MEMPHIS, TN, April 28, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- NARA Honored Historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore is the "Father of African Cultural Diplomacy." Anthony "Amp" Elmore created the 1st African Cultural Embassy in American History. The establishment of the first African Cultural Embassy in American history by NARA-honored historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore represents a landmark shift in how African Americans engage with their ancestral heritage and the global community.

Click here to view the website titled: Africanculturalembassy.com

With a GDP of approximately $2.1 Trillion, African Americans represent one of the most powerful economies in the world—if it were a country, it would be the 15th largest economy on Earth, surpassing the GDP of nations like Spain, Mexico, or even the entire nation of Saudi Arabia.

While Black America represent one of the largest economies in the world and Kenya has the most significant connection to Black America than any African nation, Kenya has not only a formal connection to Black America, Kenya erased its American and African American history. Anthony "Amp" Elmore created the 'African Cultural Embassy' as an institution that use 21st century culture, history and education thus creating a a formal institution to challenge the erasure of Black History.

Click here to view the nearly one hour You Tube video titled: African Cultural Embassy Orange Mound.

Via 21st century technology Anthony "Amp" Elmore provides forensic evidence of his 37 year history and dedication as an African Cultural diplomat. Anthony "Amp" Elmore's history involves a direct connection to the Civil Rights Movement in America. For Anthony "Amp" Elmore the Black revolution started with the large Afro-of the late 1960's which was a badge of honor.

Evidence of Anthony "Amp" Elmore large Afro and African Cultural heritage comes for Elmore's image in his 1971 Memphis Hamilton High School yearbook whereas Elmore adopted an African name noted Black Cultural pride. How Elmore came up with the name is historic.

The 1st American Rap Group in America was a group from New York in Harlem called "The Last Poets" Elmore adopted the name Abiodun Oyewole a member of the group. It was African American leader Malcolm X who introduced the name "Bashi." The name Bashi in an African context refers to the Bashi people (or Bashishi), an ethnic group inhabiting the South Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Etymologically, it is derived from the Shi language, where the prefix "Ba-" denotes people, and "-shi" is associated with concepts of strength, endurance, and connection to their land, the Bushi region.

It was in 1971 whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore a youth activist organized the 1st 18 year old voter registration in the State of Tennessee as a student a Hamilton High school. It was in the fall of 1971 whereas Elmore started his freshman year in college whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore would meet Rev. James Bevel the architect of the civil rights movement.

Anthony "Amp" Elmore would in 1988 tell his story in his movie release "The Contemporary Gladiator." The dinner scene in the movie encapsulates the story of Anthony "Amp" Elmore in the early 1970/71.

Click here to view the dinner scene in the 1988 Film Release "The Contemporary Gladiator."

This 1987 dinner scene filmed in Anthony "Amp" Elmore's Orange Mound home is historic. Anthony "Amp" Elmore originally hired an "All Black Film Crew" from Chicago to film his movie "The Contemporary Gladiator." Anthony "Amp" Elmore is the 1st in Memphis history to write, produce, direct and star in an Independent 35mm Theatrical Film.

The Chicago film crew lived in Elmore's Orange Mound home whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore converted his Orange Mound home into a film production studio whereas "Orange Mound" a historic African/American Community in Memphis is "The Birthplace of Independent Filmmaking in Memphis."

Both Black and White Memphis leaders deny Anthony "Amp" Elmore who is a Memphis born 5-Time World Kickboxing Champion the historical honor of being acknowledged as the "Father of Independent Filmmaking in Memphis.

While the City of Memphis in 2026 deny Anthony "Amp" Elmore's Film history it was in 1990 whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore's 1990 Kenyan Film Premiere Launched the First Industrial-Level Trade Deal Between an African Government and a Black American Business, Defining Orange Mound as a Global Sovereign Hub."

While White Memphis/Shelby County Film Commissioner Linn Sitler used her function and authority to erase Anthony "Amp" Elmore's film history in Memphis; Anthony "Amp" Elmore's film "The Contemporary Gladiator" premiered in Nairobi, Kenya whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore received a hero's welcome in Kenya and a major star film premier.

Unknown and untold to Anthony "Amp" Elmore and the Kenyan Government in 1990 the movie arrangement and premier is African and African/American history. In 1990, the Kenyan government, through the state-owned Kenya Film Corporation, entered into a formal commercial agreement with Anthony "Amp" Elmore's Memphis-based film company to license and exhibit the 35mm film The Contemporary Gladiator. This transaction is the first documented industrial-level trade deal between an African government and an African American business in African history.

