The Passage Project Highlights Connections to Africa and Each Other
Posted July 8, 2008

In 2002, I took my first trip abroad, traveling to France, Spain and Morocco. What I thought would be a simple vacation turned into a journey that deeply challenged the way I saw myself, my relationship to the world and the meaning of community. Through the constant contact and conversations with people in those countries, my struggles with language and exposure to diverse local customs, ethnicities, belief systems, religions, music and food, I came away from that trip with new eyes. 

From that transformative trip, the idea for The Passage Project: Stories from the African Diaspora was born. Its mission is to transcend traditional ideas of race and identity through the words of people living throughout the world. Keeping in mind that Africa is the birthplace of humanity, The Passage Project promises to help people recognize their own connection to Africa and each other.

This work-in-progress is comprised of three parts. The first is a book featuring the words and images of members of the African Diaspora. In it, interviews reflect how factors such as environment, socioeconomic status and geographic location contribute to the shaping of identity.  

The second part of The Passage Project is a documentary theater piece that transforms the interviews into monologues. Still images, video and music are included to take the storytelling process to a deeper level for the stage.

The final part is a blog that lists news and events taking place throughout the African Diaspora, in addition to tracking the progression of the book and documentary theater sides of The Passage Project.

While the blog has been up and running since December of last year, the projected completion date for both the book and theater piece is late 2009. Until that time, I plan to make available selections from both through published excerpts and theatrical workshops.

An important goal of The Passage Project is to assist seemingly dissimilar people living throughout the world with moving toward a deeper appreciation of the term community. With this, we will begin to understand the responsibility we all have to one another and see immeasurable cross-cultural influences.

Examples that illustrate this idea include West Africa’s influence on Argentina’s Tango, Colombia’s Salsa and the Yorubas’ imprint on religious traditions such as Brazil’s Candomblé and Cuba’s Santeria. There are many more, such as young Palestinians examining their lives through hip-hop, the distinct music and patios of the diverse city of New Orleans, African influences on the runways of fashion designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Morocco’s connection to China via the region’s beloved mint tea. All of these examples demonstrate the importance of looking at each other as part of a greater community.

The Passage Project includes the stories of people’s victories, struggles, creations and lifestyles. One of my favorite interviews was with a professor from Zimbabwe whose name I am withholding at this time because of the country’s present political climate. When discussing Zimbabwe’s political and economic crisis, in reference to the government’s appropriation of land from White people, “Land distribution was necessary but it needed to done properly, not with need to revenge the past wrongs. The leadership should learn to accept that the beauty of creation is in its diversity. Society should be like that in every respect.” His quote truly captures what The Passage Project is all about.

Since traveling to Europe and North Africa in 2002, I have continued to travel the world, collecting stories from the African Diaspora.  I have spoken with artists, poets, journalists, activists, doctors, business owners, teachers, students and those struggling to find their place in society. Each and every one of them is connected through the African Diaspora and in their voices I hear my own. I hope others feel the same way after reading or hearing their stories. 

Trina Michelle Robinson is a writer and actress living in New York and currently works as a freelance production editor at T, the style magazine of The New York Times. For more information on The Passage Project, visit www.passage-project.com or email Trina at trina@passage-project.com.