Date: Sunday, October 19, 2025
Time: 3:00 PM 7:00 PM
Location: The Africa Center, 1280 Fifth Avenue (at 110th Street), New York, NY
Curated by Lubangi Muniania
Under the Congo Sun is a celebration of Congolese culture, pride, and resilience in a showcase featuring music, dance, film, and food. The program will open with a drum call by Nkumu Katalay, followed by a Circle of Knowledge sharing traditional instruments, masks, and other objects of cultural import, led by Lubangi Muniania. After that, there will be screenings of short films by Joanna Makabi, stand-up comedy from Joshua Diakanwa, live music by Nkossi Honda, and a step-by-step introduction to the latest Congolese dance craze, Plekess. The event will conclude with a taste of Congolese food, including fufu, pondu, makemba, makayabo, chikwange, pili-pili and beignet, prepared by Domitille Lupumba.
Co-presented: Maysles Documentary Center, Friends of the Congo, and True Walker Productions
Series Artwork Courtesy of Théo Mwamba & Gallery Article 15
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Patrice Lumumba, a towering figure in Congolese history and icon of the global struggle for liberation, dignity, and self-determination. Born July 2nd, 1925 in Katako-Kombe in the Sunkuru district of Kasai Province, Lumumba rose to prominence as Congo’s first elected Prime Minister, guiding the country through its fractious transition from Belgian Colonial rule to independence. Though his life was tragically cut short by a brutal assassination, Lumumba’s unwavering vision of a united, sovereign Congo – free from foreign domination – remains a source of inspiration for generations around the globe. A century after his birth, we honor his legacy not just as a revolutionary leader, but as a symbol of African power and a beacon of hope in the enduring fight against oppression.