In 1990 the Kenya film commission would grant Anthony "Amp" Elmore and the African/Americans attending the movie premier the sacred honor of a "Kenyan Safari." This Kenyan courtesy would change the life of Anthony "Amp" Elmore forever. While on Safari Anthony "Amp" Elmore cried tears and would later lean that he was visited by "Ancestral Spirits."

Anthony "Amp" Elmore's life changed whereas he vowed to spend the rest of his life advocating African and African/Americans relationships whereas for over a decade Anthony "Amp" Elmore would bring African/Americans to Kenya.

Unknown and untold is the story of the co-star of the movie "George M. Young" AKA "The Kingfish." While the other group premier members Attorney Charles E. Carpenter and Shaka Khalphani were thrilled about the Safari George M. Young in despair told Anthony "Amp" Elmore "How could you do me like this we are in the jungle and can be eaten by wild animals."

George M. Young got drunk and feared every minute on Safari. George M. Young noted a fear many African/Americans have about Africa and most have mixed emotions about a Kenya Safari. Anthony "Amp" Elmore created "Cultural Safaris" or a Kenya tour for African/Americans.

In 2026 if you were to ask any African/American to name one African President elected in the 21st century if would be rare for any one to name an African President. Further African/Americans perceive Africa as a monolithic country of Jungles, savage people fighting with spears shields. In fact the greatest fear of African/Americans traveling to Africa is fear of being eaten by wild animals.

The profound "Information Blockade" is a direct result of decades of systemic erasure and media-driven stereotypes that have created a massive perception gap between Black America and the African continent. In 2026, while the global economy becomes increasingly interconnected, many African Americans remain trapped in a 19th-century "Tarzan" narrative where Africa is viewed as a monolithic jungle inhabited by "savage" peoples, rather than a continent of 54 sovereign nations led by sophisticated 21st-century presidents.

To learn about the Kenya erasure of African and African/American history click here to visit our website titled: birthofkenyapartofcivirightsmovemet.com

Anthony "Amp" Elmore created the "African Cultural Embassy" in the historic African/American Memphis Orange Mound community —the first neighborhood in the United States built specifically for and by Black people—the Embassy serves as a physical and symbolic sovereign space for "African Cultural Diplomacy."

The essence of the "African Cultural Embassy" is the elephant in the room. With a GDP of approximately $2.1 Trillion, African Americans represent one of the most powerful economies in the world—if it were a country, it would be the 15th largest economy on Earth, surpassing the GDP of nations like Spain, Mexico, or even the entire nation of Saudi Arabia.

This institution was born from the momentum of Elmore's historic 1990 trade deal with the Kenyan government, evolving from a personal mission into a formal diplomatic hub. By founding this Embassy, Elmore provided a blueprint for the Diaspora to move beyond mere cultural appreciation toward structured, industrial, and diplomatic engagement with African nations, effectively turning a historic Memphis neighborhood into a global gateway for trade and education.

The significance of the African Cultural Embassy lies in its role as a center for self-determination and the preservation of Black history. It functions not just as a museum or a community center, but as a diplomatic mission that facilitates "African Cultural Diplomat Exchange," connecting the youth and entrepreneurs of Orange Mound directly with the continent of Africa. The Embassy is an Educational movement whereas from this location Anthony "Amp" Elmore created not only Memphis 1st Independent 35mm theatrical film titled "The Contemporary Gladiator" this movie is the 1st Kickboxing movie in World Film History and the film is the 1st Buddhist Biopic in World film history.

Please click here to learn more about this historic Film. titled: First Kickboxing Film in the World The Contemporary Gladiator

By housing this culture and history in Orange Mound, Elmore has solidified the community's status as the Birthplace of "African Cultural Diplomacy" proving that the local Black neighborhood of Orange Mound possess the cultural capital to negotiate on the world stage and maintain their own international relations independent of traditional Western frameworks.

The establishment of the first African Cultural Embassy in American history by NARA-honored historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore represents a landmark shift in how African Americans engage with their ancestral heritage and the global community. Located in the historic Orange Mound community of Memphis—the first neighborhood in the United States built specifically for and by Black people—the Embassy serves as a physical and symbolic sovereign space for "African Cultural Diplomacy."

