February 21-24th, 2008 in Los Angeles, California, The World Pride & Power Organization will host the First Annual World Pride & Power Conference in an effort to foster unity, empowerment and inclusivity in SGLBT communities of African descent and their allies.

Why should you attend? You should attend if you are a person of color, an activist, a poet, a writer, a politician, or an entrepreneur. You should attend if you are wise elder or a youth. You should attend if you are seeking inclusivity and wanting to connect and commune with your own kind.

Tashia Asanti

I had the absolute privilege to speak with one of the Founders of the Conference. Ifalade Tashia Asanti! Tashia Asanti is an award-winning activist, journalist, fiction writer, filmmaker, poet and initiated Yoruba/Ifa priestess. Tashia is the author of two best-selling books, The Sacred Door: A Spiritual Guide to Power Living and The Seer: Legacy of Stone and Spirit.

Azaan: know you are an Award Winning Journalist, Poet, Author, and Film maker, what are some of the other things you are involved in?

Tashia: One of my deepest passions is African history (pre-slavery) and African spirituality. I have founded a Yoruba temple in Denver, the first Ifa temple in the State of Colorado. Our membership has expanded to several states. We hosted an international conference in 2003. The healing work of my temple brings me indescribable joy.  Another of my passions is being a grandmother. I’m blessed to have grandchildren at a young age and therefore my partner and I get to do lots of fun activities with our three grandsons. This too is among the greatest pleasures in my life.I am also working on the sequel to my first novel and I am still touring with and promoting my first novel, The Seer. I am also working on the film adaptation to The Seer...

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I have been looking for my brother Dijan for almost a year. I looked everywhere, always coming up empty handed. I got to a point where I just didn’t know where else to look or who to ask.

On Monday March 14, 2005, my sister called me crying and screaming that Dijan died back in 2004! My cousins on my mother’s side were tracing their history when they found Dijan’s name and all of his information listed on Ancestry.com! I was sick. I was shocked, devastated, and absolutely infuriated that my family was not contacted by anyone.

Since March14 2005, my family and I have been back and forth to the coroner, the registrar’s office, Social Security, and now the Health Department. It has been confirmed through the Social Security death Index, that there is no mix up, or the wrong person. We waited for more than a year to receive his final records or vital statistics from the Health Department. I think one of the most painful aspects of this is we didn’t know what happened to my beloved brother. According to people I have spoken with, the vital statistics from the health department will fill in all the blanks. At this point, I want to know where Dijan’s remains are so that I can give him a proper burial. I need closure.

In this hostile climate of African American Christian hysteria and internalized racism, I keep wondering What Would Jesus Do? Would Jesus eliminate the separation of church and state? Would Jesus spread homophobia and hate for further the division of African Americans? Would Jesus make Same Gender Loving African American families targets for prejudice, violence, and possibly murder? Would Jesus discriminate against anyone for any reason?


How could our leaders be so ignorant and irresponsible when it comes to the well being of other African Americans? The church and many other mainstream organizations have made us and our children targets by not supporting our issues. The Church’s divisive maneuvers have torn families apart instead of strengthening them. Mothers are against daughters, and fathers against sons. Homophobias in African American communities keep our youth homeless, the drug use and suicide rates high! I know hundreds of lesbians that had premature sex due to pressure from the Church and their families just to be normal and accepted! They have created a climate of hostility and hate. Because of decades of homophobia, African American families are consistently torn apart. People have turned our people against their own flesh and blood.

Get the knowledge, and then get involved. Use yourself, your voice to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Thousands of African Americans have died in the wake of the AIDS epidemic. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS is the leading cause of death among African Americans. African Americans die from HIV/AIDS related illnesses more than any other disease or race.

Religious, economic, and social obstacles have increased the inequality in healthcare. There is a stigma that surrounds the African American community as it pertains to HIV/AIDS. This stigma prevents African Americans from obtaining accurate information on prevention and combating the disease. In many cases African Americans are diagnosed too late, receive inadequate care, and benefit last from new treatments.

Heterosexism has created havoc in the lives of many gays and their families. In some cases it is a normal response is to discriminate against someone because of sexual orientation. It is unmistakable. The need for unity among many Black heterosexuals and Black homosexuals. One of the most painful facts is the division created by traditional Black heterosexuals. This country was built with the blood of division. The very foundation that makes this country a country is based on discrimination and prejudice. America’s history is a meltingpot of separation, denial, and racist thinking. Because of these facts, you would expect your own people to embrace you no matter what.