International African Arts Festival – Brooklyn Cultural Pride in a Long-Lasting Effect

By Nayaba Arinde
Editor-at-Large
Summer in Brooklyn means the welcome return of the International African Arts Festival, where thousands of participants enjoy 3 days of indulging in the replenishing and rejuvenating cultural event. Their cultural nationalists can revisit the reinforcement of the acceptance of the African Diasporic world contribution to global civilization, arts, and the elements.

The five-decade-long celebration returns to Downtown Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park on July 4th, 2025. “The International African Arts Festival (IAAF) is the nation’s oldest, continuously running, Pan African celebration of music, dance, and culture,” Dr. Segun Shabaka, IAAF Board Director and co-founder, told Our Time Press proudly. “We are celebrating our 54th Year, and we are back again at Commodore Barry Park, where we have been since 2002.”

Some folk fondly remember the then-named African Street Festival held at Principal Frank Mickens’ Bed Stuy Boys and Girls High School. After a multimillion-dollar running track was laid down in the school field, the festival moved to Fulton Street directly outside the school. Later, it was relocated to its current home at Commodore Barry Park.

Dr. Shabaka said that last year, they were told that they had to move the festival because ” the city commissioner of the Parks Department said that the park was being renovated. So, after our 23 years there, we could no longer use the venue. They told us there is no park in Brooklyn that is big enough to hold the festival.”

Not Fort Greene Park, Prospect Park, Linden ‘Sonny Carson’ Park?
“They said they had no park at all for us at all, and that we could not use Commodore Barry Park. Of course, we did not accept that, and we fought the decision. However, they postponed the renovations, so we still have this year to be at Commodore Barry Park. It is for 3 days this weekend, not four, because we are beginning the festival on Friday, July 4th, then Saturday until Sunday.”

Speaking on Back to Basics to InceptionFMRadio.com, Shabaka said, “It was just in the early spring this year that IAAF organizers announced that everything is back on at the park for at least one more year. This presented several challenges, including the late start in raising funds and inviting artists. Usually, we begin organizing each festival at the end of the last one. We were put at a bit of a disadvantage, but we have been working really hard to ensure that we put on another great Festival for the community.”

Organizers of “the oldest celebration multi-day PAN-african celebration in the nation” are still not accepting what would be a devastating decision.
“We have started a campaign to fight to stay in Central Brooklyn,” said Shabaka. “This is what the community is asking for. None of us wants the Festival to be relocated to the outskirts of Brooklyn, sent to unfamiliar neighborhoods that don’t know us, and will probably fight any effort to place us there. We do not want to be in areas that do not support our 54-year-old traditional festival.”

Historically, it is a long weekend of family-friendly programming with the theme of African expression and excellence, from music, art, and fashion to food and children’s activities. Artists, entertainers, educators, and cultural nationalists come from West and East Africa–countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and all over the Americas.

“We celebrate ourselves, our African descendant culture,” said Shabaka. “This has always been about unity and recognition of bringing our different communities together peacefully, with the focus that we deserve to honor ourselves.

It must be noted, too, that we have never had a serious police-related incident, even as thousands come every year to Central Brooklyn as we celebrate African culture.”
Founded in 1971, the IAAFl is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit. The community- and vendor-supported festival also receives public funds from sources such as the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council members, including Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, Council Members Crystal Hudson and Rita Joseph, and former member Charles Barron.

Shabaka said that with the performers, the artists, the vendors, presenters, and the attendees in mind, the IAAF’s purpose is to recognize the right and importance of catering to people of African ancestry.

“People fly in worldwide, setting their calendars with the Festival in mind. They know this is an annual event, and vendors come in from all over Africa to bring their art and goods to an audience they know are waiting to see what they can buy.”
The economic portion brings out rows and rows of vendors selling everything from musical instruments to African furniture, fine art, books, unique clothes, and lots of handcrafted jewelry.

Shabaka said, “We come out of the Black Power organization –The East. We are multifaceted, and we have year-round programming for the community, such as hosting Kwanzaa events, awarding community leaders, organizations, and activists, and promoting the mission and principles of The East. We recently showed the wonderful documentary on Doctor Frank Mickens – the Chancellor of Futon Street, made by some of his students. We work year-round.”
Since 1989 there has also been the Symposium, the “intellectual component,” with serious programming, deep discussions led by many major thinkers and psychologists. It has been co-presented by Dr. Maulana Karenga, and the New York Chapter of the National Association of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO).

The 36th Symposium will take place at PS 287, opposite the festival, located at 50 Navy Street, Brooklyn, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“The symposium is one of the best-kept secrets of the festival,’ said Shabaka. In full disclosure, both Our Time Press publisher David Greaves and this reporter have appeared on a panel at the symposium. Panelists include Congo’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and historian Professor Theophile Obenga, philosopher Molefi Asante, and Dr. Maulana Karenga.
The IAAF showcases artists and music, including jazz–the original African American-created genre—R&B, Afrobeat, reggae, Gospel, Gullah-Geechee music, soca, and calypso. This year’s artists include Wazumbians, Soul Science Lab, Jahmedecine, Felix Gamboa, Bodoma, and Roy Martinez.

IAAF alumni include Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Hugh Masekela, Third World, The Mighty Sparrow, The Last Poets, Lauryn Hill, India Arie, Erykah Badu, Abbey
Lincoln, Hezekiah Walker, Randy Weston, Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, Roy Hargrove, Mtume, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, Roy Ayers, Denroy Morgan, Norman Conners, Tito
Puente Jr., Jessica Care Moore, Nana Camille Yarbrough, and Sonia Sanchez.
“We thank you,” say the organizers. “Asante Sana! Medaase! Shukran! Gracias! E Se Gan!”
As the calendar falls, this year festivities begin rain or shine on Friday, July 4th, to Sunday, July 6th, 2025 (from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm). Email info@IAAFestival.org, or call (718) 638-6700,
or visit IAAFESTIVAL.org.