnering with cities across the Southern Region of the United States for the benefit of all members of the culture that have suffered from neglect, evidenced by disparity across all areas of  economic, statistical and analytical  measurements.

• Pan African American Cultural Heritage Market Place -  ​https://www.paachmp.com
  
• Art & Entertainment Network​ - https://www.culturalartnetwork.org
  
• Faith!​ - https://www.faithcommunitynetwork.org 
  
• Pan African American Travel Club - https://panafricanamericantravel.net

African Diaspora

Tourism & 'Travel'

Our Inspiration

The Pan African and National Cultural Heritage Tourism & Travel Project

"Continuing the ‘works’ of the Green-Book!"

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The Cultural Heritage Traveler

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Art & Entertainment

Network E-Magazine

The Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. presents:

The Pan African Cultural Heritage Initiative

The Pan African Cultural Heritage Alliance.
Corporation’s Websites:

The Collective Empowerment Group, Inc. (CEG), formerly the Collective Banking Group, Inc. (CBG), was formed in 1993 as a result of concerns raised by pastors and church members in Prince Georges County and the Metropolitan D.C. area regarding inequitable access to services provided by local banks and businesses.  Churches were faced with severe challenges due to redlining and other questionable practices.

In 2010, the Board and member pastors reflected on the evolution of the CBG.  Over the years the organization had become a national faith-based community economic empowerment group, still advocating just treatment from banks…and much more. By unanimous decision of the Board, the Collective Banking Group became the Collective Empowerment Group, with increased focus on financial literacy, education, healthcare, home ownership preservation, public safety and public policy. The new name demonstrates the CEG’s expanded role in “building a healthy and empowered church, people and community.” 

MISSION STATEMENT

A Christian ministry, in covenant relationship with member churches, and partnership
with financial institutions, businesses, and other organizations for community empowerment.

VISION STATEMENT

To collectively empower under served communities

The Cultural Heritage e-Museum also promotes festivals and other events associated with the De Villiers Cultural Heritage Society and the arts, to include the showcasing of local and  national  blues, gospel and jazz artists. The primary concern being the creation and promotion of a ‘Gathering Place’ that will focus on the culture, music, arts and history of  Pensacola's African American Community.

“If we just build our businesses and only
 do business with each other, we not only
 will survive but prosper.”      

​Estevanico - 'The Moor'
The Americas' Greatest African Explorer

The “Forgotten Communities Program’ was created as a community based project to support talented painters and performing artists to re-capture the spirituality and dignity of "Ordinary People"  who once, and now, inhabit cultural and historic communities that are neglected by mainstream society.  Only through the arts, can the spiritual moment and importance of a culture be recreated and conveyed to another culture.  The Forgotten Communities Program is a call to all artists, particularly those of African descent, to begin painting their visions and memories of their culturally historic communities and share them with their people and the world.  The ultimate goal of the project was, to create a cultural image for future generations; and to educate others on the value and importance of our culture to America and the Diaspora. The program supports the National Cultural Heritage Initiative created to develop a national tourism and travel network that will promote the culture and heritage of People of African descent in the United States of America.

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The clustering of cultural businesses is our tradition.  Our ancestors and all cultures created the Market Place by clustering businesses to serve the cultural and communal needs of the people in the region.  Clustering also produces other business opportunities.  Most importantly, it creates wealth and jobs.  The Pan African American Cultural Heritage Market Place serves the cultural needs of a global people, Pan Africans.

The Pan African American Cultural Heritage Market Place is a cultural business cluster, not unlike a China Town.  The Market Place will consistently strive to become the NEW WORLD MARKETPLACE; to showcase the products and services of our affiliate members, and increase the business opportunities for our members, by marketing their products and service to the African Diaspora across the globe.  Our network of partners includes our Chambers of Commerce, the National Black Tourism Marketing Corporation, and Pan African entrepreneurs and Sponsors.

Our desire will always be to educate, connect national and global communities, and to create jobs and opportunities for our members and international affiliates. The Pan African American Cultural Heritage Initiative Partners and Sponsors are: the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Inc., the National Black Business Support Corporation, the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc., The African Diaspora Tourism Magazine, and the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., Washington, D.C.

The De Villiers Cultural Heritage e-Museum is a tourism marketing development project in support of the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Initiative. The Initiative is under the management of the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.  The e-Museum is duplicatable and is provided as a template to encourage other communities to partner and create "Cultural Heritage Societies" promoting their historic communities and tourism related activities in partnership with the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc. at www.nchtc.com.  In addition to the e-Museum and Cultural Heritage Societies Program, other major related projects include the National Arts & Entertainment Network, National Cultural Heritage Guides, The Forgotten Communities Program, Tourism & Travel Clubs and the Rebuilding the Walls Program.

