On June 1, 1963, Kenya gained internal self government. While the country was still a colony, most roles, from Prime Minister on down, were held by black people. Kenya was still ultimately ruled from London by the Queen, through the Governor.

In Kiswahili, Madaraka means power and on June 1st, the holiday “Madaraka Day” is celebrated in Kenya.

This is a momentous day. It was a moment of reckoning that the colonists will cede power to Kenyans, including power over the fertile lands for cultivating coffee.

Many men and women sacrificed their lives in the struggle to end the British colonial rule. Every cup of coffee you drink from Kenya should remind you that freedoms are not given on a silver platter, that people have to fight for those freedoms

Today, it is not yet Madaraka for many small scale coffee farmers. The struggle continues as they seek a fair share of the labor they put in growing coffee. Victory is nigh, and with every purchase of African grown coffee, you are getting the farmers closer to the coffee madaraka.

African Day is celebrated on May 25 all over the world.

This day is a celebration of Africa’s independence, freedom and liberation strife from the colonialists.

Between 1945 and 1965, a significant number of African countries gained independence from European colonial powers. Ghana was the first country to gain independence in 1957 and became an inspiration to other countries including the civil rights movement in America. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Travelled to Ghana to witness the taste of victory, and experience that would give him the push to continue agitating for racial justice in America

The unity of African people, and the socio economic freedom from foreign exploitation come to mind on African day. The victory over colonialists saw land returned to native Africans including coffee farms that today are owned by small scale farmers.

Africans pushed back against European dominion. Today, you can help Africans push back against coffee exploitation by buying it black!