Omékongo Dibinga
Encyclopedia
Omékongo Dibinga is a trilingual poet
, musician
, motivational speaker
, diversity
consultant, CNN
contributor and positive rapper. He is known to deliver powerful messages, usually targeted toward a younger audience, that touch on positive as well as painful subjects from being an upstander and not a bystander to the ills of society such as bullying, racism
, and homophobia
to motivation and diversity education. As the Founder and CEO of Free Your Mind Publishing, Omékongo has published and released several books, CDs, and DVDs of over 80 authors as well as himself. These works from range from poetry and youth professional development to motivation and hip-hop music
. These works are meant to inspire and encourage global change
by empowering all who listen and arming them with the tools needed to combat these pressing issues in our global community.
. His parents, Drs. Dibinga wa Said & Ngolela wa Kabongo were Democratic Republic of the Congo
(ex-Zaire
) refugees, who fled the Congo because of their role in aiding in its independence. As a first generation Congolese American
, Omékongo grew up in an environment that led him to experience what he calls "the best and worst of both African and African American
societies"; having grown up in a strict African household in an African-American community in Roxbury, MA
. He grew up as the 7th of 9 children who were taught to remember their African roots regardless of where they resided, which is why he embraces the term "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at."
Omékongo was always influenced to write and learn. Education
was highly valued in his household, with his parents setting the standard holding 9 collegiate degrees between them including 3 PhDs from Harvard
and the Sorbonne. As a child, his parents would buy him encyclopedia
s instead of toys for his birthdays. He says he gets his creativity from his mother, a seamstress on the side, and his oratory skills from his father, a reverend. Omékongo actually began participating in oratory competitions while in secondary school
.
His desire to educate also comes from his parents, both former university professors and school founders.
Omékongo began writing in the 2nd grade and has not stopped. His love of learning led him to study at some of the world's finest institutions, including Harvard, MIT
, Princeton
, Georgetown
, Morehouse
, and The Fletcher School, where he received his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He is currently a Ph.D. student in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland
. Though Omékongo has traveled and witnessed poverty
and injustice
in 18 countries on 3 continents, he has always felt compelled to share the stories of adversity and inequality transpiring in America, his country of citizenship. Watching members of his own family experience police brutality
and seeing too many in his community lose their lives over foolishness has led Omékongo to speak for those in his local and global community who believe they do not have a voice. His inspiration comes from his parents first and foremost, who taught him to always be humble and only hate evil, not the people who practice it.
In terms of poetry, Omékongo has been inspired by many but cites Dr. Maya Angelou
, Nikki Giovanni
, Amiri Baraka
, and Abiodun Oyewole
as his primary influences. The shining faces of our future that he has worked with over the years also inspire him. He writes to encourage dialogue, to bring communities together, and to make people think outside the box. This has led him to performances across the nation and around the world in countries such as South Africa
, England
, France
, Congo-Kinshasa, Tanzania
, Cuba
, Holland, and Canada
. He has also shared his work on radio and TV through such networks as CNN, BET
, BBC
, NPR
, and Voice of America
in over 150 countries. In fact, he is the host of the TV show "Real Talk", which looks at issues facing youth today. He also co-starred in the TV drama series "Ya Ma'Afrika," which dealt with the lives of Africans in America.
Omékongo writes and performs in English
, French
and Swahili
, and has also blended Wolof
into some of his poetry. He states that: "The stage is my pulpit, the pen is my temple, the paper is my sanctuary, these poems are confessionals, and my heart is my faith."
Omékongo is most proud of his family and their accomplishments, the perseverance of people worldwide, and his marriage to Kendra, his first and only love who he has been with since the 11th grade, and their 2 children, Ngolela and Ndeji! His key to a successful relationship: "You must grow together and challenge each other."
A dedicated educator and community activist for over 25 years, Omékongo plans to continue focusing on improving cultural understanding and growing greatness among all of humanity's children, because, as Omékongo believes: "We are only as humane as our most inhumane soul."
, Angelina Jolie
, Angélique Kidjo
, Don Cheadle
, Norah Jones
, Mos Def
, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Damien Rice
. He has shared the stage with Les Brown, Willie Jolley, Sonia Sanchez
, Amiri Baraka, Dennis Brutus
, The Last Poets
, Askia Tour, Awilo, Felix Wazekwa, Outkast
, Wyclef Jean
, Reverend Run, Free, and Cousin Jeff. Les Brown was so impressed by Omékongo that he hand-picked Omékongo to join his Platinum Speakers Network. He is an original board member of the Origination Cultural Arts Center. He has released 7 spoken word
& hip-hop CDs. The first CD, "A Young Black Man's Anthem," won the 2003 Cambridge Poetry Award for "Best CD." His first book of poems, "From the Limbs of my Poetree," was published in 2004 through Free Your Mind Publishing, which Omékongo founded in early 2004. The book also features a special edition 90-minute DVD.
