The African People’s Education & Defense Fund (APEDF) and Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles are proud to showcase one of our newest product lines, NZO—African Styles at Home & Abroad.
NZO is a Kikongo word that means home. NZO is another step forward by APEDF and Uhuru Furniture to provide what our African community wants and needs─beautiful, practical and affordable African-styled furniture, accessories and home décor.
NZO was initiated by Deputy Chair Ona Zené Yeshitela, the visionary leader of all the economic institutions and work of the Uhuru Movement.
It follows in the footsteps of the Marcus Garvey movement which led in forging self-determination and economic development in the hands of the African working class.
NZO products include furniture, hand painted with African designs and upholstered with African fabrics; handmade African accent pillows, bags, and jewelry; laminated portraits of African leaders, African fabrics by the yard, and African themed greeting cards.
Building NZO is part of Uhuru Furniture’s work to carry out the APEDF Mission to feed, clothe, house and employ our people.
It allows Uhuru Furniture to turn a solid but unremarkable piece of furniture into a one-of-a-kind work of art to brighten your home.
As African resistance grows world-wide, the influence of the African Revolution transforms every aspect of society.
African culture displays our collective genius in all forms. Music, dance and visual arts express the liberated future we are creating for our people now.
African culture in our own hands shows our love of our people, reflects the beauty of nature, shows respect for our people in all stages of life and the courageous resistance of our leaders that motivates us to be our best.
White culture is exposed as hollow, barren, violent, self-centered, parasitic and greed-driven.
Our colonizers compartmentalize art in sterile museum settings, but NZO is African style-art in our daily lives, our homes and our way of dress─by and for our community.
There is a growing hunger in our community to take back our stolen African culture, to unapologetically surround ourselves in the beauty of African culture and style.
In Philadelphia the majority of the NZO furniture pieces have been designed and produced by Rosie Morales, a highly talented young artist who grew up near the Uhuru House in Oakland, CA.
Rosie came to Uhuru Furniture as a volunteer and stayed on to design and paint for NZO.
Rosie incorporates mud cloth designs from Mali, as well as Zulu and Yoruba designs from southern Africa.
Rosie wants to continue building NZO for APEDF and leading workshops so others can learn more about the meaning and background of the African designs and how to paint them.
The unique, hand-painted NZO pieces have been purchased by many and are now part of their family legacies. One long time Uhuru Furniture and Uhuru Flea Market customer, Arlene McCullough, who has purchased several NZO pieces stated:
” NZO at Uhuru Furniture is hand-made and one of a kind, I could not find better quality and the prices are reasonable. I’ve gotten so many compliments! A friend came to the house and asked to photograph my NZO furniture.
“I come from an era where we value the older, solid wood furniture pieces but NZO has made them new again. I support the African People’s Education and Defense Fund and always recommend Uhuru Furniture for great sales and customer service. “
Many Uhuru Furniture volunteers participate in sewing cushions, re-upholstering chairs and painting workshops.
To see the NZO pieces that are currently available at Uhuru Furniture check our blog at uhurufurniturephilly.blogspot.com or visit our NZO store at Uhuru Furniture & Collectibles, 832 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19130. Call 215-546-9616 for more information.
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African Culture and Economic Development in African Hands!
