Welcome Home Party and Continue the Battle Fundraiser
Friday, August 28, 2009
Sebastopol Community Center, located at 390 Morris St. in Sebastopol, CA

Download a pdf version of this flyer to print and post around your neighborhood. Spread the word!

Update for August 19, 2009
If you are able to volunteer, or really want to, please email me with your phone number and what you would like to do. If you think I already know you're volunteering, and I have your info (which I may well have) email me anyway so I have everyone in front of my face at once. (thanks... : ))

• We especially need help with preparing and serving the food/ drinks (see Food below)
• We need back up for doors
• We need back up for loading in and loading out sound equipment
• AND HELP W/ CLEAN UP TO GET OUT BY 12 MIDNIGHT! (committed responsible people please...just like last time)

Time is getting VERY CLOSE to the date of Aug. 28, 2009! We are really excited, but there are things that still need to be done! I need help. When Okili was first seized by the ICE people it was such an emergency I received an over-pouring of help to organize the Free Okli event. I know there are a ton of people who want to help now too, but I don't have the organizational help I had last time.

Being as Okili is now Free and I am in a much better state of mind, I am much more able to be on top of things, but also, I am still overwhelmed with trying to work in my regular job, etc. and we really can't do it by ourselves. Unfortunately Kris Freewoman can't help this time as she'll be away to her mothers 80th B'day (Ok, that is a good excuse and she was AMAZING last time @ Free Okili), and other people who were more available last time have not been able to come forward as strongly this time. Maybe because they don't see or feel the same urgency as the first Free Okli event, which is understandable.

But we still really need help, and actually our case is still not settled by any means, even though he is out. Here is where I need help, and if you can do something please EMAIL me with your phone number.

FOOD
DONATIONS NEEDED: Anyone able to or know someone able to donate SALAD makings, DESSERTS, and DRINKS (INCLUDING WINE) would be awesome and is still needed. We will also need plastic wine and beer glasses, chai cups, Napkins, Coffee, tea and 1/2 and 1/2 and rice milk. Please email me with what you have or think you can get and your phone number. Thanks!

Shopping: If some of these things listed above are not completely donated we will need to buy some. You will be reimbursed. Probably shopping will need to take place the day or two before the event. We'll probably need drinks (if not enough are donated).

Cooking RICE: We also need help w/ the rice. I'm looking for an old recipe I've had in the past to cook rice in large trays that we cover in foil and bake in the oven. I need help with this starting around 3PM (The rice involves pouring heavy pots of boiled water over the rice, covering and getting into the oven. Anyone else have experience with this?

Making SALAD: We will need help with Salad prep. Washing and cutting Salad goodies to put in large Salad bowls.

Rich at Chai Baba Chai will be doing the fabulous African inspired lightly ginger spiced beans again and he's also going to help with the flow of the servers in the kitchen, being as he is an experienced caterer, and has handled many events.

Bruce Allan Rhodes will do the smoked Chicken again but this time it will have Okili and my amazing African marinade soaked the night prior (YUM!)

I'd like to give a big "Thank You!" to the human forces that are solidly in place:

Flyer: Laurie MacMillan who did an awesome job making the Free Okili and the current He's Home Flyers. If anyone wants to contact her for work she could be available to you. She is a freelance graphic designer and people can see her portfolio and testimonials at: http://www.sunfielddesign.com. Don't be alarmed if you see her business name says 8 Designs as she's not had a chance to change her business name on her own site to Sunfield Design. She does everything from logos to catalogs and web design for over 25 years.

Web Page: Our dear friend Michelle Hill has been extremely kind to have created the chipin site for Okili, and in her busy life as a full time mother up in Laytonville, to continue to keep updating our page w/ the badgeman link within it. You can see the Okli site at: http://okili.chipin.com/okilis-legal-funds.

Sound Man: Robin Silver of Archer Audio Systems has been extremely gracious to give the love offering of his time to do the sound for the upcoming event. Robin does sound every year for a stage at Earthdance and Harmony Festivals, as well as many other known regular events, and has done sound at a few of our past United Africa Club Festivals. His Website can be viewed at: http://archeraudio.com/. At the Free Okili event last May, Victor Hall of the band Midnight Sun donated the sound, organizing musicians, and managing the stage, a HUGE job!

Musicians: We are truly blessed and grateful to have the generous donations by some of our truest friends in the Northbay, all of the awesome musicians who are so lovingly donating their time to Welcome Okili home and make a really fun event. I'm listing all of the links I can find for everyone here:
Midnight Sun Band: http://www.myspace.com/midnightsuntouch
Lucky Otis: http://www.myspace.com/luckyotis
Sky-i & Inna Riddim: http://www.myspace.com/iamskyi
Carnaval Spirit and Kim Atkinson: http://www.pulsewave.com/
Sang Matiz: http://www.reverbnation.com/sangmatiz
Olembe Nguebari: http://www.myspace.com/liolockdown
Sarafina-the-bellydancer (aka Marjorie Mann): http://www.marjoriemann.com/2.html
Dusty Wroten w/ Angelena - Dusty is singing a song or two she wrote accompanied by Angelena who is quite accomplished and has a website: http://www.angelena.net/about.html
Amy Treadwell - our wonderful friend and blues singer will sing a song accompanied by Lucky Otis and musicians
Amadou Camara - unfortunately no web page, but our good friend and amazing Master Drummer of Guinea, West Africa will be there!
Sandor Diabankouezi - Also no URL, but Sandor is our good friend and brother from Congo who is a master dancer / choreographer / drummer / and visual artist who made the back drop for the stage (last show too).
John Jones - No URL for him...Our good friend and drummer will be accompanying the drum contingent and Sarafina the Bellydancer (and he builds amazing drums!