This institution was born from the momentum of Elmore's historic 1990 trade deal with the Kenyan government, evolving from a personal mission into a formal diplomatic hub. By founding this Embassy, Elmore provided a blueprint for the Diaspora to move beyond mere cultural appreciation toward structured, industrial, and diplomatic engagement with African nations, effectively turning a historic Memphis neighborhood into a global gateway for trade and education.

The significance of the African Cultural Embassy lies in its role as a center for self-determination and the preservation of Black history. It functions not just as a museum or a community center, but as a diplomatic mission that facilitates "African Cultural Diplomat Exchange," connecting the youth and entrepreneurs of Orange Mound directly with the continent of Africa.

Click here to learn about the "African Cultural Diplomat Exchange Network"

The Embassy is connected to International Cultural Diplomacy such as Elmore's 35mm film The Contemporary Gladiator and the symbolic "Mud Cloth Tuxedo" recognized by the Barack Obama Presidential Library. The Anthony "Amp" Elmore Obama Mudcloth Tuxedo stands as a monumental cultural monument and the first authentic African fashion artifact created for a sitting U.S. President to be enshrined in the United States National Archives.

Designed by NARA-honored historian Anthony "Amp" Elmore following the historic 2008 election, the garment was handcrafted in Ghana using traditional 12th-century Malian Bògòlanfini (Mudcloth) technology. It was specifically engineered to fuse ancient African heritage with the formal structure of Western formalwear, creating a unique "Styled African" aesthetic that symbolizes African dignity and integration. In 2009, Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen officially delivered the tuxedo to the White House at Elmore's request, where it was accepted by the administration.

Click here to see video dated December 18, 2025 titled: NARA Historian Anthony Amp Elmore Honored on Floor of Congress Corrects Orange Mound Birthdate 1879

Memphis Congressman honors Anthony "Amp" Elmore on the floor of Congress for historical work of creating an African Tuxedo that is displayed in the Barack Obama Presidential Library and Anthony "Amp" Elmore correct the history of Orange Mound.

By associating these records in Orange Mound, Elmore has solidified the community's status as the birthplace of a new diplomatic movement, proving that local Black neighborhoods possess the cultural capital to negotiate on the world stage and maintain their own international relations independent of traditional Western frameworks.

Click here to visit website titled: Tom Mboya 70th. com

The Tom Mboya 70th Anniversary, scheduled for August 15, 2026, marks the platinum anniversary of Mboya's historic 1956 arrival in America—a journey that fundamentally changed the trajectory of both Kenya and the United States. This celebration, championed by Anthony "Amp" Elmore, is uniquely significant because it serves as the centerpiece for the first-ever Black Family Reunion in Africa, planned at the African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound

The event is a vital act of "historical reclamation," honoring Mboya not just as a founding father and architect of the independent constitution, but as the visionary behind the "Airlift Africa" program. This program brought hundreds of African students to U.S. universities, including Barack Obama Sr.; without Mboya's diplomatic brilliance, the history of the first Black American president would likely not exist.

The importance of this event to Kenya lies in its role as a global platform for African Cultural Diplomacy, repositioning the country as the "returning point" for the African Diaspora to reconnect with their ancestral roots. By hosting this international commemoration in Orange Mound Memphis elevates Mboya's legacy from a local political figure to a global symbol of Pan-African unity and excellence.

It also serves as a strategic catalyst for new industrial and trade relationships, fulfilling Mboya's original dream of a "Marshall Plan for All Africa" by fostering direct economic ties between Kenyan businesses and the African American market. Ultimately, this 70th-anniversary celebration is a bridge across time, linking the civil rights struggles of 1950s America with Kenya's independence and today's mission of global Black economic self-determination.

On August 8, 1986 Black filmmaker Spike Lee's Black and White movie "She's Gotta Have it" was released. The movie appeared at the "Fare Four Theatre" on Summer Avenue in Memphis. Who could have ever known that Spike Lee's Black and White Black film would lead to Anthony "Amp" Elmore a Memphis born 5-time world Kickboxing champion becoming "The Father of African Cultural Diplomacy."

In Memphis, Tennessee there is a culture of White Supremacy, Racism and Black on Black Racism whereas Black achievement in Memphis is marginalized and Black history is erased. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was brutally assassinated in Memphis April 4, 1968 whereas Memphis has a cotton museum and no Black Memphis history museum.

