Mae Monga of Divine Times Collective: Pan Afro Wisdom Festival 2025 interview by André Molina
Nurturing of inner-child through music, dance, and a safe space that encourages vulnerability. Pan Afro Wisdom Festival is back and for those of you who aren't familiar are in for a wholesome treat. André caught up with Mae from Divine Times Collective to talk about what P.O.W. Fest is about and what to expect for first time attendees. Read the short interview below and make sure to RSVP to this FREE festival Sunday August 17, 2025.
André: What is P.O.W. Pan Afro Wisdom Fest and when/where was the first festival?
Mae: POW Fest is an annual pan-African, inner-child festival! Since 2023, it has been hosted in Herbert Von King Park, using the amphitheater and surrounding spaces. The Black inner child is a vessel of generational memory, carrying both ancestral wisdom and inherited trauma. Across the globe, it exists in tension with dominant narratives that seek to define, limit, or erase Black and Black queer or trans being. Nurturing this inner child is radical self-reclamation, a process that heals personal wounds and imagines collective futures untethered from colonial frameworks. The festival seeks to be a space to encourage this nurturing through music, dance, play, ritual, and workshops led by artists and therapists.
(Performance photo from P.O.W. Fest 2024)
André: What could someone expect when attending POW Fest for the first time?
Mae: When attending POW Fest for the first time, you can expect to see lots of bubbles, amazing Black musicians and DJs, and a variety of opportunities to sit and rest, enjoying the wholesome energy that encourages you to get vulnerable.
(P.O.W. Fest 2024 photo)
André: Describe POW Fest like it’s a dish. What are the key ingredients?
Mae: The key ingredients are community, love, and intention.
André: I heard there are lots of cool interactive activities like healing workshops and yoga, which is unlike any festivals I’ve ever been to. What other interesting workshops are available for attendees?
Mae: There will be a venting session led by Diamond Jones, an incredible social worker and therapist, as well as a communal healing experience guided by Felice Graham, created in response to the deep emotional, physical, and spiritual impacts of gentrification. This somatic experience with Felice will be centered around the building of a living altar, so participants are invited to bring meaningful objects that reflect their personal connection to home, memory, and belonging.
(Home As Ritual by Felice)
André: Which performance artists are you most excited about for this year’s lineup?
Mae: I’m excited about all of them! From Professa Prince, who is always DJing in Von King for the people, to Roselle making her festival debut, Rocki Ozai and Cleo Reed bringing their beautiful, eclectic artistry as native New Yorkers, and of course, Laraaji, who offers a laughter meditation to start us off every year!
(Laughter Meditation and performance by Laraaji)
(Festival debut performance by Roselle
For more information about Pan Afro Wisdom Festival August 17, 2025 and to RSVP visit the link below.
https://www.divinetimescollective.com/pow-fest-25
interview by andré