This morning, Facebook reminded me of this post by Shawn Lent. Three years ago, I was in Cairo, Egypt with the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC) fellowship program. The UNAOC fellowship aim is to enhance mutual knowledge and understanding between peoples and societies from Muslim-majority countries in the Arab World, Europe and North America. The program was brought to my attention by another friend, Rabah Ghezali. Shawn and I in Cairo… Read More

Hurricane Frederick formed on August 28 and slammed into the Alabama/Mississippi coast line on September 13, 1979.  The map is from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It shows the track of the storm from when it formed off the African coast and dissipated over New York State. If you are from the South, then you have heard someone make this comment before. When I was a child growing up in Alabama, my mom… Read More

Today, I had an opportunity to talk with Nigerian youth about political inclusion and 9/11. We had a very interesting and frank discussion about U.S. foreign policy, the world after 9/11 and “some” of the misconceptions that Americans have about the world. I really enjoy talking with these intelligent young Nigerians. I reminded them that human beings are Nigeria’s greatest resource and that as young Nigerians, they need to ensure that their… Read More