Under the powerful, hands-on leadership of the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF) Board President Ona Zené Yeshitela, Uhuru Furniture developed NZO—African Styles at Home and Abroad.
NZO meets the needs of our many shoppers who are hungry for beautiful affordable African home decor and want to contribute to APEDF’s work to uplift the lives of our people.
NZO, a Kikongo word for home, is featured in Uhuru Furniture (UFC) in both the Philadelphia and Oakland stores.
NZO includes hand painted one-of-a kind furniture with mud cloth patterns, Adinkra symbols and contemporary African fabric designs; throw pillows upholstered in African fabrics, masks, African style greeting cards, portraits of African leaders including Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Harriet Tubman, Chairman Omali Yeshitela and many more.
UFC also carries Buy Black Power products including jewelry by UZI, the Decolonaise natural beauty products that are an economic development project of the African National Women’s Organization and Uhuru Planet Reparations Apparel.
For decades APEDF has exposed the disparities faced by the African community in every area of life.
Because of the resistance of the African community, the U.S. media is now forced to acknowledge the conditions black people face. But only Uhuru and APEDF can offer a real solution.
Through Uhuru Furniture, NZO, Black Power Blueprint and over 50 institutions of African economic self-determination, APEDF creates and leads programs to show our community a way forward to solve our lack of access to health care, education, healthy food, decent housing, and economic power.
A growing number of people of all walks of life deliberately choose to spend their money at UFC to support the APEDF mission.
One Philly shopper, Nick, a teacher at West Chester University, stated “The work of Uhuru is some of the most important work being done in this city towards racial justice.”
He added that Uhuru is so meaningful because it combines the work to transform the conditions of life for the black community with the struggle against the oppressive system.
Like all APEDF institutions, UFC displays a wall of African masks, so everyone can see their expressive styles from throughout the African world. The wall of masks in UFC Philly is in the NZO area.
When Uhuru Furniture goes Live on Facebook and Instagram every Saturday, we always feature newly completed, never before seen NZO pieces by NZO artist Carter and other volunteer artists.
Decorative art, music, dance and language all started in Africa. Appreciation of natural beauty in daily life has always been part of our cultural life.
The way we design our homes, our clothing, hair styles, food, our ways of communication and our deep love of family and community reflect the vitality of the African community and the joy of full engagement in life.
But today, life itself is problematic for African people under the oppressive social system. For 600 years, Africans have fought to survive and regain our self-determination.
Now, under the leadership of Chairman Omali Yeshitela, a new positive way forward to African freedom is unfolding. As part of APEDF’s work to build institutions that transform our community, Uhuru Furniture and all our staff, shoppers, donors and friends participate in changing the world. When you buy NZO, you are investing in a positive future led by the African working class.
YOU can be part of the growing movement for African self-determination! UFC has volunteer opportunities for artists to paint furniture, and many other volunteer positions based on your skills and interests. UFC picks up donations of African art and all types of furniture and housewares.
Shop, donate and volunteer!
Uhuru Furniture Philly
832 N. Broad St.
Open Wed-Sun 11am-6pm
uhurufurniturephilly.blogspot.com
215-546-9616
Tune in for live shows every Sat. at 10:30am ET on Facebook & Instagram @uhurufurniturephilly
Uhuru Furniture Oakland
3742 Grand Ave.
Open Wed-Sun 12-6pm
uhurufurniture.blogspot.com
510-763-3342
