You may remember the stories I worked on about the lives of Germans of African descent.



I'm happy to let you know that The Root has published a story based on that work. Please have a look!

I’m excited to announce that an audio artwork I’ve created has been featured on Earlid! It’s an online gallery of evolving exhibits of sound art. I’m one of ten artists selected for their second Liminal Sounds exhibition and I hope you’ll take a listen.



Growing up I’d always listen to the radio as I fell asleep. Sometimes I’d tune into the local news channel; other times it would be classical music. But I always had something playing in the background. Today when I’m working on the computer I consistently have something playing in the background.

When I began work on The Europeans I brought an audio recorder with me. At first it was just to record the interviews I did for the articles I occasionally wrote but soon I began collecting ambient audio as well for no particular reason. As my project evolved I realized that I could use these words and sounds to, along with my photographs, help connect the viewer to a time and place they had never been. This piece you hear is a shorter version of an hour long audio installation I’ve created. I’m looking forward to exploring the nexus of imagery and sound more deeply as I complete this project.

It's strange when something you've been paying attention to for a long time suddenly becomes interesting to those around you.



But Europe's ongoing refugee crisis has become large enough that even though who don't want to are paying attention. I wrote about the closing of Europe's open door recently for the World Policy Blog and talked about it on the World Policy On Air podcast. I hope you take some time to read and listen.

For those of you who missed my three part series about the experiences of people of African descent in Germany and Poland that aired on KSFR’s Here and There with Dave Marash you’re in luck! You can now listen to all three programs.



Click here to listen to my report about West Germany.

Click here to listen to my report about East Germany.

Click here to listen to my report about Poland.

Each story is accompanied by a discussion with the legendary Dave Marash through which we dig deeper into the issues raised in each report. Thanks for listening!

Tonight the third and final radio documentary piece, this time focusing on the lives and experiences of people of African descent in Poland airs at 7:05pm Eastern time on ksfr.org.



"As a child there were some times that I just wanted to be white and normal… I just wanted to be and have all this problem go away just be accepted by the rest of the kids.” -Damian Abushe, Afro-Polish hacktavist.

You can find podcasts of the three part series here: http://hereandtherewithdavemarash.libsyn.com/

Part two of my three part radio documentary series airs on KSFR.org at 7:05pm Eastern Time on Here and There with Dave Marash. Today we’ll hear the stories of people of African descent who grew up under Communist Rule in East Germany. Unlike in West Germany, where the influence of American soldiers was widely felt, in East Germany it was the thousands of students brought from Africa to study that laid the basis for that nation’s Afro-German population.



“Sometimes I felt something without being aware of what it was exactly. I thought it depended on my color somehow but because it was a socialist or a kind of communist country and it was said that everybody is treated equal and there is no racism and there is no discrimination at all… It was more or less not allowed this kind of feelings. It was even problematic to talk to my mother about this,” Aminata Cisse Schleicher told me.

Today the first of these three documentaries airs of KSFR Santa Fe on Here and There, hosted by Dave Marash at 5:05 p.m. Mountain Time/7:05 p.m. Eastern Time and you'll be able to listen to the podcast of each show here. Following each of the documentaries Dave and I talk about what I found and expand upon the profound stories that each of my interview subjects shared. In total I interviewed over three dozen people for these reports and while many people's stories didn't make it to air I know I learned from everyone I spoke to and I thank them deeply.



Thomas Hurst for example spoke about the mental health impact of growing up biracial in Germany had on him.

"I believe there is some post traumatic stress syndrome as a part of growing up in Germany. You never know if you can go through the day without any racism. I really believe I do have some mental problems a part of racism."



Fashion designer Tanja Herring spoke about a multi-generational struggle for acceptance.

"I would say I'm nation-less. The Blacks don't really accept you because you're too light and the white people say 'no you're too dark for us'…. You always feel kind of lonely."

These are just a few of the stories you'll hear today. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Buncrana, Ireland

We had a great discussion on Saturday about the future of Europe and Ireland's place it in.



I'm grateful to MEP Marian Harkin and Artlink’s Declan Sheehan and Damian Dowds, editor of the Inishowen Independent who moderated the discussion.


For me this discussion was an important opportunity to use art as a starting point for an important conversation. We attracted many people who otherwise would not have come to the gallery which is a wonderful thing.

You can listen to the discussion here.

Buncrana, Ireland

If you happen to be in Donegal this month come up to Fort Dunree and see my latest exhibition which is on view through the end of May.



We're also having a panel discussion about the future of Europe and Ireland's place in it on Saturday May 9th.


So I hope you can make it to see the show or to our discussion!

I know most of you couldn’t make it to Switzerland to see my multimedia installation And They Called Themselves The Europeans. So I created a short video to give you a sense of what it was like.

Barcelona



After a long recovery since donating a kidney in August I find myself back in Barcelona! I'm working on a few things Europeans related as well as editing more images so stay tuned!

Many of you read the profiles I created during my fellowship with the French-American Foundation. Now is your chance to hear some of the voices of those I profiled as well in a short multimedia piece I created.

Recently my interview with the legendary Dave Marash aired on KUNM. We had a wide ranging discussion which centered around immigration in Europe and my work on The Europeans. If you’d like to hear it just visit this link: http://hereandtherewithdavemarash.libsy ... ela-diaz

and click on the POD icon or click here

It has been a lot of fun to spend time in Switzerland but now it is time to return to Barcelona!

Thanks to everyone who came to the opening!







This was my first outdoor public installation work and I am happy to have shared it with you!





It gave me a chance to incorporate some of the field audio and interviews I have recorded over the years. If you didn't make it to the opening the show is up for a bit so come by!