This environment is an open space where we can acknowledge and honor our collective Ancestors & ancestral heritage. A place to empower ourselves through the voice of the drumz and inspire creativity and artistic expression. A space to inspire self-awareness, self-responsibility and self-appreciation. If I were to use one word to describe Shades of Afrika that word would be EVOLVING. As we evolve as a people so has Shades of Afrika. It evolved into a place where people come together to teach, to learn, to give and be given to. Yes this place is Shades of Afrika.
Shades of Afrika began with a concept in 1994, we noticed that there were too few places that offered affordable “Black Art” as it was called back then, and even fewer book stores. With three sons who came home from school sometimes with negative perceptions of who they were, there seemed to be a
pressing need to tell our story.
There were lots of Afrikan writers, artists, jewelry makers, seamstresses, and entrepreneurs, in the area and they helped bring Shades of Afrika to life.To those then and now we give thanks.Now 16 years later, we are as dedicated to the betterment of our community today as we were then, and it’s the
community that we have seen grow just as we have grown.
Shades of Afrika has evolved from being a small retail store to being a cultural center that hosts a variety of social and educational events, lectures and
study groups. (Please visit our Events Page) For more information on who we are and what we do, I encourage you to enjoy our website and of course we want you to shop or as we call it plant seed. If you like brick and mortar, we’d love and welcome you and your families to drop by and bless us with your presence.
Renee Quarles
Executive Director

Shades Of Afrika
1001 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone (562) 436-2210 Fax (562) 435-3013
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