Under the baobab: Respecting election results and our neighbors

“It only seems impossible until it is done.” — Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa

The majority of the electorate has spoken and re-empowered Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States. For the 46th time our growing diverse country with a female majority selected a white man to lead it.

This is not the result I wished for nor worked for. But it is one that I will respect. I had hoped that we as a nation had matured to the point that a woman of Black and Asian ancestry could be chosen as President. I was wrong. However, we have kept our democratic republic alive and in January we will have a peaceful transition of power.

While many of our neighbors are happy, millions of others are fearful. They aren’t sure where our country is heading. Based on campaign rhetoric it could be headed down a dark road toward authoritarianism. But, as Mandela said, “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.”

America is not a monolith, but a community of communities. We have learned, for the most part, to compete without killing each other. With discourse often comes discord which we can not allow to devolve into fratricidal destruction. Now we must learn to talk to each other again with respect and love.

Around Happy Valley

Elsewhere in the community, the Africana Research Center under director Prof. Sherita L. Johnson held its annual Nelson Mandela Lecture. Professor Sipho Seepe, recently the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Institutional Support at the University of Zululand, spoke on the legacy of Mandela as analyzed through Madiba’s words.

The United Nations Association of Central Pennsylvania held its UN Celebration Dinner. The theme was “Weaving a Sustainable Future.” The guest speaker was Aydin Alptekinoglu from Smeal College of Business.

Women’s and men’s basketball teams started their seasons with resounding victories. Coaches Mike Rhoades and Carolyn Kieger project that the teams are greatly improved. Last year the Lady Lions advanced to the final four of the inaugural Woman’s Basketball Invitation Tournament after just missing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

The No. 3 ranked Lady Lions volleyball team swept Michigan at Rec Hall. The men’s soccer team dropped its season finale to Northwestern, while the No. 22 ranked women’s soccer team dropped a close 0-1 game to No. 9 ranked UCLA.

The sixth annual Centre Film Festival (centrefilm.org) will be held from Nov. 11-17 at The State Theatre in State College and the Rowland Theatre in Philipsburg. Events, workshops and screenings will also be held at: Tempest Studios, Foster Auditorium and the Carnegie Building and UEC Theatre 12. Prof. Pearl Gluck, festival artistic director, says this year’s films “are particularly relevant as we navigate ongoing crises both here and abroad.” This year there will be 100-plus projects streaming online and in-person. The films shown were sourced in the U.S. and from around the world including the Middle East, Ukraine, and Asia. Over 40 filmmakers and guests will be available live for Q&A.

This year’s Chandler Living Legacy Award recipient will be Emmy and NAACP nominated director and digital media artist Ayoka Chenzira. She is one of the first African American women to write produce and direct a 35mm film, “Alma’s Rainbow.”

I will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing ceremony. My play, “Blues is the Roots, the Willie Dixon Story,” which premiered at the International Black Theatre Festival, is being prepared for a New York production. A regular on Tyler Perry’s “All the Queen’s Men,” I’ll appear in “A Complete Unknown” about Bob Dylan this December.

“Do not judge me by my success. Judge me for how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela