[Moorbey]

Major US County Recongnizes Continental Africans as a Distinct Ethnic Group
TTimes World USA Report
Major US County Recognizes Continental Africans as a Distinct Ethnic Group From Black Americans

A new day has dawn in American political landscape, the birth of Continental Africans as a separate sub ethnic group from the Black Americans or the more contemporary African American. Montgomery County the third wealthiest County in the United States, main commercial and economic hub of Maryland Washington DC area, which boast of the most educated, and probably the highest number and income of Continental African population in all the United States was the first to officially recognize this distinct sub ethnic group of African Americans in the United States.

Inaugurating the county recognition yesterday was no less than the County Executive Ike Leggett, flank by his assistants Mr. Bruce Adams, and Harold McDougall the designated coordinator from the County for the group. County Executive Ike Leggett in addition to the Latino Community Groups, Asian Community Groups, Middle Eastern Community Groups, officially recognised the Continental African Community Group as a distinct ethnic group for the purposes of services, business, community affairs and all such activities of Montgomery County. He selected representative to the Montgomery African Advisory Council.

Speaking with the group organizer and member of the Council Ms Evelyn Joe who migrated to the United States from Cameroons, the French African accented and articulate organizer of the group said most people don't even stop to think about the distinct identity of Continental Africans. Though we are African Americans we a distinct group, our needs are different, our problems are different, our communities though culturally similar with African Americans are often time very different from African Americans. Now we have first, second, third generations, though some of them are intermix with other African Americans, we are becoming a larger and distinct group.

Further commenting on this was Dan Edokpolo Austin M.D, President of Cignet Health Corp., a Physician and a former Chairman of the Conglomerate organization of All Nigerian American Congress (ANAC) and a Trustee of the Organization and a member of the Council. Dr. Austin said, Continental Africans are well represented in America today, estimates run from 4 to 7 million across America. Unfortunately even the US government statistics on this group is poor because they are lumped together with African Americans. Most US Universities would distinctly reveal the staggering proportion of this group. They are probably the most educated group among all ethnic migrants to the United States and contribute immensely to the educated work force in the United States and most especially Montgomery County in the Washington DC/Maryland National Capital area.

The Advisory Council on the affairs of the African Ethnic group to the County was commenced, other representatives to county on the African affairs included Dunyako Ahmadu, Mumie Barre of the Somalian community, Soffie Ceesay of Gambian community, Emmanuel Edokobi, Amie Jallah, Alexandar Mboukou of Congo, Dave Moktoi, Joshua Moses an Attorney from Silver Spring, Augustin Mutemberezi, Rwanda, Rev. Kennedy Kwasi Odzaffi of Ghana, Chief Alexander Taku of Cameroon, Patrick Tangelo, Ivo Tasong, Winta Teferi Ethiopia.

Indeed this is a great step forward for the new generation of people in these minority communities. Little would it be recognized that Barrack Obama the democratic nominee for President of the United States actually belong this the sub group of the African American Community, how be it, he is from a white American mother from Kansas and married into a Chicago African American community. However in areas like Washington DC, New York, Houston Texas, Atlanta Georgia, the population of the distinct Continental African Americans are quite significant and warrants the specific distinction. We hail this first recognition by Montgomery County, a true leading county in the country. Its such foresight that is necessary to sustain leadership, no wonder that Montgomery county continue to lead the nation and Maryland in many areas of development. County Executive Ike Leggett should be applauded for his vision, leadership and foresight in harnessing the huge growth potentials and holding to task these groups community responsibilities. Its only wise to bring every group to task for the overall responsibility of their community, if we don't, such group would inadvertently be working against the common good of any society and we would be working with our hand tied to one-side of our back to use the term from the democrat.

Speaking with Mr. Bruce Adams of the Montgomery County Executive office, he revealed that in the view of this administration, the world has come to Montgomery County and we welcome them. Immigrants and their hardwork has worked well for America for many generations, we welcome these, legal, productive and well meaning peoples from all nations who come here to seek a better life.

The County Executive is planning a trade mission to Africa soon, we are going to need the input of the African Advisory Council, we also have sister city projects planned for cities abroad and the County will declare September an Ethnic African month.

Our goal is to have the ethnic groups work well together for the overall goal of a better Montgomery county.
We look forward to the Ethnic Continental Africans becoming as organized, and involved as other ethnic groups in our county, like the Latinos and Asian groups to name a few and their meaningful participation for the overall progress of Montgomery county.