We’re reminding you that Africa is not a single country, so don’t treat it like that. In fact there’s an opportunity coming up for you to learn more about and interact with several of the continent’s cultures that can be found in Springfield.
On Aug. 9, the African Community Festival will celebrate the diverse people of the African diaspora. We speak with organizers Naefia Padi, Emmanuel Owusu, and Doreen Dawes about the music, food, festivities, and community action that will take place at the event.
We also head to Westfield, where the local farmers’ market has become a volunteer-fueled labor of community. Market manager Lisa Zlody and volunteers Sarah Adams and Priest Sandy Albim show us the many flavors of the current market, the impact of budget cuts to HIP and SNAP, and the coalition of folx coming together to make sure their neighbors are getting healthy produce.
And, with Word Nerd Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, we swallow an orchard's worth of fruits that English lacked terms for, specifically to look at how apples came to be associated with laryngeal protuberances. Which is to say we look at the term Adam’s apple.