Omékongo's second book is an anthology of 8th grade students from Westland Middle School
in Bethesda, MD
. The book is entitled: "Poems From the Future: Poetic Reflections From the Next Generation." His third book is by M.D. Dibinga is entitled "Put Your Shoes On! A step by step guide for Youth Entering the Workforce." In 2011 he published the first book of children's poetry by Shaumba Yandje Dibinga entitled "Pride in my Stride." In an attempt to make a positive contribution to hip-hop music, Omékongo released 3 mixtapes in 2005, 2008, and 2011 entitled Bootleg, Bootleg II, and Bootleg III, where he remixed original work by Tupac
, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z
, Nas
, Kanye West
and others. The goal was to show young people that they can rap like their favorite artists but not curse or disrespect women. His 5th CD, Reality Show, is Omékongo's first hybrid spoken word and hip-hop CD.
In 2009, Omékongo launched his "G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness!" motivational series. The first 2 products in this series are a book and CD by the same title. The CD is a musical compilation of Omékongo's radio motivational segments from Touch 106.1 FM. The book, which has been endorsed by Willie Jolley and has a foreword from Les Brown, features not only stories of success from across the globe, but also in-book activities that can get you started on the path of greatness!
Omékongo has also been published in Essence Magazine
, Sister 2 Sister
, and several other publications.
(2004) Signs of the Time
(2005) Bootleg
(2006) Reality Show
(2008) Bootleg II
(2010) G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness!
(2011) Bootleg III
Tired of Technology
Losing Hip Hop
And I don't Even Know Her Name
(2005) Poems from the Future
(2007) Put Your Shoes On! A Step by Step Guide for Youth Entering the Workforce
(2010) G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! 10 Steps to Living Your Best Life
(2011) Pride in my Stride
The One Million Youth Campaign was created to help youths overcome the hurdles created by a society that has all but abandoned them. This program identifies current problems within how the media and society communicates with youths and outlines steps toward a solution that will empower youths and teach them the power of positive thought.
Raise Hope for Congo
Mercer Street Records
and the Enough Project
is sponsoring one of the largest campaigns to stop genocide
and crimes against humanity in the Congo by releasing a new album. Available on CD and as a digital download, this new album features songs by Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Bat for Lashes
, Rodrigo y Gabriela
, Mos Def, Omékongo... and many more. Raise Hope for Congo, a campaign of the Enough Project, is mobilizing the public to end the violence by addressing its root causes. Collaborating with national, grassroots, and Congolese organizations, the campaign aims to educate and empower individuals to be a part of the solution to the conflict.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, motivational speaker
Motivational speaking
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, diversity
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
consultant, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
contributor and positive rapper. He is known to deliver powerful messages, usually targeted toward a younger audience, that touch on positive as well as painful subjects from being an upstander and not a bystander to the ills of society such as bullying, racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
to motivation and diversity education. As the Founder and CEO of Free Your Mind Publishing, Omékongo has published and released several books, CDs, and DVDs of over 80 authors as well as himself. These works from range from poetry and youth professional development to motivation and hip-hop music
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. These works are meant to inspire and encourage global change
Global change
Global change refers to planetary-scale changes in the Earth system. The system consists of the land, oceans, atmosphere, poles, life, the planet’s natural cycles and deep Earth processes. These constituent parts influence one another...
by empowering all who listen and arming them with the tools needed to combat these pressing issues in our global community.
Biography
Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker Omékongo Luhaka wa Dibinga was born in Cambridge, MassachusettsCambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. His parents, Drs. Dibinga wa Said & Ngolela wa Kabongo were Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(ex-Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
) refugees, who fled the Congo because of their role in aiding in its independence. As a first generation Congolese American
Congolese American
Congolese Americans are Americans of descent from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of the Congo. Many have come because of war....
, Omékongo grew up in an environment that led him to experience what he calls "the best and worst of both African and African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
societies"; having grown up in a strict African household in an African-American community in Roxbury, MA
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
. He grew up as the 7th of 9 children who were taught to remember their African roots regardless of where they resided, which is why he embraces the term "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at."
Omékongo was always influenced to write and learn. Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
was highly valued in his household, with his parents setting the standard holding 9 collegiate degrees between them including 3 PhDs from Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and the Sorbonne. As a child, his parents would buy him encyclopedia
Encyclopedia
An encyclopedia is a type of reference work, a compendium holding a summary of information from either all branches of knowledge or a particular branch of knowledge....
s instead of toys for his birthdays. He says he gets his creativity from his mother, a seamstress on the side, and his oratory skills from his father, a reverend. Omékongo actually began participating in oratory competitions while in secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
.
