The 6th Annual Latta House Foundation Preservation Picnic

North Carolina State Senator Janet Cowell and News and Observer columnist Barry Saunders will host the the 6th annual Latta House Foundation Preservation Picnic featuring Mamadou Diabate.

On Saturday June 11 from 12 PM to 6 PM the public is invited to attend the Sixth Annual Latta House Foundation Preservation Picnic. This event is being held to help raise funds to restore the Latta House and establish The Latta Cultural Center and Archive.

The Latta House rests on the original site of Latta University, in Raleigh’s historic Oberlin Village Community. The university was founded in the late 1800's by Reverend Morgan Latta to educate underprivileged children and orphans in the black community. Reverend Latta was born a slave in 1856 on the Cameron Family Plantation. Today, the Latta House is just four blocks north of Cameron Village Shopping Center. There are precious few remnants of Oberlin Village. It is the intention of the Latta House Foundation to ensure that this facility will one day house and exhibit the memorabilia of this historic school.

Mamadou Diabate was born in 1975 in Kita, West Africa among the Manding people. Mamadou comes from a family of griots, or jelis as they are known among the Manding. They use the music and sometimes oratory to tell the stories from the 13th century when the Manding king Sunjata Keita consolidated the vast Empire of Mali. His father played the kora, which he taught Mamadou to play from an early age. He has played the jeli circuit across Western Africa with his cousin Toumani, and toured the world including the United Nations and Lincoln Center. He has also played with all manner of expert musicians, including the great Taj Mahal, and jazz luminary Donald Byrd.

There will also be performances by The Amateurs Reggae Band of Raleigh, The Josh Pressler Blues Band and others.

This year, we will hold a Croquet Tournament. Registration begins at 12:30 PM.

There will be arts activities, as well as arts and craft vendors. Vendors are encouraged to exhibit. Food and refreshments will be provided by IslandTing. Admission is $8.00 and children under 12 are free. Tickets can be purchased from IslandTing, online via Paypal or at www.lattahouse.com.