MEDIA / PRESS- We have also had incredible support from the Press for all of this. A huge Thank you to:
Bruce Robinson - North Bay Report - KRCB
Dennis Bernstein - Flashpoints - KPFA
David Sharp - Music International - KBBF
Ida Johnson - What's Hot - Santa Rosa Community Media Center
Amy Contardi - Womens' Voices - KBBF - Crossing Borders - KRCB
Kris Welch - Livingroom - KPFA
Emanuel Nado- Voices of Africa - KKUP
Frank Hayhurst - Local Music Weekend Calandar-KRSH
John Chapman (A.K.A Milo) KGGV
Mary Moore - Women's Voices - KBBF
Bleys Rose - The Press Democrat
Gretchen Giles - The Bohemian
And I assume there will be a story shortly through the Sonoma West Times and News. They do have it on the on line Calendar since I listed it there...

Press release
On Friday, August 28, 2009 there will be a Welcome Home Party celebrating the release of Okili Nguebari from the ICE Detention Facility where he had been held for 3 months in ELOY, AZ. The event, serving also as A legal fundraiser for on going actions to resolve the still unsettled case, will take place at The Sebastopol Community Center with doors opening at 6:30 PM. There will be a dinner and drinks available for purchase, and a sizzling danceable line up of live African, Caribbean, soulful, inspirational, and original music. There is a $20 suggested donation at the door.

Last April 20th, 2009, Okili, who had married His American wife, Sabrina Krauss, 22 years ago, and who fathered and co-parented their two American born children, was unexpectedly seized from the front of his Santa Rosa home of the last 15 years by 6 Dept. of Homeland Security ICE officers. They arrived in three unmarked cars, and spirited him away to a privately owned detention facility in the remote AZ dessert, with the intent of deporting him from the USA.

Just as unexpectedly he was released on July 17 to the Phoenix Greyhound station in which he boarded a bus and came back to his home in Santa Rosa. It is assumed that he was released due to the fact that he is a member of an immigration class action law suit regarding the Amnesty of 1987-1988, NWIRP vs USCIS in which he is currently protected from deportation.

Also, considerable support has been received from the community as the result of a successful event held last May 22, 2009 at the Sebastopol Community Center. That event generated the legal funding that has taken us this far. Also there was assistance from Congressman Mike Thompson’s office in the form of phone calls to the ICE detention center. There were signatures collected, letters written, phone calls made, all pressuring for his release.

We are celebrating his homecoming with an African inspired dinner /dance party, and continued legal fund-raising. Entertainers include Midnight Sun, Olembe Nguebari, Sky-I and Inna Riddim, Sandor Diabankouezi, Sang Matiz, Lucky Otis, Belly dancer Sarafina, and many more. This event will also be a time for healing all those friends and family who were hurt by this disastrous and scary, situation, nearly removing a popular and well loved community member from his village and wife and children. For more information call Sabrina at 707-320-9383 or the Sebastopol Community Center at 707-823-1511..

Update for July 20, 2009
Please, we need your help again for this big welcome home event, to finish his case properly. Again, thank you to everyone's continued support from the beginning to the end. I ask that you do not give up on us, as the fight still continues on, but now it should be just a little bit easier for us all...kind of like a few heavyweights just joined our side of the tug of war rope; so don't leave our sides! The fun times are just beginning and you don't want to miss out!

SILENT AUCTION
The Silent Auction at FREE OKILI was a success and we think it's a good idea to have another one. Ruth Richards handled the last Auction completely and absolutely 100%, from coordinating all the items, to sitting in the auction room the entire night of the event, to finally collecting most of the money for all the sold items. I am extremely thankful to this and I know it was a lot of work so I'm sure she will either want more help this time or maybe another team of auctioneers would like to take over this time?

FOOD, BEER, and WINE
Again there will be a nice dinner available and a Beer and Wine bar. We will need donations for Food and Drink. Any Donations in this area will greatly be appreciated. At the Free Okili event we had the amazing help of Bruce Rhodes on the BBQ, and a ton of volunteers in the Kitchen, lead by Taylor Webb, chopping and prepping and cutting and slicing. At the last minute Chai Baba Chai recued us with his expert ability to cook a HUGE pot of beans and to provide his wonderful Chai. Also we got the gratefully needed cooking pans, etc, and other items for the kitchen from Shani Rifati of Voices of Roma. We will need all this type of help again, so anyone who is willing to step forward once again, or for the first time, please do.