His desire to educate also comes from his parents, both former university professors and school founders.
Omékongo began writing in the 2nd grade and has not stopped. His love of learning led him to study at some of the world's finest institutions, including Harvard, MIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, Georgetown
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, Morehouse
Morehouse College
Morehouse College is a private, all-male, liberal arts, historically black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with Hampden-Sydney College and Wabash College, Morehouse is one of three remaining traditional men's colleges in the United States....
, and The Fletcher School, where he received his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He is currently a Ph.D. student in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland
University of Maryland
When the term "University of Maryland" is used without any qualification, it generally refers to the University of Maryland, College Park.University of Maryland may refer to the following:...
. Though Omékongo has traveled and witnessed poverty
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and injustice
Injustice
Injustice is the lack of or opposition to justice, either in reference to a particular event or act, or as a larger status quo. The term generally refers to misuse, abuse, neglect, or malfeasance that is uncorrected or else sanctioned by a legal system. Misuse and abuse with regard to a particular...
in 18 countries on 3 continents, he has always felt compelled to share the stories of adversity and inequality transpiring in America, his country of citizenship. Watching members of his own family experience police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
and seeing too many in his community lose their lives over foolishness has led Omékongo to speak for those in his local and global community who believe they do not have a voice. His inspiration comes from his parents first and foremost, who taught him to always be humble and only hate evil, not the people who practice it.
In terms of poetry, Omékongo has been inspired by many but cites Dr. Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
, Nikki Giovanni
Nikki Giovanni
Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Her primary focus is on the individual and the power one has to make a difference in oneself and in the lives of others. Giovanni’s poetry expresses strong racial pride, respect for family, and her...
, Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka
Amiri Baraka , formerly known as LeRoi Jones, is an American writer of poetry, drama, fiction, essays, and music criticism...
, and Abiodun Oyewole
Abiodun Oyewole
Abiodun Oyewole , is a poet, teacher and founding member of the American music and spoken-word group The Last Poets that developed into what is considered the first ever hip hop group....
as his primary influences. The shining faces of our future that he has worked with over the years also inspire him. He writes to encourage dialogue, to bring communities together, and to make people think outside the box. This has led him to performances across the nation and around the world in countries such as South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Congo-Kinshasa, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Holland, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He has also shared his work on radio and TV through such networks as CNN, BET
Bet
Bet or BET may refer to:* A wager in gambling* Basic Economics Test * Bet , the second letter in many Semitic alphabets, including Aramaic, Hebrew, Phoenician and Syriac* Brunauer-Emmett-Teller isotherm. See BET_theory...
, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
, and Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
in over 150 countries. In fact, he is the host of the TV show "Real Talk", which looks at issues facing youth today. He also co-starred in the TV drama series "Ya Ma'Afrika," which dealt with the lives of Africans in America.
Omékongo writes and performs in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
, and has also blended Wolof
Wolof language
Wolof is a language spoken in Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania, and is the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Atlantic branch of the Niger–Congo language family...
into some of his poetry. He states that: "The stage is my pulpit, the pen is my temple, the paper is my sanctuary, these poems are confessionals, and my heart is my faith."
Omékongo is most proud of his family and their accomplishments, the perseverance of people worldwide, and his marriage to Kendra, his first and only love who he has been with since the 11th grade, and their 2 children, Ngolela and Ndeji! His key to a successful relationship: "You must grow together and challenge each other."
A dedicated educator and community activist for over 25 years, Omékongo plans to continue focusing on improving cultural understanding and growing greatness among all of humanity's children, because, as Omékongo believes: "We are only as humane as our most inhumane soul."
Achievements
His work has appeared in publications and musical collaborations alongside many artists such as Sheryl CrowSheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
, Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
, Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo, commonly known as Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy Award–winning Beninoise singer-songwriter and activist, noted for her diverse musical influences and creative music videos. Time Magazine has called her "Africa's premier diva". The BBC has...
, Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
, Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, Meshell Ndegeocello, and Damien Rice
Damien Rice
Damien Rice is an Irish singer-songwriter, musician and record producer who plays guitar, piano, clarinet and percussion....
. He has shared the stage with Les Brown, Willie Jolley, Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez
Sonia Sanchez is an African American poet most often associated with the Black Arts Movement. She has authored over a dozen books of poetry, as well as plays and children's books...
, Amiri Baraka, Dennis Brutus
Dennis Brutus
Dennis Vincent Brutus was a South African activist, educator, journalist and poet best known for his campaign to have apartheid South Africa banned from the Olympic Games.-Life and work:...
, The Last Poets
The Last Poets
The Last Poets is a group of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African American civil rights movement's black nationalist thread...
