By Cornelius A. Fortune
DETROIT –
Dr. Kofi Adoma, president of Karibu House, remembers a time back in 1997 when it seemed like the organization would continue to run as it had: out of pocket, with occasional support by board members and friends.
But with support from New Detroit, Community Foundation and Racial Equity, Karibu (translated in Swahili as "welcome") will soon receive more funds to expand its services to LGBT people of color and has plans to find a building.
Karibu House is currently located at 17800 Woodward, Suite LL4, but they'd like to have a space of their own.
"I realize it's been a slow progression, but we didn't have any expectations when we started," Adoma said. "We just wanted to get the foundation started. So any success or progress has been very pleasing and satisfying. I feel even more optimistic."
The grants won't change the focus of Karibu, but rather will help to reinforce the work they've been doing for well over a decade now.
Reynaldo Magdaleno, vice president of the Karibu House board of directors, is looking forward to the possibilities that the grants will afford them.
"Karibu House, over the last two years, has fortunately experienced some extraordinary successes," Magdaleno said. "In terms of diversity capacity building, New Detroit is one of the premier organizations. As far as I know, we're the only LGBT organization to receive a grant this cycle and we're going to use the dollars we just received from them to focus on program design and implementation."
Though race relations have improved over the years, Magdaleno sees the relevance of Karibu House to communities of color.
"One of the reasons I continue to sit on this board of directors is I recognize how important the need of building partnerships, building relationships, diversity trainings to this community. Detroit is definitely pegged as a highly racial, highly segregated community, and that's mainstream," he said. "Over the last few years there's been some racial upheaval, some racial issues. Karibu House wants to address those issues and is open to bringing together the Latinos, African-Americans, Asians, First Nation Native Americans together because separately we can do great things, but collaboratively we can do much more."
The goal, he added, is to bring the collective LGBT community toward the same goal. "To bring all these people together to create a unified front, in order to move toward racial and social equality together," Magdaleno said. "There's power in numbers. We also recognize how important it is to empower the overall LGBT movement by working together. We are creating programs that recognize each group; we're also creating programs that unify each group."
Honoring the past, moving forward
"We've made a lot of gains recently, but I certainly don't want to diminish the gains we made before we started getting the grants," Adoma said. "What we did was not exposed (in the early days). We, in fact, may have saved lives through the work we've done. I don't want to minimize the work we've done since 1997."
Karibu's mission is to create a community center in the city of Detroit that primarily serves the needs of LGBT persons of color and their families and allies.
Programs have included hosting a kid's fair every year during Detroit's Hotter Than July celebration, monthly discussion/support sessions, two Komedy Klubs and the annual pre-Kwanzaa Brunch. It also provides a safe space for individuals to feel nurtured, supported, affirmed and unconditionally accepted.
"To do that with such few people and even maintaining programs all these years, it's an amazing feat, and I've got to get props to all those on the board," Adoma said. "We did it without grants, without money."
One of their biggest events is Karibu House's annual Kwanzaa brunch, which will be held this year on Dec. 13, at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. "We've got tickets for that. We want everyone to come," Adoma said.
Even if an individual can't make room in their schedule to attend, Adoma noted, they can still purchase a ticket and that ticket will be given to a youth who can't afford the cost. In addition to this, Karibu has a helpline and offers one-on-one counseling.
"Probably one of the most important things is our rap session," Adoma said. "We've done that for 10 years. It takes place once a month and brings men and women together every first Wednesday. It's vitally important – even if one person shows up, they'll receive counseling. That's more important than having 30 people in one room. In that respect we're serving the community and providing the space."
Adoma wants to find a building, but maintains that the biggest priority now is continuing to serve the LGBT visitors who need their services most.
"People expect us to be this automatic community center – we just don't have the means for that now," she said. "We do aim to have a building, (but) a community center is more than just a building. Karibu House provides a space, a listening ear, we provide opportunities for fellowship. A building will come."
Randy Foster, 32, has enjoyed coming to the rap sessions. In fact, he's been a part of the Karibu family since the doors first opened.
"The reason I sought out Karibu was the co-gender rap sessions," Foster said. "There were very limited places for people of color to go to at that particular time. The other thing is that I also wanted to interact with other LGBT people of color. The reason why I've kept going is that it was a safe space as far as ideas and concerns for LGBT people of color and also to reach out to others."
Foster believes that Karibu House is doing important work and would like to see more exposure for the organization.
"To me it was an eye opening experience to see LGBT women and men of color there," he said. "I was looking for a safe place to go to besides going to the bar or the club."
More services envisioned
Adoma wants the community to know that Karibu is a place where LGBT people of color can find empowerment, a family atmosphere – it is inclusive.
"We need the public to know that everyone can be a part of it," Adoma said. "We want to do some public forums between the straight and the LGBT community of color. We want to get some of our churches involved to raise their awareness about their parishioners that may be LGBT – diversity training. We want to partner with other organizations in putting on some projects and programs that will help build some bridges between the gender expressions, between generations, so we want to see more of that."
Karibu House would also like to provide more services surrounding HIV, diabetes and health services, as well as employment training. The idea is to purchase a structure that can house not only Karibu House, but similar organizations under one roof.
"It only benefits the community to come under one roof and receive everything they need, to feel embraced, to feel satisfied," Magdaleno said. "I cannot emphasize how much Community Foundation has impacted this community with bringing us together. I really have to thank them for their support.
"We've been around for a number of years, but Karibu House is very much a young organization that over the last year has been supported to grow, to be what it has envisioned to be and that is an organization that informs, educates and enriches the lives of LGBT people of color and communities."
Board of Directors:
Dr. Kofi Adoma, President
Reynaldo Magdaleno, Vice President
Jack Clanton, Treasurer
Tony O'Rourke-Quintana, Secretary
Walter Washington, Member
Crystol Witt, Member
Advisory Board:
Ruth Asmara Afework
Dr. Fredericka Jackson
Michael Piper
Charles Pugh
Kimya Ayodele, Former President
Founder:
Clifford Weems (deceased)
