While 16 cities across North America prepare for the influx of six million fans, Philadelphia occupies a unique position. For the African and Caribbean Diaspora, the city is an ancestral home because the updated match schedule reveals a convergence of athletics and identity.
As we move through March 2026, the world has officially arrived at our doorstep. The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have validated what the African Diaspora has known for generations: Philadelphia is the premier global destination of 2026. But for FunTimes readers, this is a tourism boom and a reclamation of the very narrative of “Becoming America”.
There is an African proverb that says, “Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji apone” – “Let the guest come so that the host may be healed.” It suggests that a visitor brings more than just their presence; they bring news and blessings that can restore a home to new strength.
On March 27, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana will visit Philadelphia for a day built around four major stops: Lincoln University, the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Temple University, and a Ghana-focused pop-up opening at Brown’s ShopRite.
On this International Women’s Day 2026, we celebrate the Black women on the African continent and all over the world who are funding scholarships, building community programs, mentoring, and investing in the lives of young people.
History is often written by those who hold the pen, but the Bridge of Freedom initiative is about those who hold the memories. In a closed-door rehearsal for our upcoming event at Mother Bethel AME, our panelists gathered to prepare for what promises to be an evocative fireside conversation. What began as a logistical check-in quickly evolved into an exploration of what it means to be free in a global diaspora.
2026 is a year of “poly-crisis,” climate instability, economic fragmentation, political polarization, and weakened institutions. Old leadership playbooks are failing. However, Africa has always produced leaders who knew how to govern, organize, and endure in the face of chaos.
I attended Governor Josh Shapiro’s 2026 Budget Address at the Pennsylvania General Assembly which afforded me a firsthand look at the legislative priorities shaping our Commonwealth.
West Africa is not new to political crises; from sanctions, coups, and political impasses, the region has seen the best and worst of it. For the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the regional bloc has been at the forefront of addressing concerns faced by its member states and of finding solutions to ensure peaceful relations within the region.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, FunTimes Magazine, in collaboration with Lincoln University, is launching the Bridge of Freedom Oral History Initiative. Our mission is urgent: to document the untold stories of African and Caribbean co-leadership in the U.S. Civil Rights movement before they are lost to time.
