New York, February 27, 2008 ---Following general mis-reporting by the news media recently about the turban attire and white dress worn in parts of African nations, Africans In America wish to educate the public, particularly the ‘ignorant media’ on the issues and dress code in the African continent.

Though this is a highly political (election) season in the United States of America, we do not wish to talk politics, but straight and direct talk concerning misrepresentation of the African lovely and peaceful cultural ways of life, some of it though, to be exact.

The image of United States Senator Barack Obama recently published on the pro-Republican website Drudgereport has sparked all sorts of row and mis-reference that the cloths were African traditional dress.

According to news report, the photo was taken ‘during a tour in Africa in 2006 when Obama visited Wajir, a rural area in the north-east of Kenya, the birth ground of the African-American senator”.

The pro-Republican website Drudgereport claimed to have received the photo from the staff of United States Senator Hillary Clinton.

Africans In America suspect something foul going on here; that the enemies of Africa are trying everything and anything possible to inject negative image of the continent into the American election for president and thereby set Africa and Africans up for hard times ahead, both in United States and back in the continent.

Some media had even gone to say that the attire Senator Barack Obama was wearing was “the traditional dress of the elderly in the Somali village”, and that incensed many in the African community.

“Where did the Clinton campaign get the picture of the Obama from, if it is true that Drudgereport actually got it from them? Who actually gave them the picture?”, queried members of the immigrant African community unwilling to reveal their names.

“Did the media go to the Somali village to find out whether the attire is cultural or religious, or what that attire means, or who wears them?”, queried the

agitated Africans.

Straight talk number 1: Africa is made up of millions of people with thousands of cultures and ways of life.

Straight talk number 2: Africa has many (countable) foreign religions and numerous (uncountable, or rather very difficult to count) traditional religions.

Straight talk number 3: Turban attire and white wrapper (skirt-like dress) with two white strings crossing the shoulder (suspenders-like) as shown in the picture in question is not Africa cultural dress, nor African religious dress. That attire, though worn in some parts of the world including some parts of Africa, is not an African cultural dress. That attire like suits and some western form of dress represent foreign influence in Africa. They are not ‘African’, period.

African immigrants interviewed do not blame the Obama Campaign or the Clinton Campaign for all these confusion, rather they “suspect people from outside who hate Africa may be using every thing and anything African to cause and prepare the ground for anti-African policies”.

Africans In America are concerned about the effect all these references and attention will have on the African community in United States and American policy towards the continent after the election.

“We like Senator Clinton and Senator Obama a lot. Clintons are real tested and trusted friends of Africa, while Senator Obama, though with very little experience, is our brother, nevertheless. However, we want the next American President to help the continent by being very aggressive against corrupt African leaders”.

“Anybody, including Senator John MacCain, Governor Mike Huckabee, and even Ralph Nader who will support real change for the better in Africa, who will assist us to eradicate corruption in Africa will get the support of the African community, if that will make any difference”, said Africans too scared to give their names.

“We understand also that the names of one of the leading candidates in this election is Barack ‘Hussein’ Obama; Obama, not ‘Osama’”.