2025 -- H 5149

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LC000890

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

CELEBRATING FUNDA FEST 27 AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE RI BLACK

STORYTELLERS (RIBS) FROM JANUARY 17TH-26TH, 2025

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Morales, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Chippendale, Biah,
Abney, Giraldo, Cruz, Stewart, and Solomon

     Date Introduced: January 23, 2025

     Referred To: House read and passed

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     WHEREAS, RI Black Storytellers (RIBS) was founded in 1998, and is a nonprofit

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organization whose mission is to promote “the awareness, appreciation, and application of Black

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Storytelling in Rhode Island through performance, as well as through educational and cultural

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experiences”; and

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     WHEREAS, Funda Fest is “the flagship of RIBS programming”, and over the years, has

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reached over 120,000 people with international, national, regional, and local artists at various

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career stages, representing the diversity of Black storytelling; and

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     WHEREAS, Funda is a South African Zulu word meaning “to learn” or “to teach”. Funda

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Fest is a two-week celebration which includes seven statewide public performances in partnership

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with local organizations in each city or town, and annually reaches a statewide audience of

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thousands; and

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     WHEREAS, This year heralds the 27th celebration of Funda Fest, and provides a platform

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for Black people to shape the narrative of their own history and promote awareness, appreciation,

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and application of Black storytelling through an educational and cultural experience, with a place

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and time to learn the history, values, and traditions that have often been non-existent in

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mainstream literature; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

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joins the thousands of Rhode Islanders in celebrating and supporting Funda Fest 27 from January

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17th through the 26th, 2025. We moreover urge all Rhode Islanders to take this time to listen,

 

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experience, and learn generational Black history, values and traditions through the power of

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storytelling from the “keepers of the culture”; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS).

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LC000890

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