Elmore inspired by Spike Lee would witness on March 20, 1987 the release of the movie by Robert Townshend titled "Hollywood Shuffle" a self-financed movie using credit cards. Elmore enrolled in then "Shelby State College" now called Southwest College to take an English and typing class. Elmore would write a movie script and set out to produce a movie about his life story.

On May 29, 1982 Anthony "Amp" Elmore won the PKA (Professional Karate Association) world heavy weight title. Also in 1982 then a group of Memphis State Students would produce a film titled "I was a Zombie of the FBI" directed by Marius Penczner. Memphis institutions elevated Maris Penczner's video project as if it were a professional 35mm theatrical film — even though available evidence shows no record of it ever playing in a Memphis movie theater.

Linn Sitler the Memphis/Shelby County Film Commissioner and the City of Memphis used their function and authority to erase "World Black Film History." The Anthony "Amp" Elmore 1988 film release is not only Memphis 1st Independent 35mm Theatrical Film, "The Contemporary Gladiator" is not only the 1st Kickboxing film and World Film History, the film is the World's 1st Buddhist Biopic and the 1st trade deal between and African Government and an African/American business.

The 1990 Nairobi premiere of *The Contemporary Gladiator* stands as a turning point in modern African and African American history—a moment when culture, commerce, and identity converged to create something unprecedented. When the Orange Mound–produced 35mm film appeared on Kenyan cinema listings, it was far more than a movie screening. It represented the first recorded industrial‑level trade agreement between an African government and an African American business.

In a century defined by global shifts, independence movements, and the rise of new African states, no African nation had ever entered into a formal commercial arrangement with a Black American filmmaker, entrepreneur, or cultural institution. Kenya became the first.

This act alone broke a historical pattern in which African Americans were culturally connected to Africa but economically excluded from its governmental trade structures. By importing and commercially exhibiting a Black American independent film, Kenya has the opportunity to open a new chapter—one in which Black America was not merely a descendant of Africa, but a recognized partner in African economic and cultural development.

The significance of this moment becomes even clearer when viewed against the backdrop of 20th‑century history. For generations, African Americans had been denied access to global markets, international distribution, and government‑to‑government cultural exchange. Hollywood had long dominated the global film economy, and African governments typically negotiated only with major studios or multinational corporations. Yet in 1990, Kenya broke that mold.

By approving, licensing, and showcasing *The Contemporary Gladiator*, the Kenyan government validated an African American business as a legitimate international partner.

This was not symbolic. It was a real trade deal—paperwork, contracts, distribution arrangements, and national cinema listings. It was the first time an African nation treated a Black American entrepreneur as a sovereign economic actor rather than a member of a diaspora disconnected from African state institutions. In doing so, Kenya became the first African country in history to establish a formal trade relationship with an African American business.

But the impact of the premiere extended far beyond economics. The event is a possible foundation for a living bridge between Kenya and Black America—a bridge built on culture, family, and shared destiny.

The film's presence in Nairobi introduced Anthony "Amp" Elmore to "African Cultural Diplomacy." Because Kenya welcomed A Black man and A Black movie demonstrated that African Americans were not merely consumers of African culture but producers of culture worthy of African platforms.

It also opened the door for personal relationships, diplomatic ties, and long‑term cultural exchange. From that 1990 moment forward, Kenya and Black America were no longer distant relatives—they became active partners.

In 1992 Anthony "Amp" Elmore met the late Kenya President Daniel Arap Moi whom named Elmore an African Ambassador whereas Anthony "Amp" Elmore introduced to Black America "The Cultural Safari."

Click here to see a 1994 commercial Anthony "Amp" Elmore produced whereas he mention taking African/American on "Cultural Safaris."

The **Tom Mboya Legacy District**, located within the historic Orange Mound community, stands as a profound monument of historical reclamation and Pan-African unity. While the legacy of this Kenyan forefather has faced systemic erasure in his own country—most notably when Kenya failed to acknowledge the 60th anniversary of his historic 1956 arrival in America—it was Anthony "Amp" Elmore who stepped in to honor Mboya's spirit and monumental work in August 2016. Anchored by the African Cultural Embassy, this permanent district utilizes digital education to safeguard Mboya's vision, creating a vital physical and intellectual bridge that connects his diplomatic brilliance directly to the civil rights mission of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It is a sovereign American space ensuring that the interwoven history of African independence and Black American liberation is never forgotten.

