The Mayor of Linden, New Jersey, Hon. Derek Armstead, and Councilman Hon. Alfred D. Mohammed were at the weekend inducted into the Kegites Club, Africa’s largest socio-cultural movement, during a high-energy gathering in the United States.
The duo were formally ushered into the club — renowned for its vibrant celebrations and distinctive one-finger salute — during the 2nd Winter Gyration of the Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence, held on 7 and 8 November in New Jersey.
Mayor Armstead, donning the club’s traditional attire, traced the roots of Black presence in the Americas and the Caribbean to the transatlantic slave trade, emphasising Nigeria’s vital role in shaping the future of the global Black community.
“The emancipation of Africa lies squarely on the shoulders of Nigeria,” Armstead said. “If Nigeria leads positively, the rest of the Black race will follow.”
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Councilman Mohammed, who was also officially inducted, received his oath from the Kegites’ World Chief, Kenneth Abiodun Sorinmade. A traditional ruler, Oba Adesina Oriade — the Ladin Lakoro of Ile Ife and a former Kegites Chief during his days at Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University) — blessed the pair and bestowed Yoruba names on them: Adewale for Armstead and Adetunji for Mohammed.
The convergence, hosted under the club’s “First Garden State Tent”, attracted over 200 participants from the UK, Nigeria, Canada, and across the US. The two-day event was a colourful fusion of music, dance, and cultural pride, celebrating unity in diversity and the enduring bond between Africa and its diaspora.
Mayor Armstead expressed deep emotion at the ceremony, saying:
“My spirit and soul are at home with you. We are one, from the same source — the motherland. The birth of jazz and blues is inseparable from African musical traditions, and even the flavours of our food trace back to our ancestral roots.”
Councilman Mohammed was further honoured with the title of Patron of the Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence.
World Chief Sorinmade, who flew in from Canada to officiate, reflected on the club’s origins more than five decades ago. He described the Kegites movement as a gathering of “thinkers and dreamers” — students who sought to preserve African identity and pride through song, palm wine, and communal fellowship.
“Through these celebrations, we honour our ancestors and remind the world that culture is the heartbeat of unity,” Sorinmade said.
In his closing remarks, the Grand Kord (Coordinator) of the Americana Archaivar Plus Convergence, Ranti Dairo, commended members and guests for their commitment to sustaining the club’s vision.
“What we have built together transcends geography,” he said. “It is the spirit of brotherhood, service, and cultural pride that binds us — and that spirit will continue to thrive wherever Archaivars gather.”
As the curtains fell on the vibrant celebration, organisers announced that the next Winter World Gyration will be held in Indianapolis in 2026 — promising yet another unforgettable convergence of culture, love, and unity.
