What is the Tom Mboya 70th
"The ‘Tom Mboya 70th’ commemorates the 70th anniversary of Tom Mboya’s arrival in America on his 26th birthday, August 15, 1956.
Mboya’s influence on American history and culture surpasses that of any other African figure. In 1959, inspired by Mboya, the ‘Airlift America’ program was launched. Notable figures like singer Harry Belafonte, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and actor Sidney Poitier rallied to raise funds for charter flights to bring Kenyan students to American schools. Among them was Barack Obama Sr., who received a Jackie Robinson Scholarship and attended the University of Hawaii.
In 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy further supported Airlift America and Kenyan students, leading to a shift in political affiliations among Black Americans. In 2016, Anthony Elmore hosted the Tom Mboya 60th celebration at his Orange Mound home, bringing Africans and Americans together. Looking ahead to 2030, the grand ‘Safari Homecoming Celebration’ will mark Tom Mboya’s 100th birthday in Nairobi, Kenya."
Mboya’s influence on American history and culture surpasses that of any other African figure. In 1959, inspired by Mboya, the ‘Airlift America’ program was launched. Notable figures like singer Harry Belafonte, baseball legend Jackie Robinson, and actor Sidney Poitier rallied to raise funds for charter flights to bring Kenyan students to American schools. Among them was Barack Obama Sr., who received a Jackie Robinson Scholarship and attended the University of Hawaii.
In 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy further supported Airlift America and Kenyan students, leading to a shift in political affiliations among Black Americans. In 2016, Anthony Elmore hosted the Tom Mboya 60th celebration at his Orange Mound home, bringing Africans and Americans together. Looking ahead to 2030, the grand ‘Safari Homecoming Celebration’ will mark Tom Mboya’s 100th birthday in Nairobi, Kenya."