Queen Nzinga (Nzinga Mbande), the monarch of the Mbundu people, was a resilient leader who fought against the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in Central Africa.
 
During the late 16th Century, the French and the English threatened the Portuguese near monopoly on the sources of slaves along the West African coast, forcing it to seek new areas for exploitation.  By 1580 they had already established a trading relationship with Afonso I in the nearby Kongo Kingdom. They then turned to Angola, south of the Kongo.
 
The Portuguese established a fort and settlement at Luanda in 1617, encroaching on Mbundu land.  In 1622 they invited Ngola (King) Mbande to attend a peace conference there to end the hostilities with the Mbundu.  Mbande sent his sister Nzinga to represent him in a meeting with Portuguese Governor Joao Corria de Sousa.  Nzinga was aware of her diplomatically awkward position.  She knew of events in the Kongo which had led to Portuguese domination of the nominally independent nation.  She also recognized, however, that to refuse to trade with the Portuguese would remove a potential ally and the major source of guns for her own state.
 
In the first of a series of meetings, Nzinga sought to establish her equality with the representative of the Portugal crown.  Noting that the only chair in the room belonged to Governor Corria, she immediately motioned to one of her assistants who fell on her hands and knees and served as a chair for Nzinga for the rest of the meeting.  
 
Despite that display, Nzinga made accommodations with the Portuguese.  She converted to Christianity and adopted the name, Dona Anna de Souza.  She was baptized in honor of the governor's wife who also became her godmother.  Shortly afterward Nzinga urged a reluctant Ngola Mbande to order the conversion of his people to Christianity.
 
In 1626 Nzinga became Queen of the Mbundu when her brother committed suicide in the face of rising Portuguese demands for slave trade concessions.  Nzinga, however, refused to allow them to control her nation.  In 1627, after forming alliances with former rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese, initiating a thirty-year war against them.  She exploited European rivalry by forging an alliance with the Dutch who had conquered Luanda in 1641. With their help, Nzinga defeated a Portuguese army in 1647.  When the Dutch were in turn defeated by the Portuguese the following year and withdrew from Central Africa, Nzinga continued her struggle against the Portuguese.  Now in her 60s she still personally led troops in battle.   She also orchestrated guerilla attacks on the Portuguese which would continue long after her death and inspire the ultimately successful 20th Century armed resistance against the Portuguese that resulted in independent Angola in 1975.
 
Despite repeated attempts by the Portuguese and their allies to capture or kill Queen Nzinga, she died peacefully in her eighties on December 17, 1663.
 

We celebrate all cultural and historic churches over one hundred years old.  African American churches have served to provide African American people with leadership positions and opportunities to organize that were denied in mainstream American society. Because of this, African American pastors became the bridge between the African American and European American communities and thus played a crucial role in the American Civil Rights Movement! Although African American neighborhoods may suffer from civic disinvestment with lower quality schools, less effective policing, and fire protection, there are institutions such as churches and museums and political organizations that help to improve the physical and social capital of African American neighborhoods. In African American neighborhoods the churches may be important sources of social cohesion. For some African Americans the kind spirituality learned through these churches works as a protective factor against the corrosive forces of racism. Museums devoted to African American History are also found in many African American neighborhoods, and are often located in historical churches.

Our Historic Preservation

The Forgotten Communities Program

"Culture is one of the most important levers to pull in order to rehabilitate and re-launch an economy; 

It also provides direction.” 

Aminata Traorẻ

Music, Food, Festivals and the Arts...

Played There!!

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E-Magazines

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Pan African American MarketPlace

Celebrating Our Roots

THE BLACK HERITAGE TRAILS: CELEBRATING OUR ROUTE (ROOT)

​Queen NZinga Mbande

Africa's Greatest Queen

Our Mission:

The Pan African American Travel Club celebrates the culture and history of the people of the African Diaspora. The African Diaspora being defined as people of African descent in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, South America, Central America, and North America. The Pan African American Travel Club was developed to educate, assist and encourage cultural heritage travelers to explore the rich and vibrant cultures of Pan Africa! The Art, the Food, and the Music are unequal in there creativity and excellence! Go See Pan Africa!!

'The Pan African American Travel Club', a Travel & Lifestyle advocate (TLA), has partnered with Travel 10 to provide wholesale pricing on hotel and resorts around the world to our travelers.  As well as,  wholesale access to discounts and cash back opportunities on everyday purchases.