HELP NEEDED IN ALL AREAS
If you would like to help and have expertise in an area, please let us know...drop us a line. Thanks so much! We too will keep you informed where areas of help are really needed as time progresses.

FREE OKILI Fundraiser - Friday, MAY 22, 2009 at 7 PM
Sebastopol Community Center, located at 390 Morris St. in Sebastopol, CA

THANK YOU
First of all I just want to give a very BIG HEART FELT THANK YOU to everyone for their support for the FREE OKILI event. Thank you to Everyone who helped make it happen, from Volunteers, friends, and family who have stood and continue to stand by my side from April 20 to this day, to all of the tons of people who came forward with fabulous Auction donations, food donations, beer donations, wine donations, drink donations, flyer donations, physical help and sweat donations; thank you to all the wonderful entertainers and people who spoke on the stage, the stage crew and sound people and Videographers; thank you to the Auction coordinator, stage coordinator, Volunteer coordinator, Food coordinators, caterers and cooks and BBQers, coordinators of the massage station and the masseurs, door people taking the money, bar people serving the beer / wine, checking ID's etc, people who helped with start up money in the form of initial donations so we could actually rent the Community Center. I want to list peoples names, but then I'm afraid I'll leave someone out, and don't want any hurt feelings. You know who you are, and I highly appreciate you, as does Okili, and all of our friends / family who love us, appreciate you very much. There were lots of people who I didn't even know, or whom I barely knew who came through in very big ways that were just amazing; including all of the monetary donations that have come through the mail, the PayPal account, direct deposted to our bank account, and the extra donations at the Free Okili event. Thank you to all of the Press people and Radio and Media people who helped to really get the word out (Press Democrat, The Bohemian, KBBF, KRCB, KRSH, KGGV, KKUP, The Santa Rosa Media Center, WaccoBB.net, INGA News, Many wonderful friend's blog lists, and mailing lists, and any others I was not aware of). And, with all this thank you said, we are not through with this yet, and when it's all over and we have the big welcome home party, there will be an even bigger thank you!

On Friday, May 22, '09 we held the FREE OKILI fundraiser which was a tremendous success! I'd say there were at least 300 people in there (capacity is 400), and the entertainment, the silent auction, and the dinner were all awesome. I also managed to get about 60 signatures of people who want Okili free (I should have been more active getting more signatures, but I was too on overwhelm). We also had the event video taped by another donation made by Silverhawk Entertainment, in which they also had personal interviews w/ folks for their personal messages to Okili.

Speakers: There were a few speakers that came, including someone from The Immigrants Rights Project, and another speaker of whom unfortunately did not get a chance to speak; I think I forwarded everyone the Press Release put out by Big Man (Elbert Howard) one of the original founding members of The Black Panther Movement, and the President of PACH. It was just a small oversight on the part of all of us not to grab him out of the crowd between entertainers. But I wanted everyone to know his presence was there, and that he had fully intended to have a chance to say a few things based on the Press Release that I'd sent you.

Music: The music was awesome, with MANY featured entertainers including a spontaneously making of a true United African Band: Amadou Camara of Guinea, Baba Shibambo of South Africa, Onye Onyemaechi of Nigeria, Sandor Diabankouezi of Peoples Republic of Congo, joined by also Mapanda Mwela and Ken Zanga of Democratic Republic of Congo, Victor Hall, Robert Evans, John Chapman, Brian Skinner and Andre Russell of the African Americas, Kim Atkinson - Brazilian and other type percussionist, Olembe Nguebari, Congolese American and Okili's son, and hopefully I'm not leaving someone out! They JAMMED in an amazing show of their talents w/ no prior practice. Other entertainers performing were Mendozone, Sang Matiz, Midnight Sun, Inna Riddims, Dusty Wroten, Amy Trussell, and the 11/10ths. We fell a little behind schedule and unfortunately were unable to squeeze in Hoytus who had graciously offered to perform his music as well. But alas we had to stop by 12 midnight to get out by 1:00AM.

Presence of Spirit: There was definitely a wonderful quality of love and spiritual unity throughout the auditorium - many moved by the large crowd and outpouring of community cooperation and support. My Mom, Farida Fox, also led a beautiful meditational prayer to spirit through mother Earth, calling on all of the ancestors and helpful spirit energies to make Okili free; and not only him, but others held back by the walls of oppression.

Dinner, Auction, and Massage: The dinner was a very tasty success w/ smoked Chicken, beef brisket made by Bruce Rhodes, and / or African inspired Beans w/ hint of Ginger made by Baba Chai, w/ Salad (primarily all donated by a community garden in Santa Rosa, The French Garden, and Laguna Farms), Rice , and amazing Breads donated by Wildflour Bakery; also numerous people donated amazing home baked desserts, and there was donated Guayaki Yerba Mate, Baba Chai, Lagunitas Beer, and several unique small production wines donated, as well as purified waters from Melissa Weaver. If I've left ANYONE out here, I apologize!