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What happens when culture becomes the bridge instead of the barrier? We sit with Rita Addico Cohen, executive director of the Tidewater African Cultural Alliance, to explore a life that stretched from Accra to Hampton Roads and a mission that now spans classrooms, libraries, and community stages. Rita shares how TACA’s African Cultural Education (ACE) program brings one country at a time into schools through language, storytelling, and dance—turning curiosity into confidence and delivering measurable gains in knowledge, relationships, and social-emotional skills.
We dig into the design: six- to eight-week modules, vocabulary from major African languages, and a storytelling practice adapted from Ghanaian tradition that helps students name morals and navigate behavior with empathy. Thanks to a partnership with curriculum experts at Old Dominion University, ACE is built to scale. Rita’s own path—polyglot, federal interpreter, Manhattan School of Music alum, theater artist—powers a teaching style that makes heritage feel alive. Beyond classrooms, TACA convenes joyful public events: a gala featuring 20+ countries, country-focused showcases with local diasporas, and the return of Afrobeats Fest with youth workshops, college connections, and cultural scholarships.
We also face the hard history. Rita unpacks the transatlantic slave trade’s reach, the endurance of African design and polyrhythms across global music and fashion, and why attempts to erase culture ultimately fail. Mental health sits alongside celebration, with monthly conversations led by clinicians to help communities of African descent process trauma and strengthen resilience. If you believe culture should be accessible, accurate, and shared, this conversation offers a roadmap—and an invitation.
Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of culture, education, and community. Share this episode with a friend, and tell us which country you’d like to see ACE bring to your local school next.
Do us a favor and like, comment, share, and subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes. To see the full video on YouTube go to Listen Up with Host Al Neely
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Chapters
1. Meet Rita Adico Cohen & TACA (00:00:00)
2. Rita’s Journey From Ghana To Virginia (00:01:14)
3. Class, Migration, And Early Culture Shocks (00:06:24)
4. Slave Trade History And Global Reach (00:11:35)
5. Breaking Myths And Building Belonging (00:17:30)
6. Why TACA Exists And What It Solves (00:23:20)
7. Inside ACE: How Schools Learn Africa (00:28:15)
8. Data, Growth, And Curriculum Scaling (00:34:40)
9. Rita’s Language And Arts Background (00:40:20)
10. Choosing Countries And Community Ties (00:45:05)
11. Gala Joy: 20 Nations At One Table (00:50:02)
77 episodes
