The Nepal Chronicles #2

March 3, 2021…

I was excited to fly on Qatar Air. The fact that Qatar is home for the largest American air base in the region will have to be set aside for the time being. After all I had heard that their in flight Wifi is legendary (which I am using right now!) plus Qatar is an Arab country and I speak the language and it was my chance in several years to show off my Arabic. So you can imagine my disappointment when I found out that there are no Arab flight attendants. There are no Arabs running this show at all. None!

My whole world shattered when I asked my flight attendant, dressed in HAZMAT whites, if she spoke Arabic. She sheepishly confessed that she’s South African while adjusting her mask. Moments later she returned asking if I needed someone to interpret for me, further disclosing that she did not think that anyone on the flight spoke Arabic but, if need be, she could probably find a passenger who did! She shared with me that the crew is made up of mostly South Africans, Nepalis, and Bengalis. But no Arabs. Even the captain, it turns out, whose name is David, is from El Salvador!

My layover in Doha is super short. About one hour. It will be my only chance to find an Arab speaker. But my hope is fading and I have a feeling that the flight to Kathmandu is not going to change that.

Hope you stay tuned for further adventures!
Namaste!

PHOTO 2024 02 01 07 10 14

For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

PALESTINE WEEK 1920 x 1080 px 2

Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

President Obama meets with former inmates in the Langston Room

President Obama meets with former inmates in the Langston Room

President Obama met at Busboys and Poets 14th & V to have lunch with a group of former inmates. He was joined by senior advisor Valerie Jarrett. The Obama administration chose to have their meeting with us since we banned the box in 2009.