The first historically significant slave in what would become the United States was Estevanico, a Moroccan  slave and member of the Narvaez Expedition in 1528 and acted as a guide on Fray Marcos de Niza’s expedition to find the Seven Cities of Gold in 1539. Estevanico became the first person from Africa known to have set foot in the present continental United States. 
 
Estevanico; also known as Estevan, Esteban, Estebanico, Black Stephen, and Stephen the Moor,  was born in Azamor, Morocco around the year 1500. In 1513, the Portuguese took control of this area. When they fell on hard times during a drought in the early 1520s, the Portuguese started selling Moroccans as slaves to European customers. Estevanico was sold to Andres de Dorantes. Estévanico was fluent in many languages spoken in Spain, including Arabic, Spainish, Berber, and Portuguese.  This ability allowed Estevanico and Andres de Dorantes to develop a very positive relationship, and the two were said to be friends. 

Dorantes dreamed of sailing to the New World and he sought to take Estevanico with him.  Estevanico was raised as a Muslim, but because Spain did not allow non-Catholics to travel to the new world, Estevanico was converted to Roman Catholicism. In 1527, Dorantes signed them up to join an expedition organized by Pánfilo de Narváez to conquer the unexplored territory between Florida and Mexico, along the Gulf of Mexico. Narváez had twenty years of experience in conquering Mexico, and Spain had just appointed him Governor of the unconquered Florida. Hurricanes caused the crew to spend the winter in Cuba until they recouped and could travel safely. After more severe weather, on April 12, 1528, Dorante and Estévanico landed on the shores on Florida with more than three hundred other men, including Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca and Alonso del Castillo Maldondo. They landed just north of Tampa Bay.  

Narváez and his crew were given many gifts and food by the first natives they met. Feeling confident, he set out to claim the land with a compliment of three hundred men and 40 horses. After three months of traveling in hostile land and encountering hostile natives, they arrived in Aute, with no sign of their ships. With disease and desperation running high, the leaders became determined to see civilization again and set out to build five watercrafts. After six weeks, they had eaten all of their horses and on September 22, 1528 loaded fifty men on each barge and set sail, near what is now Apalachiiocola. Two days later, Estévanico's company was left with nothing but maize and water held in bags made of rotting horse skins.  Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca wrote of this journey, "So great is the power of need that it brought us to venture out into such a troublesome sea in this manner, and without any among us having the least knowledge of the art of navigation." The men all tried to keep their boats within sight of land.   On October 27, 1528, the explorers landed in what would become American First Settlement, Pensacola, Florida.  They were greeted by friendly natives and traded all their corn for fresh water and seafood.   They were allowed to stay the night and invited them to sleep in a lodge house of 300 men.  After an altercation the Spanish explorers were forced to leave Pensacola the following morning, October 28,1528.  The men drifted for several days and eventually  were caught off-guard by the strong currents at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Slowly, the boats separated and disappeared from the sight of each other. Governor Narváez’s boat drifted out into the Gulf of Mexico and become lost. 

Dorantes' boat eventually capsized near what is now Galveston, Texas; where they joined the group led by Cabeza de Vaca . The combined group numbered 80 .  In de Vaca ‘s journal , he recorded that the Native Indians felt so sorry for the miserable crew that they wept. In a relationship balancing between pity and fear, the men spent the winter on the island they named Malhado (Misfortune).  After the winter ended, only 15 men were left.  It was reported that a group of Spaniards committed the  horror of cannibalism in the presence of the natives. 

In April 1529, Estévanico, Dorante and Castillo gathered the survivors from their original group and left Cabeza de Vaca's company behind. The Natives in the area accepted the men, but eventually enslaved them for more than five years. During this time, five men died from trying to escape, while more died from disease and hunger. 

By 1534, only four were alive: Estevanico, Dorantes, Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca and Alonso del Castillo Maldonado. (The most famous of those is Cabeza de Vaca, whose writings are an important source of information on the Americans of the 16th century.)  In 1535, they finally escaped and interacted with other natives to survive.  They used their healing skills to befriend them. This was not a skill of science, but herbal medicine and prayer. Estevanico soon gained the reputation as a healer and was called upon to heal everything from headaches to people near death. Not only did this make them friends with the locals, but also it ensured their survival and created a reputation that opened up the opportunity for travel again. Estévanico also helped the group with his ability to learn more than six Indian languages. The Spaniards wanted to maintain their mystique and authority, so Estévanico was constantly among the Indians acting as ambassador for the group. 

