Ubuntu Voices

Our National Conference is coming up—Friday, May 15, 2026!
Our theme is the Modern Spiritual. For more information and to register, visit our website: https://liberalarts.du.edu/lamont/news-events/all-articles/spirituals-project-national-conference

Abantu

Paul Xiniwe (1857 – 1902) was a South African entrepreneur, educator, and political activist in the Cape Colony. He is best known as the founder of the Temperance Hotel in King William's Town (now Qonce), one of the earliest hotels established and operated by a Black South African, and for his involvement in early Black political organizations in the Eastern Cape. After graduating from Lovedale, Xiniwe became a teacher at Edwards Memorial School in Port Elizabeth. His school gained a reputation for high educational standards during his tenure. Xiniwe later resigned from teaching to pursue business ventures. He invested in property and established several general merchant stores in East London, Port Elizabeth, and King William's Town. In 1894, he bought a building for 2,000 pounds, and opened the Temperance Hotel in King William's Town.The hotel became an important social and cultural center for Africans in the town, and was notable at a time when Black South Africans faced significant restrictions in commercial ownership. Xiniwe was regarded as a pioneer of Black entrepreneurship in the Cape Colony. Xiniwe was actively involved in early Black political and civic organizations. In 1887, he served as an executive member of Imbumba Eliso Lomzi Yabantsundu (Union of Native Vigilance Associations), a pioneering political conference that brought together African organizations in King William’s Town. He also participated in educational and political forums advocating for African political representation and civil rights. In 1884, he presented a paper at the Native Educational Society addressing African participation in parliamentary processes. His work formed part of the broader foundation of organized African political consciousness in South Africa. Paul Xiniwe and his wife, Eleanor Xiniwe (née Ndwanya), were members of the African Choir, a group of educated South Africans who toured Britain between 1891 and 1893. The choir sang both Christian hymns and traditional African music, and sought to raise awareness and financial support for a new technical college in the Cape Colony. In 1891, the Choir performed for Queen Victoria at Osborne House. Credit: London Stereoscopic Company, Wikipedia

Peace!

We are writing to announce that Re-Verb Radio will end on March 27th. Although our Friday night show is ending, Desdamona and I look back on the last two years as a tremendous success. We have broadcast nearly 100 live episodes, featuring phenomenal poets, emcees, vocalists, storytellers, educators and entrepreneurs.

Every week, we devoted ourselves to spreading positivity through insightful and heartfelt conversations, accompanied by a fresh musical mix of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and spoken word on-air from the heart of Frogtown. Providing a platform for Twin Cities artists to share their stories and perform live has truly been a rewarding experience.

We are deeply grateful for the partnership and connection we’ve built with Frogtown Radio’s leadership, Philip Gracia and Katharine DeCelle. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in each week, and for believing in our vision, our message, and our unwavering commitment to the community.

Please tune in for our final broadcast on March 27th from 7–8 p.m. on WFNU 94.1FM, WFNU.org, or the Frogtown Community Radio app. While the radio show is concluding, we invite you to ReVerb Open Mic on Thursday nights at Flava Cafe from 6–8 p.m, which remains a space for creatives every week, powered by .

Thank you again for your ongoing love and support!

Much Love,
Desdamona & MaLLy

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