BLACK EXCELLENCE LIFESTYLE & ARTS EXPO
THE KINGS & QUEENS OF AFRICA
Kings & Queens of Africa Lifestyle & Arts Expo (KQA) is a heritage festival launched in 2017. It showcases and celebrates The District of Columbia and DC Metropolitan area
African Lifestyle, Fashion, Arts, entertainment, creativity, and culture. KQA is aimed at working extensively to highlight and promote African arts, history, international efforts, awareness, diversity, culture, preservation, presence and to reduce cultural alienation in the DC Metro Area, US and around the globe.
Based on source data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2015-2019 distributed through IPUMS-USA, 215,000: Approximate number of immigrants from Africa living in the Washington, DC Metro Area (15% of the metro’s immigrant population), 46%: Estimated increase in the number of immigrants from Africa living in the Washington, DC Metro Area in the past 10 years and 19th: Rank of the metro area among the 260 identified metro areas in terms of immigrants as a percentage of the metro’s population.
African immigrants are establishing more and more communities in America. With such a large population concentrated in the DMV area, we understand the importance of the “it takes a village” concept, and we encourage residents to celebrate community heritage, encourage young people to get involved in heritage activities.
The event is particularly designed to bring residents together to talk about their experiences about living with Africans and non-Africans and to learn about their daily activities and it includes a line-up of events that include fine art exhibit, culinary art, film festival, health and wellness, performing art, fashion showcase, and a grand finale event.
We promote culture and help an understanding through the exchange of people, ideas and arts by featuring fashion designers, performers, artists, poets, dance groups, actors and actresses. We provide a platform where business connects with culture and community.
We provide our learning community with opportunities to expand and widen their knowledge of Africa and foster a greater understanding of the world's second largest and most diverse continent. We focus on the contributions that Africans made in the past and continue to make and we believe that African history is important and should be taught in schools and discussed in forum groups and panels of discussions.
With the workshops and panel of discussions, participants will get an understanding of many different types of people, they will see similarities between Africans and Non-Africans. Additionally, they will learn that there are some cultural differences between Africans and people of other races. The discussions are aimed at working extensively to highlight and promote African history, international efforts, awareness, diversity, culture, preservation and presence in DC metro area DC-MD-VA
We illustrate the story of our royal past, celebrate the glory of the here and now, and we tell our own story through arts, fashion, film, dance, music, theater, storytelling, visual and culinary arts that last a lifetime. It provides opportunities to artists from diverse cultures and foster authentic understanding of the continent and its many cultures and expressions. to people who want to understand their neighbors and to acknowledge and talk about Africa's achievements. We provide panel discussions, forums workshops, movies/films on Kings and Queens of Africa to residents with opportunities to expand and widen their knowledge of Africa and foster a greater understanding of the world's second largest and most diverse continent.
Volunteers, gift contributors, community leaders, and members donate their time and money to support the event. Donate
With your donation, we will be able to get coverage from the media, organize panel discussions with scholars, Egyptologists, anthropologists, historians, linguists, curators, lecturers, global network of scientists, visiting scholars, individuals and community leaders and members.