With the aide of thousands of Indians, they made their way west by way of the Rio Grande, Presidio, and crossing into Mexico at what is now El Paso. They were nicknamed ""children of the sun" by the Indians, because the men traveled from east to west. Because their reputation was so great, when a patient died, the people assumed the fault was with the patient. In May of 1536, they arrived at San Miguel de Culiacan (Sinaloa, Mexico).  In July, they arrived in Mexico City,  the four survivors told stories of wealthy indigenous tribes to the North and this created great interest in the city.   

While the other three men all returned to Spain, Estevanico was sold to Antonio de Mendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, who used Estevanico as a guide in expeditions to the North.  In 1539, Estevanico was one of four men who accompanied Marcos de Niza as a guide in search of the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, preceding Coronado. Estevanico traveled ahead of the main party with a group of indigenous servants instructed to send back crosses to the main party, with the size of the cross equal to the wealth discovered.

One day, a cross arrived that was as tall as a person causing de Niza to quickly progress forward.   Estevanico’s had entered the Zuni village of Hawikuh (in present-day New Mexico) and for some reason offended the inhabitants so they killed Estevanico and his indigenous servants were sent from the village. De Niza reportedly witnessed the results and quickly returned to New Spain. The exact reason Estevanico was killed is not precisely clear, but accounts suggest the Zuni did not believe his account of representing a party of whites, and further that he was killed because Estevanico was black and wore feathers and rattles, and may have looked like a wizard to the Zuni.  Another theory, published in 2002, claims that Estevanico was not killed by the Zuni, and that he and friends  among the Indians faked his death to achieve his freedom.

'Our Heritage'

Booker T Washington:

"If we just build our businesses and only do business with each other, we not only will survive but prosper."

Programs Websites

Our Cultural Exchange Program

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It is unknown to most Americans that Pensacola is "America's First Settlement" and DeVilliers is the city's most prominent historic black community.  The historic Belmont-De Villiers neighborhood of Pensacola, Florida was used as the modeling platform to unveil the National Forgotten Communities Program to begin the process of capturing the memories of this once proud community. Like so many others, Belmont-De Villiers is a shadow of its previous existence. It's celebrated life all but extinguished by progress and neglect; only kept alive by hardcore believers in an era long past. De Villiers was ripe for development, but lacked a theme to create the new identity.

Pensacola has a unique and untold rich cultural history that was touted by Booker T. Washington as "The Most Progressive City In The South." Belmont DeVilliers was a major entertainment destination on the Chitlin' Circuit.  The community was the location for several major clubs, including the famous 'Abe's 506 Club and the Historic Bunny Club'.  Some of America's greatest entertainers performed in these venues, including Louis Armstrong, James Brown, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, Fats Domino, B.B. King and Sam McClain.  This area is being revitalized and is once again a cultural heritage tourism attraction and is a major asset in the city's tourism marketing program, which makes it an outstanding community based tourism model.

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​Building the power of organized people to do justice

​THE NEW WORLD MARKET PLACE

The Pan African American Cultural Heritage Market Place was created to  PROMOTE  Cultural Businesses

across the Global Market Place

American Educator and Cultural Economist Booker T. Washington once stated:

The Direct Action and Research Training Center, or DART, is a national network of 21 affiliated grassroots, nonprofit, congregation-based community organizations. DART organizations bring people together across racial, religious and socioeconomic lines to pursue justice in their communities. Since 1982, DART has trained over 10,000 community leaders and 150 professional community organizers, who together have won victories on a broad set of issues, including:

• Proven approaches to limit out of school suspensions and juvenile arrests
• Reading instruction and fair suspension policies in public schools
• Multi-million dollar investments in affordable housing
• Massive multi-million dollar expansions of public transportation
• Accessible health care reform in several major metropolitan cities Investment in jobs training and opportunities
• Clean-up of drugs and crime
• Dozens of other issues important to low-income communities

Our Mission Scripture describes a vision for a society where God’s bounty is plentiful and shared by all, and justice flows down like a mighty river. Yet poverty, violence, corruption, and despair plague our cities. As people of faith, God requires us to “do justice,” and redeem fallen systems. DART’s mission is to engage congregations in pursuit of this vision.

Our History: Below you’ll find a timeline, documenting DART from inception to present. As you will see, DART continues to expand to new locations and seeks bright, talented, driven people to contribute to DART’s mission and history, like so many have in the past.

