This is a woman's world. At least it is during Omeka!
It is a world where guests greet each other with a hug and a smile. It is a world where the welcoming feeling is immediate when these African and African-American women walk into a hostess' home on a Sunday.
As Central Minnesota has become increasingly diverse, programs have risen to help newcomers adapt to the nuances of American culture. But fewer opportunities have existed for social interaction between cultures.
With monthly gatherings in local homes, Omeka!, launched in November, is making those connections for African and African-American women in Central Minnesota.
"Omeka!" is a Swahili word meaning to display; to speak out; to spread out.
In an atmosphere complete with food, music and storytelling, the women share their journeys, cultures and ideas, and they learn from one another.
Debra Leigh, an Omeka! organizer and professor at St. Cloud State University, recognized the division that was developing between African and African-American women in the St. Cloud area. Working with Sister Chrispina Lekule, a student at St. Cloud State University, she traveled to Zanzibar, Tanzania and began researching resources for African women in terms of survival skills, leadership skills and building community.
"We wanted to see what it takes for women to succeed," Leigh said.
Lekule said they also visited different women's groups to see what they were doing to empower themselves economically. Their findings, coupled with the observed cultural division in St. Cloud, led to Omeka!
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