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Redefining Boundaries: The Inspiring Story of Afropolitan and its Vision for a Digital African Nation

In the beginning, there were parties. Afropolitan emerged in 2016 as a vibrant organization celebrating the African Diaspora through exuberant events. We hosted the most unforgettable Afrobeats parties, concerts, and festivals, featuring acclaimed artists such as Davido, Burna Boy, Mr. Eazi, Tiwa Savage, Olamide, and more. But we never intended to be confined to the realm of events. Our ambition was to journey through life with our ever-growing community, forging a Network of Abundance: Abundance of Tools, Abundance of Opportunity, Abundance of Joy.

To fully grasp the essence of the Afropolitan saga, we must explore its narrative through distinct phases.

Phase One: Harmonious Beginnings (Parties, Concerts, Festivals)

In the first phase of our Afropolitan adventure, we orchestrated the most memorable parties and concerts, attracting diverse crowds from African Americans to Afro-Latinos and representing over 33 African countries. We bore witness to the Black diaspora experiencing unadulterated joy, transitioning from scarcity to abundance.

The zenith of this phase was the 2019 Year of Return in Ghana, where we organized travel groups and events for 10,000 diaspora members. This initiative led to one million people visiting Ghana, generating around $2 billion in economic activity. It demonstrated the immense potential of a united diaspora.

Phase Two: The Afropolitan Media Voyage (2020 - 2021)

Our second phase began in 2020. After the successful execution of the Year of Return, we prepared for the next installment: "Beyond the Return." However, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 brought our plans to an abrupt halt. With lockdowns devastating the events industry, we pondered what a pivot might look like for Afropolitan in a world where in-person events were prohibited.

We chose to navigate the uncharted waters of media, a realm that could be scaled without live events. The Afropolitan Lounge on Clubhouse, a social audio app adopted by millions during lockdowns, allowed us to cultivate a community of approximately 50,000 Afropolitans. We shared laughter and joy, forging meaningful connections within the community. People discovered jobs, founders received investments, and some even found their life partners through Afropolitan. We also supported worthy causes, such as the End SARS movement in Nigeria and the Ethiopian refugee crisis. Witnessing firsthand the power of the diaspora to organize offline and online, our Clubhouse community laid the groundwork for launching the Afropolitan Podcast.

The Afropolitan Podcast (2021 - Present)

Our African ancestors once passed knowledge through oral tradition. Today, that tradition persists in the form of podcasting. We seek to preserve our history, accomplishments, and wisdom for contemporary audiences and future generations. On the Afropolitan Podcast, we uncover the fearlessness, innovation, and progress of Afropolitans shaping the future of a bold and progressive nation. Our guests unveil their working formulas and the unvarnished truths about venturing into the unknown and remaining relevant thereafter.

Phase Three: The Afropolitan Digital Nation

Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, periods of unrest rippled across the diaspora and the continent. The brutalization of Black people worldwide persisted, with poverty and scarcity rampant. Positioned in the San Francisco Bay Area, we had glimpsed the finest that Africa had to offer through Afropolitan events. However, when traveling across the continent, we were confronted with the stark reality of Africa's worst: scarcity, weakness, and poverty.

We questioned how it was possible that our people, who have created trillions of dollars in value across various sectors, were not leading the way. Our journey across the U.S. and numerous African cities led us to ponder why Black people excelled at creating value, yet struggled to capture it.

Our travels to over 20 cities revealed the sobering reality of Black people across the continent and the diaspora. In Africa, lingering poverty, political instability, civil wars, and an incompetent political class hindered the youth from accessing socio-economic opportunities. In the U.S., home to the African American diaspora, rising inflation, economic stagnation, increasing inequality, racial disparities, and police brutality manifested the same issue.

In April 2021, Balaji Srinivasan, former CTO of Coinbase, published an article titled "How to Start a Country." In it, he proposed the concept of the Network State, a digital nation first emerging as an online community before materializing on land after reaching critical mass. This idea ignited a spark within us.

We wondered if it was possible to build a modern version of the Underground Railroad—an "Overground Railroad" that would lead Black people to freedom beyond the physical realm. We drew inspiration from the Federalist Papers, penned by the American Founding Fathers.

"African countries were put together by accident and force. We have suffered the consequences of that decision with no light at the end of the tunnel. We believe that by working with the best minds and leveraging current technology, we can build a country by reflection and choice. A nation people opt into launched first as an online community before materializing physically on land after reaching critical mass."

And so, we proudly introduce Afropolitan, the digital nation conceived by the brightest minds of the African continent and the diaspora that people can choose to join.

Our goal is to create a digital nation enabling all Africans to lead abundant lives. If the diaspora were a country, it would rank as the 10th largest globally, with a population of 140 million. Rather than the Land of Opportunity, we envision the Network of Abundance: abundance of tools, abundance of opportunity, abundance of joy.

Today, we are constructing a network that showcases the best of African and diaspora talent, culture, capital, information, and experiences across various domains, including art, finance, tech, sports, health, and media. Although the Afropolitan Network currently serves as a curator of Black and African resources, our aspirations extend far beyond our grasp. We aim to transform Afropolitan from a humble network into the world's first-ever internet country.

We believe that a digital nation, created by reflection and choice, can harness technology and the best human capital within our communities to build a superior digital country compared to the status quo.

"Because the brand new is unthinkable,” Balaji writes, “we fight over the old." We are weary of battling over the old; it's time for the new. Join us in crafting the Network of Abundance.

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