What would you do if, at the age of 12, you were forcefully recruited to fight in a war and torture and kill your fellow citizens? Chernoh Alpha M. Bah lost several years of his youth fighting in a civil war instigated by the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone in the 1990s. He triumphed despite overwhelming odds and went on to become an outspoken political activist. Today, he stands as one of the key players in the formation of the Pan-African Movement for Human Rights and Democratic Development. He's also an award-winning newspaper columnist with a lifetime of wisdom well beyond his 25 years. See him speak in St. Petersburg, and enjoy food and refreshments, live hip-hop, poetry readings and a presentation by Uhuru leader Omali Yeshitela. Tues., March 21, 7 p.m., The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, free admission, 727-894-6997, www.burningspearuhuru.com.
This article appears in Mar 15-21, 2006.