The Diaspora Salon: Uniting the African Diaspora Through Art, Business, and Culture
Meryanne Loum-Martin, owner of the iconic Marrakech-based boutique hotel Jnane Tamsna, is the visionary behind The Diaspora Salon.
This transformative event celebrates the richness and diversity of the global African Diaspora through cultural, business, and artistic conversations.
We spoke with Meryanne about the inspiration, mission, and lasting impact of this unique gathering.
What inspired the creation of this event, and what role do you see it playing in celebrating and uniting the global African Diaspora?
Being half Senegalese, half Caribbean, and born in Ivory Coast, I have lived, traveled, and worked at the confluence of many Diaspora cultures. In the United States, Brazil, France, or England, I witnessed the strong remains of silos that colonialism and slavery created to keep us divided and conquered.
With a very diverse team, it is our dream to create a space where we can bridge these divisions and distances, becoming stronger together. From Africa to the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back, we hope professionals will discover opportunities to partner and build the wealth and community that was stolen from us, while keeping joy and celebration at the heart of the event.
Could you share some insights about the themes and programming pillars?
The themes are Everywhere and Anywhere, The Power of Positivity, and Black Entrepreneurship. Around these themes, we host rich and diverse conversations every year.
Everywhere and Anywhere centers voices in fields where underrepresentation and erasure have persisted.
The Power of Positivity transforms experiences of adversity and triumph into work embodying beauty, resilience, and creativity. We explore reparation and restitution from a new perspective, celebrating our shared cultures while reclaiming our narratives.
Black Entrepreneurship harnesses the transformative power of the Diaspora’s entrepreneurial spirit. We spotlight entrepreneurs creating legacies of impact, enriching global markets, and fostering futures through products and perspectives crafted in Africa and beyond.
How do the cultural, literary, and artistic discussions planned for the event redefine and reclaim narratives about the African Diaspora?
The event’s cultural, business, and artistic discussions offer a unique opportunity to reshape and reclaim narratives about the African Diaspora by embracing its rich diversity. We are bringing together voices from the Diaspora in Marrakech, each offering distinct perspectives shaped by different regions and histories.
The Diaspora Salon celebrates diversity while honoring our shared roots, fostering unity, and highlighting how our backgrounds have fueled new generations of entrepreneurship, creativity, literature, and cinema.
What long-term impact do you envision for The Diaspora Salon in creating collaboration, innovation, and legacy-building within the Diaspora community?
This event is designed to build bridges and break down silos. Rather than focusing on a singular view, our goal is to highlight the richness, diversity, and creativity emerging from our shared history and distinct journeys.
We envision The Diaspora Salon growing into an annual tradition that inspires future generations to look beyond their comfort zones and communities. By creating connections across borders, we hope to encourage deeper investments in one another, building a more united and empowered Diaspora for years to come.
Join the Movement
The Diaspora Salon is more than an event—it’s a call to action. Come to Marrakech and immerse yourself in a transformative experience where stories are shared, businesses are built, and lifelong connections are made. Between gatherings, a digital community keeps the spirit alive by sharing projects, business opportunities, and expertise.
Don’t miss this chance to be part of something extraordinary—where the past, present, and future of the African Diaspora converge.
For more details, email [email protected]
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