Dr. Kwame Abayomi

Colombia is known, unfortunately, for drug production. Couple this with a variety of other issues, including several insurgent groups insistent on creating their own government, and these problems affect many, including the African-Colombian and indigenous communities of Colombia. Kwame Abayomi, a Baltimore City Councilman and pastor, traveled to the Choco region of Colombia in January. While there, he looked beyond the straightforward message of the "War on Drugs," meeting with African-Colombian activists concerned with the conflict's effect on descendants of Africans in Colombia and the U.S. The insurgency against the Bogota government has flooded the streets with guns, creating a climate of fear for African-Colombian and African-American communities. Abayomi was the first African-American clergy member elected to serve on Baltimore City Council, he has been the pastor of Unity United Methodist Church for eight years, and he has worked to build bridges between groups of African descendants in Colombia and the U.S. Now that he's back, Abayomi seeks to spread his findings further, bringing his discussion to various religious and activist groups in the Philadelphia area this week.

Dr. Kwame Abayomi, Fri., Feb. 27, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., James Memorial United Methodist Church, 47 E. Haines St., 215-844-9564.

—Tricia Ferdinand

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