Michael Ajakwe Jr.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ajakwe graduated from Inglewood’s Morningside High and attended the University of Redlands on an academic scholarship. He earned degrees in English and Political Science and was named Most Outstanding Senior of his graduating class. He paid his way through college working in a movie theater, and covering news and sports for Redland’s Magazine, the Redlands Daily Facts and the Riverside Press Enterprise.

Since 1993, Michael has worked in the theatre with renowned performers like Emmy-winner Glynn Turman, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Debbie Allen, Ted Lange, Phil Morris, Robert Ri’chard, Hill Harper, Niecy Nash, Tommy Hicks, Tracee Ellis Ross, Art Evans, Gary Sturgis, James Pickens, Tatyana Ali, Marc Coppage, Estelle Harris, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Lee Garlington, Robert Pine, Shayla Rivera, Gary Anthony Williams, Ralph Carter, Deniece Williams, Charles Dutton and Oscar winner Mo’Nique. As a tv and film writer, he’s worked with Martin Lawrence, Greg Kinnear, Sherman Hemsley, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Charles Barkley, Marc Curry, Tracey Morgan, Tia & Tamera Mowry, Kadeem Hardisson, Kelita Smith, Brandy, Diondre Whitfield, Ali Landry, Kelly Perrine, Tim Reid, Tommy Davidson, Ernest Thomas, Richard Lawson, Jackee, Steve Harvey, Steve Trevino, Valery Ortiz, Eve, Paul Winfield, and 3-time Oscar nominee Djimon Honsou. As a live events show writer, he’s written for Anthony Anderson, Kimberly Elise, Jo Marie Payton, L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti, ex-L.A. Police Chief Bernard Parks, NAACP National President Benjamin Todd Jealous, Jason Alexander, Ben Stiller, and the NAACP Theater Awards (’04-08).

He’s also developed TV and/or film projects for Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre, Bret Ratner, Kim Fields, Reuben Cannon, Norman Howard (nephew of The Three Stooges), Beverly Todd, Vidal Sassoon, ex-NBA great Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Natalie Cole. Mike has written and directed 9 plays and produced 16 that have garnered 27 NAACP Theater Award Nominations, winning 5.

He is a two-time NAACP Award-winning Playwright/Producer (Company Policy/Ted Lange’s Four Queens, No Trump!), two-time NAACP Award Nominated Director (If You Don’t Believe, Body Language), an Emmy Award-winning TV producer (E! Network’s Talk Soup), an award-winning filmmaker (Happy Anniversary, Punk!) and a trailblazing web tv creator (Ajakwetv.com’s Who...)

In 2010, he also served as writer/producer on the three-time NAACP Image award-winning music documentary series Unsung, airing on TV One, having made one-hour life profiles on great pop-soul soprano Deniece Williams, legendary sideman-turned-solo star Ray Parker Jr., and influential rock-funk icon Sly Stone of Sly & The Family Stone.

In 2013, Ajakwe wrapped production on "Trophy Wife', an original six-episode tv comedy series he created, wrote, directed and produced based on his Web series Who... (Ajakwetv.com).

Ajakwe has been featured in a myriad of newspapers, magazines and books, among them: Black Comedians on Black Comedy by Darryl Littleton (Applause Books, 2010), The Script-Selling Game by Kathie Fong Yoneda: 2nd Edition (Michael Weise Productions, 2010), African-Americans in Television: Behind The Scenes by Greg Adamo (Peter Lang Publishing, 2010), and Now Write! Screenwriting by Sherry Ellis and Laurie Lamson (Tarcher/Penguin Books, 2011). Additionally, Ajakwe's writings can be found in the book Souls of My Brothers by Dawn Marie Daniels and Candace Sandy (Plume Books, 2003), Outstanding Stage Monologs & Scenes of the '90s by Steven H. Gale (Merriweather Publishing, 2000), South Central Stories: Double or Nothin', The Ride, Happy Anniversary Punk! (Pipedream, 2001); Company Policy: The Rage Behind The Mask (Pipedream, 2000), The Best Stage Scenes 1996 (Smith & Krause), The Best Men's Stage Monologues 1996 (Smith & Krause), The Best Men's Stage Monologues 1995 (Smith & Krause), and The Best Women's Stage Monologues 1995.

King Onyeama of Eke

The King of Agbaja, Onyeama n’Eke was the greatest king in northern Igboland. He was probably the greatest Igbo king in living memory. From his palace in Eke, Onyeama reigned over the entire Agbaja, from Oji River though Udi and Ezeagu to the present-day political capital of Igboland, Enugu, and even Nkanu and Ogui communities. Onyeama was born circa 1870s, the youngest of the ten children of Özö Omulu Onwusi, a polygamous titled man of means, and an only son of his mother – Chinazungwa Ijeonyeabo of nearby Ebe community. Brought up by his half-brother, Amadiezeoha Nwankwo-Onwusi, Onyeama worked hard and made his mark in business. He traveled to famous Aro-controlled trading centers including Abiriba, Arochukwu, Arondizuogu, Bende, Oguta, Uburu, etc. When British rule reached Eke in 1908, Onyeama was rich enough to buy his way into the Ozo title society and to marry a local beauty, Afia Nwirediagu, and later Gwachi Ebue. Onyema attended the British Empire Exhibition in May 1924 and was...

Ifeyinwa Aniebo

Ify Aniebo is currently a PhD student at the University of Oxford. She has a first degree in Medical Genetics from Queen Mary’s University, a MSc in Applied Bimolecular Technology from Nottingham University and has a scholarship from the Prince’s Trust. Ify has worked at TDL Genetics, Mediserve, the Cambridge Antibody Technology (Medimmune), Illumina Inc , the Sanger Institute, Cambridge and the Wellcome-Oxford-WHO unit in Thailand. She has presented her research at leading malaria research conferences around the world. Passionate about finding a cure to Malaria, her ambition is to discover a vaccine to the biggest killer disease in sub-Saharan Africa. At the recent 2010 edition of the Future Awards, Ifeyinwa was named the Scientist of the Year and Future Awards most prestigious award - Young Person of the Year. The Future Awards, described as Nigeria’s biggest youth event, is the flagship platform under The Future Project, which is an umbrella of youth development projects/programmes ...

Donatus Ibeakwadalam Nwoga

The late Donatus Nwoga was a Professor of African Literature and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Donatus was the Secretary of the Planning and Management Committee of the former Eastern Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (1970); member of the Board of the former East-Central State Broadcasting Corporation (1974-76); member of the former East-Central State Library Board (1975-76); and former member of Imo State Library Board (1977-79). Ibeakwadalam passed the Cambridge School Certificate Examination in Division One, with exemption from matriculation in 1950; he passed the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level Examinations in English Literature, Latin and Ancient History at a sitting, with exemption from Inter B.A. of the University of London In 1955; and in 1960, when he obtained his Bachelor's degree from the Queen's University of Belfast, he won in the same breath the highly coveted "High Graham Mitchell Bursary" for the...

Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

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