41ST AFRICAN WORLD FESTIVAL

African World Festival 2024
Culture. Family. Fun.

(Detroit, MI) July 12th through the 14th The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is proud to celebrate the 41st Annual African World Festival. Join us at Hart Plaza for this 3-day celebration that highlights the beauty, strength, and spirit of the African Diaspora. We expect almost 20,000 people to enjoy our performances, vendors, food, clothing, health products, visual arts, live demonstrations, community resources and information, and much more!

The 2024 AWF Featured Headliners: 

Third World: Performing a style described as "reggae-fusion" that combines elements of R&B, funk, pop, rock, dancehall, and rap, Third World is one of Jamaica's most popular crossover acts and has performed on six continents. 

Rapsody is an American rapper known for her intricate rhyme patterns, metaphors, and wordplay. She is often hailed as one of the best living lyricists in the hip-hop genre. Rapsody cites Jay-Z, Mos Def, Lauryn Hill, and MC Lyte as the biggest influences on her music. 

Thandiswa Mazwai has been one of the most influential post-Apartheid singers in South Africa. After six award-winning albums with Bongo Maffin she ventured onto an award-winning solo career that has seen her perform all over the world. 

Dumpstaphunk stands out amongst New Orleans' best, cementing themselves as one of the funkiest bands to ever arise from the Crescent City. Born on the Jazz & Heritage Festival stage, and descended from Neville and Meters family bloodlines, these soldiers of funk ignite a deep, gritty groove that dares listeners not to move. Our gathering this year will highlight and represent our community and our shared past, present, and future. We look forward to exchanging stories and honoring where we've been and where we're going.

  • Fyütch is a GRAMMY-nominated music and social justice artist who performs a high-energy dance show for kids about self-love and empowerment. 
  • Mokoomba, an explosively talented six-man crew from the Victoria Fall, has been hailed as one of the most exciting bands from Africa in the 21st century! 
  • Charity's music paints the kind of picture you'd see hanging on a loved one's wall. It's sacred, strong, and let's face it - Black.
  • Larry Lee, former NFL player, NFL executive and professional musician who started the band in the early 2000s. 
  • Vox Sambou is an MC, poet, and multilingual performer, fluent in Haitian, French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
  • Drey Skonie and The kLOUDs Band a.k.a. "Skonie and The kLOUDs" emphasis on the loud.
  • Named Best-Managed Nonprofit by Crain's Detroit Business in 2006, Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit is an internationally acclaimed youth development program whose mission is to empower young people to maximize their potential through professional performing arts training and the creation of theatrical and musical art that engages, transforms and inspires.
  • Allen Dennard is a professional trumpeter, composer, recording artist, bandleader and an activist born and raised in the city of Detroit.
  • TeMaTe Institute for Black Dance and Culture exists as a dance justice and cultural equity organization.


There's something for everyone at the African World Festival! Check out some of the nationally recognized and award-winning artists and acts scheduled for the weekend!
AWF is free for all Charles H. Wright Museum members, so join today! 
For more information, go to https://www.thewright.org/african-world-festival  

About the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History 

The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History was founded in 1965 and is in the heart of Midtown Detroit's Cultural Center. The Wright Museum's mission is to open minds and change lives through exploration and celebration of African American History and Culture - the museum's 22,000 square foot, immersive core exhibit - is one of the largest, single exhibitions surveying the history of African Americans. The Wright Museum houses over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and offers more than 300 public programs and events annually.

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Media Contact:

Lisa Wilmore, PR
wilmoreagency@gmail.com 
313.980.4766