African celebration brings food, music and cultural immersion to Alberta Park this weekend [Video]

When Moussa Sangare immigrated to the U.S. from Senegal 11 years ago, he had never encountered the concept of racism.

“Africans tend to be so judgemental because we don’t know what the African Americans have gone through,” Sangare said. “We don’t understand it.”

As he adapted to life in the U.S., learning about the country’s history through diversity training and cultural events, Sangare began to see the deep connections between African and Black communities.

“Africans and African Americans — we are one people,” said Sangare. “But we don’t realize that until later on, when we know more about the history of the country.”

Sangare realized that many issues within the community impact both African and Black communities. This interconnection is what inspired the annual Soul2Soul event, a two-day summit and cultural festival that has been connecting and empowering the African and Black communities since 2021.

“The purpose is to elevate really, …