William A. Benjamin (Wabé) was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents moved to Baltimore, from Bishopville, South Carolina before he was born. However, he would always enjoy visiting his grandparents and other relatives, in South Carolina, whenever the family travelled back and forth, on special occasions. During his early childhood days, Wabé grew up in West Baltimore, on Laurens and Etting Streets until his family moved to the George B. Murphy Homes Projects, where he spent most of his life. During those days and even now, his family and friends called him “Artie”. It was in the Murphy Homes Projects where he had an early childhood dream of meeting people from around the world. He never shared that dream with anyone, he just started “working it out” as he grew up!
Once he started junior high school, at “Booker T”, Wabé also began working in restaurants, such as the Eager House and the Prime Rib, until he finished college. At “Booker T”, he started learning French, in Mrs. Doris Cooke’s class on the 1st floor, down the hall from the main office. He started learning, speaking and playing with the language very quickly! He thought…I am going to be a translator! So, he continued studying French at Douglass High School, where he also learned Spanish in Mrs. Doris Holtsclaw’s class and at Gilman School’s Upward Bound Program, in the summer, under the guidance of Mr. Bill Green. From junior high school through college, and working in restaurants, part of Wabé’s dream was coming true already. He began meeting people from around the world and speaking French, Spanish and German to them wherever he worked or met them, and he still does the same thing today.
Wabé majored in French at Morgan State University and he pretended to be from Cameroon as he “hung out with Gahlia Gwangwa’a from Cameroon and Michael Kamara from Sierra Leone. The three of them were all “anglophones” who ran around the campus speaking French like “francophones” while having fun! One day, his French professor, the late Dr. Sandye-Jean McIntyre II, asked Wabé if he wanted to go to Cameroon on a Fulbright Scholarship and he accepted the offer! So, Dr. McIntyre and his assistant Dr. Carleen S. Leggett worked for days and nights instructing him on how to complete the long application! Lo and behold, Wabé was off to Cameroon and his dream of travelling around the world had begun. From the Murphy homes to Morgan State to Cameroon and beyond, Wabé had also visited more than ten countries in Africa and other countries in Europe and South America. The greatest highlight of life was his when he lived in Cameroon. He travelled to seven countries, on a six week road trip, in a Volkswagen Beetle, with Anthropologist Dr. Edna Koening, from Texas and Peace Corps Administrator Jim Pulcipher from Wisconsin. It was this historical tour that enhanced Wabé’s knowledge of African culture and the African Diaspora. He traveled throughout various cities, villages, slave castles and historical sites. He marveled at meeting with the Late Chinua Achebe at the University of Nsukka and discussing Things Fall Apart and how it impacted his studies at the Université de Yaounde, in Cameroon. As Wabé walked through the Yokodouma Rainforest with the Baka Pygmies, he realized that he had just fulfilled another dream come true! The greatest reward he had was becoming the Producer and Host of The Profiles on Africa Two-Way Talk Show, at WEAA 88.9 FM every Monday night for 15 years! That is where he put all of is talents, skills and knowledge of the African Diaspora together for his listening audience to tune-in to his interviews, poems, songs and more! That is also where he and Playwright, Dave Talbert became friends and shared their dreams with one another as he sometimes, worked with Dave on his Talk Show, “We hold these Truths”. From his diverse life experiences, international travels and knowledge of four languages, Wabé became a translator, a French Teacher, a Spanish Teacher, an author and a poet. Many of his students, colleagues, friends and family members encouraged him to take his poems and songs to another level, particularly “The African Diaspora Song” which is in three languages. Hence, he began performing at schools, universities and other locations worldwide, until one of his business colleagues, Attorney Vincent Uwakwe Iwudike said “Enough is enough, we’ve talked about this for many years! Put your music on the market and do it now!” The very next day, one of his students, Emmanuel Nnawuba, told him the same thing! Following their commands, Wabé began working on his first release, The African Diaspora Song in English, French, Spanish, and Afro-Brazilian English…and now Project 1.4 is on the market…worldwide, from the Murphy Homes, to around the world, and into your homes! Thanks for your support!