1977 – Rev. Herb White, staff to the United Church Board for Homeland Ministries, United Church of Christ and several local leaders hires John Calkins, DART’s current Executive Director, and founding member, to organize a senior citizens organization in Miami known as Concerned Seniors of Dade. It quickly establishes itself as an organization capable of routinely producing hundreds of people to press city officials around fairness issues concerning seniors:

1980 – A three-day riot erupts in the city of Miami after an all-white jury acquits several white Miami police officers of beating to death Arthur McDuffie, a black insurance salesman. Eighteen people die during the riots and more than $100 million lost in property damage. Leaders from Concerned Seniors of Dade sponsor an organizing drive among African-American congregations throughout Miami, which eventually becomes People United to Lead the Struggle for Equality (PULSE) organization.

1980-85 – Along with winning several local issues related to minority hiring and job creation, PULSE turns its attention to the continued lack of accountability within the Miami police department. Several highly suspicious incidents of police killing African-Americans occur, yet officers are consistently being acquitted of wrongdoing in court. PULSE discovers attorneys are routinely allowed to strike African-Americans from the jury pool without question using what is known as peremptory challenges. PULSE prevails at the state level making it illegal to use peremptory challenges based on race.

1982 – The DART Center is officially incorporated to answer invitations presented by community leaders seeking to build congregation-based community organizations to do justice. The original notion is to build a statewide network of local organizations in Florida. Later, DART accepts invitations to build organizations outside Florida. That same year, DART builds its first official affiliate to the north in Broward County, Florida:

1987-88 – DART assists local leaders in founding an organization in the Hillsborough/Tampa Bay metropolitan region and also a second organization in Miami, Florida.

1989-98 – DART expands rapidly by working with local leaders to build organizations in 8 metropolitan areas including: Florida (Volusia County, Jacksonville, Palm Beach County, Sarasota, Lakeland); Ohio (Columbus, Dayton); and Louisville, Kentucky.

1999 – DART hires a full-time National Training Coordinator, marking a dramatic increase in DART’s capacity to develop organizing skills among local leaders. In time, DART expands its annual training roster to its present schedule including: a Five-Day Orientation Workshop, an annual Clergy Conference, an Advanced Leader Training Institute, as well as, providing regular local training workshops.

2000 – DART accepts an invitation to explore organizing in Virginia where an organization in Richmond is founded.

2001 – DART successfully launches the DART Organizers Institute to identify and train professional community organizers. DART ultimately adds the Organizers Institute as a major element in its annual strategic plan to include aseven month national recruitment search, a two-month interview process, and a four-month intensive initial training followed by two years of on-going advanced training and professional organizer development.

2001-04 DART expands to build organizations in 4 metropolitan areas: Evansville, Indiana; Lexington, Kentucky; St. Petersburg, Florida; and Charlottesville, Virginia.

2006 DART adopts a goal of building steadily growing power among religious congregations to act locally on issues of justice with a combined total turnout of 75,000 people by 2015. That year, DART organizations produce a combined total turnout of 10,901 to fourteen public meetings.

2007 — DART expands to build an organization in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The network of DART-related organizations produces a combined total turnout of 15,897 people to 17 public meetings.

2008 — In keeping with its goal of building a local movement on issues of justice, DART organizations’ ability to organize large numbers of people grows to 20,248 people. The DART network expands with the creation of a sponsoring committee in Lee County, Florida.

2009-2010 — DART organizations continue to chart growth by producing a combined turnout of approximately 24,000 people in 18 cities.

2012 — DART expands to build an organization in Charleston, South Carolina.

What we believe these four core values unite the organizers, clergy, and leaders working to build
congregation-based Justice Ministries throughout the DART network.

We believe in the biblical story of justice.

The biblical story offers abundance, love, hope, promise, and community. In this story, loving God and your neighbor as yourself gives life meaning (Leviticus 19:18 and Luke 10:27). We believe that fighting for justice is fundamental to our identity as people of faith (Micah 6:8 and Matthew 23:23-24).

We stand over and against the “cult of money.”

The cult of money uses consumer culture to promote stories of scarcity, hate, fear, despair, and “me-ism”. In opposition to the biblical story, meaning comes from accumulating more and better “things,” i.e. greed.

We need the power of organized people to win justice (Nehemiah 5).
Through direct action, organized people from a cross-section of faith traditions publicly hold decision-makers accountable on justice issues that affect their communities. We cultivate relationships with people who share the values of abundance, love, hope, and promise. We support one another in this struggle for justice.

We embrace high standards and rigorous accountability because our task is so important.
Those who build the power of organized people are recognized and promoted at all levels in the network. Leaders and staff conduct evaluations to achieve understanding, not to assign blame. Each of us celebrates when another succeeds. We embrace pragmatic, not dogmatic solutions. We are in this work for the long haul.

Faith