THIRD ANNUAL AFRO BALL GALA HONOREES: ISRAEL ADESANYA, OPAL TOMETI, ETHIOPIA HABTEMARIAM, TUNDE BALOGUN, CLAUDE KAMENI, JESSICA NABONGO, FISAYO LONGE, CRYSTAL EVULEOCHA, ECHE EMOLE, YODIT TEWOLDE, BENNY BONSU, KUDZI CHIKUMBU, SHARON CHUTER, MASSAH DAVID AND MIATTA JOHNSON, EVERETTE TAYLOR & HENRI PIERRE -JACQUE

(Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES, CA –  Amplify Africa, a leading entertainment and media company in the U.S. whose mission is to amplify Africa and the African diaspora through global community, storytelling, and digital innovation, and The Africa Channel, a cable and streaming channel focusing on travel, lifestyle, and culture documentaries, series and movies, has announced AFRICON 2021, a conference to showcase the excellence, culture, talent and innovation the continent and its diaspora has to offer. Taking place May 21st – 23rd (Friday -Sunday), this virtual multi-day event will feature virtual performances, panels and Amplify Africa’s highly anticipated AFRO BALL, a fashion-conscious, philanthropic event that celebrates individuals who are amplifying Africa and the diaspora by excelling in their respective professional and creative fields. During the ceremony, Certificates of Recognition by the U.S. Congress are issued to selected candidates who exhibited distinction in business, entertainment, fashion and healthcare, to name a few. Afro Ball will be hosted by Jessie Woo and Etienne Maurice and will include music performances by Nigerian singer and songwriter, Tekno, and Grammy-winning artist, Mannywellz; DJ Fully Focus will provide additional entertainment. 

The 2021 Afro Ball honorees include Benny Bonsu (Director, Daily Content Olympic Channel); Claude Kameni (Founder, LavieCK); Crystal Evuleocha (Founder and CEO, Kiira Health; Eche Emole (CEO, Afropolitan Group); Ethiopia Habtemariam (Chairman and CEO, Motown Records);  Everette Taylor (Chief Marketing Officer, Artsy), Fisayo Longe (Founder, Kai Collective), Henri Pierre-Jacque (Managing Partner, Harlem Capital);  Israel Adesanya (Ultimate Fighting Championship Middleweight Champion); Jessica Nabongo (Founder, This is the Catch); Kudzi Chikumbu (Director, Creator Community at Tik Tok); Massah David and Miatta Johnson (Director and Founders, MVD Inc); Opal Tometi (Black Lives Matter Co-Founder); Sharon Chuter (Founder and CEO, Uoma Beauty); Tunde Balogun (Co-Founder and President, LVRN); and Yodit Tewolde (Attorney).

“The continuous growth of African culture generates the need for an event like AFRICON. Since the inception of Amplify Africa, Timi and I have dreamt about producing a converging event that would fill that void. We are excited to birth this event with the help of our colleagues at The Africa Channel, who are equally committed to expanding the reach of the African culture and bridging the gap between the Black diaspora and the continent. AFRICON is a representation of everything we stand for as a company and we can’t wait for you to experience it. - Dami Kujembola, CO-Founder / CEO, Amplify Africa  

“We are delighted to partner with Amplify Africa on this inaugural edition of AFRICON, as this aligns with our mission to continue to connect with Africans and the diaspora through cultural conversations that matter,” said Narendra Reddy, Executive Vice President and General Manager, The Africa Channel. “We believe cultural exchanges in entertainment & media, tech, and innovation support our quest to showcase diverse content through the prism of contemporary Africa while amplifying diverse Black voices from across Africa and the diaspora.”

AFRICON will deliver programming within the following daily overviews:

FRIDAY

• OPENING DAY: Tune into The Africa Channel’s IG Live at 11 am PST  for a virtual welcome party with live DJ sets by Dj Prince (Nigeria); Dj KMETA (Ethiopia); DJ Rozay (Jamaica); Mike Abrantie (Ghana); and DJ AQ (South Africa).

• ROUND TABLE CONVERSATION: Join Amplify Africa and The Africa Channel at 4 pm PST on Clubhouse for a roundtable discussion, hosted by Prosper Africa, with industry stakeholders about the African creative economy and demystifying the role of the U.S. government in facilitating investment in Africa. 

SATURDAY 

• AFRICON PANEL (9 AM PT - 5 PM PT): Tune into panel discussions on Amplify Africa’s IG Live from business executives and entrepreneurs across the entertainment, tech, fashion and sports industry.  

SUNDAY 

• AFRICON’s AFROBALL (5 PM PST): Tune into Amplify Africa’s YouTube channel for this year’s virtual red-carpet gala where Amplify Africa and The Africa Channel will present distinguished honorees with a U.S. Certificate of Recognition and an honorary plaque.

AFRICON 2021 is presented by Amplify Africa and The Africa Channel. Major sponsors include N’CHOW, Prosper Africa and Star Beer USA.

For more information on AFRICON and the AFROBALL virtual gala, visit www.amplifyafrica.org/africon.

ABOUT AMPLIFY AFRICA

Amplify Africa is a media and entertainment company for a diverse audience of the African diaspora inclusive of African Americans, Caribbeans, Afro-Latinx, Afro-European, Afro-Asian, indigenous Africans across the globe, Africans on the continent and African culture lovers around the world. 

With more than half of the population in many African nations under the age of 25, the continent is currently undergoing a renaissance of vibrant new music, fashion, art and political expression. Amplify Africa captures the spirit of this unprecedented boom in youth culture off of the continent, by focusing on emerging and progressing trends while blending traditional aesthetics with a futurist lifestyle. 

Its mission: To Amplify Africa and the African diaspora through global community, storytelling, and digital innovation. 

Its vision: To connect the continent to the Black global experience of African American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and Afro-European communities.

ABOUT THE AFRICA CHANNEL

The Africa Channel and its production arm, TAC Studios, is a showcase for the African continent's most outstanding English-language television series, specials, documentaries, feature films, music, biographies and cultural and historical content. The channel's mission is to open a daily window into modern African life, and in the process, help demystify Africa for viewers globally. The Africa Channel with offices in Los Angeles and Johannesburg, South Africa is available in North America and the Caribbean on cable systems such as Comcast, Charter’s Spectrum brand, Rogers Ignite and Bell Fibe (Canada), and the Caribbean Cable Cooperative. 

Please visit www.theafricachannel.com for more information and follow TAC on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.