Artist Spotlight : Sara Almanna
Sara and I e-met in the fall of 2018, when we both signed up to volunteer as participants for a U.S.-Sudan virtual exchange program with Reach the World. I imagine Sara and I were initially matched because of our shared interest in English as a Second Language (ESL) education. But as I have come to learn over these last few years, Sara is so much more than a mentor to her English club in Khartoum.
Sara is a third-year medical student and anesthesia specialist living in Sudan’s capital city. She is also a passionate community activist, who volunteers with Yalla Nbadir, a youth development organization located in Khartoum. She’s a Hollywood film buff, Trevor Noah aficionado, and incredibly talented artist, who has recently founded her own online shop to showcase and sell her paintings. Beyond all of this, Sara has dreams of improving the public health care system in Sudan and views her artwork as a critical means of self-expression and escape from the everyday stresses and burdens that sometimes come with living, studying, and working in a developing country—a country that has recently undergone a major political revolution.
As a part of Black Teaching Artist Lab, LLC (BTAL)*, I had the opportunity to sit down with Sara, in order to learn more about her interest in art, Sudanese culture, U.S.-Sudan relations, and her thoughts on Pan-Africanism. Keep reading to check out a few of my favorite moments from this conversation, or watch Sara’s entire Q&A by clicking on the final clip at the bottom of this post.
*Black Teaching Artist Lab, LLC (BTAL) was previously called Black Teaching Exchange. This post has since been updated to reflect this change.
Sudanese Art
In Sara’s eyes, Sudanese art is an expression of the reality of Sudan—a country that is composed of countless ethnic groups, cultural backgrounds, and experiences. More specifically, Sara feels that Sudanese street art was one of the most beautiful aspects to emerge during the 2019 political revolution. The street art that was being created at that time expressed not only what was happening in Sudan, but also what the pro-democracy activists wanted to achieve—a peaceful transition to a civilian-led government and a brighter future for all of Sudan.
Sudanese Culture
Not unlike the street art that was being created during the 2019 revolution, Sara believes that Sudan’s diverse ethnic groups are one of the most beautiful aspects of her country’s culture. If a person were to travel just outside of Khartoum, for example, they would be immersed in two vastly different lifestyles and cultural experiences—from the bustling, modern, and globalized city-center to the slower-paced, more traditional rural areas. One of Sara’s favorite Sudanese cultural traditions is the Jertik ceremony, which is held shortly after the main wedding ceremony in Sudan. For the Jertik, Sudanese brides don a bright red toub and a plethora of gold accessories. Grooms wear white jalabiyas with red accents, and together, they complete a series of steps to successfully enter into their marriage.
U.S.-Sudan Relations
From the mid 1950s-early 1990s, the governments of the United States and Sudan maintained a relatively strong relationship, with the U.S. supporting Sudan’s steps toward democracy and sending critical humanitarian aid to the country. In 1989, however, Omar al-Bashir led a military coup that ultimately overthrew the elected government of Sudan. In 1993, al-Bashir became president of Sudan and ruled the country with an iron first, until he was ousted in the 2019 revolution. It was in 1993 that the U.S. government decided to place Sudan on its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST)—a debilitating place, where the country would remain for 27 years. In December of 2020, the U.S. government finally removed Sudan from this list.
In Sara’s eyes, there are two common misrepresentations when it comes to beliefs about Sudan. The first is that Sudan remains in a continuous state of civil war. The second is that Sudan is a nation composed of terrorists.
But as Sara so eloquently states, citizens of the world must try their best to separate regimes from the people who actually make up a country. Because of the poor decisions of a past regime, the people of Sudan have been made to endure years of hardships and suffering. The truth is, as Sara states, the people of Sudan are incredibly peaceful, and they simply wish to live peaceful lives. They don’t want to be left behind as a nation. Rather, they want to be able to join the global community. What’s more, they don’t want to have to rely on outside aid. They want to be equipped to utilize their own resources, in order to empower their communities and improve the quality of life for their people.
Pan-Africanism
Sara believes that any movement that is able to strengthen the bonds between Afro-descendant people is just what the world needs right now. And any effort to shed a light on this movement in particular is going to be a great contribution to our global society. What’s more, Sara hopes to contribute to the growth of Pan-Africanism by simply sharing her story and becoming a part of the BTAL network.
A Call to Action
Please watch the video clip to see the inspirational painting that Sara created for this interview with BTAL. What’s more, you can follow Sara on Instagram @saradrawingworld and Facebook. Right now, Sara operates her online business through these social media channels. And we are hoping that she will soon be able to ship her artwork to buyers across the world!
Sara also recommends taking time to learn more about the culture and history of Sudan, seeking out credible news sources, and reading about the flood and medication crises the country has been facing. Readers can consider donating to Sadagaat-USA, a 501(c)(3) organization that is currently providing critical relief to the people of Sudan.
Finally, consider visiting Sudan! In the not-so-distant future, Sara sincerely hopes to see collaborative art projects and cultural exchanges taking place between American and Sudanese artists.
Thank you for reading. Be sure to check back regularly on the BTAL blog for the latest installments in our Artist Spotlight Series!