Maelys Monga

Project: The Pan-Afro Wisdom Fest (P.O.W. Fest)
The Pan-Afro Wisdom Fest (P.O.W. Fest) is an annual, free community festival dedicated to inner-child healing, cultural reconnection, and collective joy for Black individuals across the African diaspora. Rooted in storytelling, movement, and ancestral practices, P.O.W. Fest creates an immersive space where participants can heal, express, and build deep connections. This year’s festival features multidisciplinary performances, interactive workshops, panel discussions, and installations led by Black artists, healers, and cultural practitioners. Attendees will engage in activities such as drumming circles, storytelling sessions, movement-based healing, and communal reflection. Curated in collaboration with local, Black-led organizations, the festival fosters intergenerational dialogue, affirming Black queer and diasporic identities while addressing generational trauma through art and shared wisdom. Key experiences include a venting session—a facilitated space for emotional release and mutual support, led by Diamond; a laughter meditation led by Laraaji and a “lemonade stand” resource hub by Amani; and more. P.O.W. Fest is more than an event—it is a transformative gathering reclaiming joy, rest, and play as essential forms of resistance and healing. By centering Black queer and diasporic experiences, the festival creates a space where community, creativity, and ancestral wisdom thrive.

Bio:
Divine Times Collective (DTC) is a Black queer-led organization dedicated to creating transformative spaces for Black individuals across the African diaspora. Rooted in inner-child healing and cultural reconnection, DTC blends research and art to foster liberation and joy. DTC was founded to address the isolation often felt in environments that fail to honor the intersections of Blackness, queerness, and diasporic identity. Through collaborations with local and global, Black-led organizations—such as Somewhere Good, Ku Bhata, and The Laundromat Project—DTC curates events, workshops, and the free, annual Pan-Afro Wisdom (P.O.W.) Fest to support healing and connection. Informed by therapists, social workers, and psychoanalysts, we explore the psychological and cultural dimensions of inner-child healing, particularly among immigrant and displaced communities in New York. Guided by our tagline, “Culture in the service of liberation and unity,” DTC fosters spaces of rest, play, and creativity. By reconnecting with nature, reclaiming pre-colonial practices, and celebrating diasporic heritage, we cultivate joy, resilience, and deep community bonds.