In anticipation of her upcoming talk at Bucknell on September 30, 2025, Mama C, a musician, visual artist, poet, filmmaker, ATR priestess, and peace builder through her art and life’s example, was interviewed by two Griot Institute interns, Barbara Wankollie and Jesse Leone. Mama C, who also goes by Charlotte Hill O’Neal, is a veteran of the Black Panther Party from the Kansas City Chapter, which she joined at the age of 18. She is the co-founder of the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) and has since established her home in the Tanzanian village of Imbaseni with her husband, Pete O’Neal, following their exile from the United States.
We first asked about the inspiration behind her unique dress. She responded with a story from her school days in Kansas:
“It has always been a part of my identity… I can remember when I was little, I loved dressing in ways that allowed me to express myself. One day, the principal suspended me because he didn’t like the way I dressed or did my hair. They wanted to keep us in a box, to stop us from expressing ourselves and being who we are, but I couldn’t be kept in a box.”
She went on to talk about creativity in Tanzania and how it is a part of everyone, noting that it’s even more pronounced in the younger generation:
“I have worked with lots of youth back home, and you can really see the creativity in them. All they need is a space to express themselves without being degraded or made to feel less than, because they have so much power to change the world and make it a better, more creative place.”
Later, she was asked how her music and art have influenced her activism. She began by recalling stories from the Black Panther and Civil Rights movements, explaining how art, through music, chants, poetry, and writing, served as a form of resistance. She sees creativity as a way of life, a means of organizing and bringing people together to achieve a common goal. Mama C emphasized the power of organizing and community, sharing one of her most beautiful reflections: that we should see everyone as brothers and sisters until they show us otherwise.
“Whether Black, white, brown, pink, or purple, we should all unite because we are not each other’s enemy. The enemy is the system, and if we want to fight this system, we must unite as one, no matter our race, gender, or sexuality.”
The interview was both fascinating and educational. Mama C brought her great sense of humor to the conversation, filling it with laughter and deep reflection on how far we, as a country, have come, and reinforcing hope for the future.
-Barbara Wankollie