Because a founding father of Kenya is permanently honored and protected on American soil, there is a diplomatic and moral imperative for Kenyan presidents and national leaders to formally acknowledge Orange Mound and the Tom Mboya Legacy District as a cornerstone of shared history. Just as Mboya is revered in America, Orange Mound must be reciprocally honored in Kenya. This enduring, unsanctioned 37-year mission to bridge the $2.1 trillion Black American diaspora with the African continent is exactly why Anthony "Amp" Elmore is recognized as the "Father of African Cultural Diplomacy." By independently transforming a historic Memphis neighborhood into a global gateway for heritage, trade, and education, Elmore has provided the ultimate blueprint for direct, sovereign engagement between Black America and Africa.

In May of 2013, Anthony "Amp" Elmore embarked on a historic journey to Kenya at the direct, official invitation of the Luo Council of Elders. This unprecedented diplomatic mission is preserved in a meticulous forensic video document titled "Anthony 'Amp' Elmore Kenyan Homecoming Mission.

Click here to see the 2013 video title: Anthony "Amp" Elmore Kenya Homecoming Mission.

While Anthony "Amp" Elmore paid his own way to Kenya in May of 2013 Elmore's visit was Hosted by the "Luo Council of Elders." the region's highest traditional authorities. Elmore spent the night in the Nairobi home of Dr. Aboniji.

Elmore was granted remarkable access to Kenya's leadership. Guided by the Luo Elders, he held strategic meetings with five newly elected Luo Governors, received the blessing of the supreme Luo Ker Willis Opiyo Otondi, and sat with Mama Sarah Obama. This documented homecoming bypassed traditional Western frameworks, proving that an authentic, sovereign relationship between Black America and the African continent had been firmly established through mutual respect and shared heritage.

Building upon this unbreakable foundation, Anthony "Amp" Elmore is utilizing the African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound to host the monumental Tom Mboya 70th Anniversary celebration on August 15, 2026. The significance of the Embassy reaches its pinnacle with Elmore's proposal of the "Charter of Kinship," a groundbreaking diplomatic agreement designed to formally unite Kenya and the historic Orange Mound community—established in 1879—as official, recognized family.

This Charter of Kinship transcends standard international relations; it is a permanent decree of Pan-African solidarity. By institutionalizing this familial bond through the African Cultural Embassy, the Charter of Kinship ensures that the 37-year legacy of cultural exchange and economic trade is forever protected, transforming Orange Mound into the permanent sovereign bridge linking the African American diaspora to their ancestral home.

Click here to learn more about the August 15, 2026 event titled: Tom Mboya 70th.

While Anthony "Amp" Elmore plans to honor Tom Mboya 70th at the African Cultural Embassy in Orange Mound, August 15, 2030 marks the 100th birthday of Tom Mboya. Anthony "Amp" Elmore is advocating that Kenya President Dr. William who is an honorary Luo Elder support the Anthony "Amp" Elmore proposal to celebration the Tom Mboya 100th and African and African/American homecoming celebration whereas African/Americans are invited to Kenya for an "African Homecoming Celebration."

Anthony "Amp" Elmore asks Kenya President Dr. William Ruto to come to Orange Mound in Memphis and celebration not only the Tom Mboya 70th Anthony "Amp" Elmore propose to be built in Nairobi, Kenya "The Tom Mboya and African/American Culture and Education Center." This will be the largest such center in the World that honors African and African/American relationships.

About Us
"If Lions were historians, hunters would no longer be heroes." This powerful African proverb encapsulates the mission of the Orange Mound News Network (OMNN). Founded by Anthony Amp Elmore, OMNN aims to reclaim and reshape the narrative of Orange Mound through the power of filmmaking, education, and content creation. Our goal is to challenge the negative stereotypes and biased portrayals that have long plagued our community, creating a positive space for family, Black culture, history, and education.

Our Journey and Mission
Orange Mound, established as the first community in America built for Blacks by Blacks, has a rich history often overshadowed by negative stereotypes. Mainstream media and societal biases have painted Orange Mound as a "ghetto," contributing to a 30% decline in property values while surrounding communities have prospered. The Orange Mound News Network was created to counter this narrative and highlight the true spirit and resilience of our community. Anthony Amp Elmore, a five-time world karate kickboxing champion, filmmaker, and community activist, has been a beacon of change in Orange Mound.

With over five decades of community service, Elmore has dedicated his life to uplifting Orange Mound. From becoming a homeowner at 19, establishing businesses, to founding the Proud Black Buddhist World Association, Elmore's contributions have been immense.

# # #