25th Cascade Festival of African Films

Relevant News: International Year for People of African Descent

The year 2011 has been specified by international organizations as a year to focus more attention on those most vulnerable to racism, racial discrimination, and xenophobia around the world.

The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent. This proclamation seeks to strengthen international action as well as regional and international cooperation for the benefit of people of African descent.

In January 2011, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton mentioned how young Africans are working hard to “build new and better future(s) for themselves.”

For 21 years, our festival’s purpose has been to spread information about and understanding of African people and cultures, including African descendants around the world. CFAF recognizes that people of African descent have, from their arrival in the U.S., resisted and fought against oppression. They have and continue to take specific steps toward self-empowerment and sustaining their cultural integrity.

Although the year is almost over, you can help spread the word about the International Year of People of African Descent, and we can celebrate together. See Black in Latin America for another way to celebrate this history.

US Department of State Fact Sheet