Sponsored by the Los Angeles-based ILM Foundation, the lively event featured panel discussions, food, and speakers from throughout the African Diaspora. The event opened with a moving Qur’anic recitation from Shaikh Tejane, from Sierre Leone, West Africa.

The program is an annual Black History Month event. Conveners of the program are passionate about their campaign to connect Africa and African American Muslims in collective projects that will help to develop Africa as well as overturn stereotypes that African Americans and the international community retain even today..

To make this point, early in the program, moderator Oman Abdullah asked those present what thoughts came to mind when they thought of Africa. Although some shared positive ideas, many had to admit that poverty, illiteracy, war, famine, and other negative ideas were the first to come to mind. During the program, deliberate attempts were made to overcome these negative images spread by the mainstream Western media and history books.

One such example was the discussion led by Sister Khadijah Rashid, a representative of the International Museum of Muslim Culture, in Jackson, Miss. Rashid gave a dynamic presentation about the museum’s collection of documents and memorabilia from Timbuktu, an ancient, African center of learning. Rashid exposed that Timbuktu and Mali had deep Islamic roots and traditions.

The same message of the deep, Islamic roots within the history of African-Americans was shared through the panel discussion on "Islam in America."

Linking African Americans to Africa was the theme of the third panel, ILM’s "Historical Journey to Ghana." The ILM Foundation has established firm ties with agencies of the Ghanaian government and to many members of the Ghanaian Muslim community. ILM has an international office in the West African country.