, Askia Tour, Awilo, Felix Wazekwa, Outkast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean
Wyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
, Reverend Run, Free, and Cousin Jeff. Les Brown was so impressed by Omékongo that he hand-picked Omékongo to join his Platinum Speakers Network. He is an original board member of the Origination Cultural Arts Center. He has released 7 spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
& hip-hop CDs. The first CD, "A Young Black Man's Anthem," won the 2003 Cambridge Poetry Award for "Best CD." His first book of poems, "From the Limbs of my Poetree," was published in 2004 through Free Your Mind Publishing, which Omékongo founded in early 2004. The book also features a special edition 90-minute DVD.
Omékongo's second book is an anthology of 8th grade students from Westland Middle School
Westland Middle School
Westland Middle School is a public school in Bethesda in unincorporated Montgomery County, Maryland. It opened in 1952 as Western Junior High School, it then changed its name to Westland Jr. High School when it merged with Leland Junior High School, and later to Westland Intermediate School...
in Bethesda, MD
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. The book is entitled: "Poems From the Future: Poetic Reflections From the Next Generation." His third book is by M.D. Dibinga is entitled "Put Your Shoes On! A step by step guide for Youth Entering the Workforce." In 2011 he published the first book of children's poetry by Shaumba Yandje Dibinga entitled "Pride in my Stride." In an attempt to make a positive contribution to hip-hop music, Omékongo released 3 mixtapes in 2005, 2008, and 2011 entitled Bootleg, Bootleg II, and Bootleg III, where he remixed original work by Tupac
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
and others. The goal was to show young people that they can rap like their favorite artists but not curse or disrespect women. His 5th CD, Reality Show, is Omékongo's first hybrid spoken word and hip-hop CD.
In 2009, Omékongo launched his "G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness!" motivational series. The first 2 products in this series are a book and CD by the same title. The CD is a musical compilation of Omékongo's radio motivational segments from Touch 106.1 FM. The book, which has been endorsed by Willie Jolley and has a foreword from Les Brown, features not only stories of success from across the globe, but also in-book activities that can get you started on the path of greatness!
Omékongo has also been published in Essence Magazine
Essence (magazine)
Essence is a monthly magazine for African-American women between the ages of 18 and 49. The magazine covers fashion, lifestyle and beauty with an intimate girlfriend-to-girlfriend tone.-History:...
, Sister 2 Sister
Sister 2 Sister
Sister 2 Sister is a US four-color magazine that is published monthly devoted to the world of African-American entertainment. Jamie Foster Brown is the publisher....
, and several other publications.
Albums
(2003) A Young Black Man's Anthem: Love, Afrika and Revolution Revisited(2004) Signs of the Time
(2005) Bootleg
(2006) Reality Show
(2008) Bootleg II
(2010) G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness!
(2011) Bootleg III
Films
The Trial of CharumathiTired of Technology
Losing Hip Hop
And I don't Even Know Her Name
Published Literary Works
(2004) From the Limbs of My Poetree(2005) Poems from the Future
(2007) Put Your Shoes On! A Step by Step Guide for Youth Entering the Workforce
(2010) G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness! 10 Steps to Living Your Best Life
(2011) Pride in my Stride
Social Activism Projects
1,000,000 Youth CampaignThe One Million Youth Campaign was created to help youths overcome the hurdles created by a society that has all but abandoned them. This program identifies current problems within how the media and society communicates with youths and outlines steps toward a solution that will empower youths and teach them the power of positive thought.
Raise Hope for Congo
Mercer Street Records
Mercer Street Records
Mercer Street Records, is an imprint of Downtown Records, a unit of Downtown Music LLC. Since 2010, the superstar Grammy/MTV VMA-winner Cyndi Lauper, is signed to the label.-See also:* Downtown Music LLC* Downtown Records* Downtown Music Publishing...
and the Enough Project
Enough Project
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress , based in Washington, D.C., created to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Its Co-Founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith; its Executive Director is John C. Bradshaw, J.D....
is sponsoring one of the largest campaigns to stop genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and crimes against humanity in the Congo by releasing a new album. Available on CD and as a digital download, this new album features songs by Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones, Bat for Lashes
Bat for Lashes
Natasha Khan , also known by her stage name Bat for Lashes, is an English musician. She sings and plays the piano, bass, guitar, harpsichord and the autoharp....
, Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Rodrigo y Gabriela , also known as "El Rodri y La Gabi", are a Mexican musical duo who specialize in playing fast, rhythmic acoustic guitars...
, Mos Def, Omékongo... and many more. Raise Hope for Congo, a campaign of the Enough Project, is mobilizing the public to end the violence by addressing its root causes. Collaborating with national, grassroots, and Congolese organizations, the campaign aims to educate and empower individuals to be a part of the solution to the conflict.