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Showing posts from 2016

The autobiography of Princess Sarah Segilola Odulaja

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Princess Sarah  Segilola  Odulaja, Rest in Peace My mother passed away on this day 6 years ago. I became sick two days ago just thinking about what a huge loss this is. The passage of time is yet to deaden the pain. But whether we live or die, it is for the Lord. Mama went to the glory, but she lives on in our hearts. She left huge shoes to fill in terms of her faith in God, honesty, optimism, kindness and generosity. May we be able to live up to her expectations of us. May her soul continue to rest in peace. She wrote this piece while staying with me. I could not have completed work on my dissertation had she not helped take care of my younger son, even though we had just lost my only brother the same month my son was born. The autobiography of Princess Sarah  Segilola  Odulaja was written while she was on a visit to New York, during the months of June and July 1999. By Sarah  Segilola  Odulaja To the Glory of God I was born in the early morning of January 1, 1

Welcome home to the 21 #ChibokGirls!

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#BringBackOurGirlsNYC rejoices with our 21 #ChibokGirls who were released on October 13, 2016

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome mojubaolu@gmail.com (718) 951-5000 x 1742 NYC Sunday October 16, 2016 On Thursday, October 13, with great joy, hope and optimism for the future, #BringBackOurGirlsNYC welcomed the news of the release of 21 of our #ChibokGirls from Boko Haram captivity. We rejoice with our #ChibokGirls, their families and friends.  We hope and pray that the 197#ChibokGirls and other Nigerians remaining in Boko Haram captivity are also rescued and reunited with their families as soon as possible. The rescued #ChibokGirls have been reunited with their families amidst a combination of tears, joy and laughter. #BringBackOurGirlsNYC salutes the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria and other parties that made this release possible. These 21 #ChibokGirls have suffered unimaginable physical, mental and psychological trauma.  They require a well-grounded structure for long-term, culturally-appropriate psychosocial

#BringBackOurGirlsNYC Statement: New “Proof of Life” Video on Our #ChibokGirls

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome mojubaolu@gmail.com (718) 951-5000 x 1742 NYC Monday 15th August 2016 Yesterday, on Day 853 after the abduction of our #ChibokGirls, a new “proof of life” video about our #Chibokgirls was in circulation, broadly disseminated and widely commented upon in the media.  It is heartrending that these young women have been in captivity for so long in the hands of brutal, violent insurgents who are determined to use them as bargaining chips for their diabolical power-seeking agenda.  It is unfortunate that our #Chibokgirls have been left at the mercy of their abductors for 854 days today.  We are saddened and disheartened that our #Chibokgirls families and loved ones have had to cope for so long with their absence.  Nonetheless, we are determined to be hopeful that our #Chibokgirls and all other abducted Nigerians, particularly the girls, boys, and women will all be rescued and reunited with their families by the Nigeri

Guaranteed equal and equitable access to excellent education, especially for girls

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Do you know about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ?   SDG 4 focuses on education.  The goal is to have inclusive, equitable and quality education for all of us God's children, as well as for us to foster access to lifelong learning opportunities for all.  My late parents were schoolteachers.  Matter of fact, my father was a headmaster, and I was raised to love learning, treasure education, and to hone my thinking skills.  Growing up in the family that I did meant that learning in all circumstances became an ingrained part of my life.  A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the taping of the video challenge for Global Citizen's  Education Commission . Here's my edited Youtube video, sans my plug for our #ChibokGirls     The other videos featured in the challenge are available here . Here below is what I said in its entirety, which by the way, was already posted on this blog on June 24, 2016, the day I went to the Youtube headquarters  at Ch

Statement for NYC Council Committee on Immigration Hearing and Open Arms Press Conference, June 27, 2016

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Here's how I spent my day.  Mojúbàolú Olufúnké Okome, founder, #BringBackOurGirlsNYC Professor of Political Science, African & Women's Studies Leonard & Claire Tow Professor, 2015/2016 Brooklyn College, CUNY 3413 James Hall 2900 Bedford Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11210 phone:   (718) 951-5000, ext. 1742 ; fax:   (718) 951-4833 email:   mokome@brooklyn.cuny.edu ; mojubaolu@gmail.com Editor:   Ìrìnkèrindò: a Journal of African Migration   I stand here today as an African immigrant who came to the US 35 years ago. I give unequivocal support to the statement by the New York City Council Committee on Immigration that “In New York City, we reject anti-immigrant sentiments and welcome displaced people with compassion, respect, and generosity.” I also support the two resolutions before the Council: ·         Resolution 1105, calling upon the President and the State Department to resettle at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States