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History

With new waves of African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees settling in Philadelphia in the early 2000, 15 grassroots organizations, representing 15 African and Caribbean nationalities convened at the Balch Institute of Philadelphia, to launch the Coalition of African Communities (AFRICOM) in May 2001. The fifteen nationalities included: Ghana, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Liberia, Haiti, Mali, Sudan, Senegal, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Mauretania, Sierra Leone, Togo, 

 

The launching convention was the culmination of months of organizing and collective power-building to address the systemic social and economic issues that African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees face in the Greater Philadelphia area.  In 2003, AFRICOM was incorporated with the Department of State of Pennsylvania.

In 2005, AFRICOM successfully advocated for the City of Philadelphia, under Mayor John Street, to create the Mayor’s Commission for African and Caribbean Immigrants’ Affairs through Executive Order No. 2005 A-03.

 

AFRICOM’s past and current presidents and leaders include

 

Names

Country

Term

Mr. Ernie Greewood

United States

2001 – 2003

Dr. Jude Iheoma                     

Nigeria           

2003 – 2006

Dr. Philip Udo-Inyang           

Nigeria

2006 – 2010

Dr. Vera Tolbert

Liberia

2010 – 2012

Mr. Vincent Ngadi (late)

Nigeria

2012 – 2014

Dr. Eric Edi

Côte d’Ivoire

2014 –

“Ever since we found AFRICOM, they have been our number one partner. They welcomed us with open arms. By teaming up with them, we didn’t have to re-invent the wheel.”
Andrew Batchelor

Former President, Advisor, Coalition for Jamaica, Philadelphia

“Working with AFRICOM has provided me with the unique opportunity to get away from the books and apply the skills I’ve worked so hard to acquire. For me, these legal clinics introduce a human component to the law. I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be able to talk to people and try to understand their problems during these clinics and hopefully provide a path forward.”
Tu Le

Penn Law Immigrant Right Program (PLIRP)

My conversations with Tony have always felt ease-filled and aligned. And, that synergy seemed to transfer to our early conversations with AFRICOM-Philly leadership, where we were listening and formulating potential approaches as though we had met and planned things out before the call. That feeling of “we’ve done this together before” carried on throughout the project, from early proposal generation to bringing to life our individual expertise, strengths, and interests in a connected way through to the actual day of the retreat.
Sharlene Goldfischer

Owner and Principal Quintessence Coaching and Consulting, LLC

let us make a difference and give hope.

let us make a difference and give hope.

Mission

The mission of the Coalition of African Communities (AFRICOM) is to organize and advocate for African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees to feel a sense of empowerment, belonging, and self-sufficiency. AFRICOM achieves this mission through programs that center on community health and wellness, leadership development, culture awareness, education, civic engagement, and advocacy campaigns.

Staff and Board of Directors

Staff

Eric Edi, PHD

President, Chief Operating Officer, Director of Policy and Research

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Mrs. Mathilda Sawie, MPH

Community Development and Civic Engagement Specialist

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Mrs. Aminata Sidibé

Social Worker and Community outreach specialist

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Board of Directors

Zemoria Brandon, BSW

BOARD CHAIR ADMINISTRATOR AND SOCIAL WORKER, SICKLE CELL DISEASE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, PHILADELPHIA/DELAWARE VALLEY CHAPTER

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VERA TOLBERT, PHD

BOARD 1ST VICE CHAIR RETIRED AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE OFFICER, HEALTH PARTNERS PLANS

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PHILIP UDO-INYANG, PHD

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AND CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY

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REV. SR. FLORENCE ENECHUKWUU

BOARD SECRETARY AFRICAN COMMUNITIES OUTREACH COORDINATOR CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

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RAPHIATOU NOUMBISSI

BOARD MEMBER ADMINISTRATOR, BETTER HEALTH HOME CARE, PHILADELPHIA

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EL HADJI NDIAYE

BOARD MEMBER PHILADELPHIA HOUSING AUTHORITY PROGRAM COORDINATOR CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, PHILADELPHIA

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Siddiq Abdelhadi

Member, Agricultural Economist, Researcher, and Consultant

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REV. JOHN JALLAH, PHD

BOARD MEMBER ASSOCIATE PASTOR, NEW FELLOWSHIP CHURCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AGAPE AFRICAN SENIOR CENTER, PHILADELPHIA

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ERICE REID, ED.D

BOARD MEMBER INCLUSION STRATEGIES & IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, STATE OF NEW JERSEY

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Partners

Funders and Sponsors