Biography

Les Brown Platinum Motivational Speaker Omékongo Luhaka wa Dibinga was born Cambridge, Massachusetts. His parents, Drs. Dibinga wa Said & Ngolela wa Kabongo were Congolese (ex-Zaire) refugees, who fled the Congo because of their role in aiding in its liberation of the Congo. As a first generation Congolese-American, Omékongo grew up in an environment that led him to experience what he calls "the best and worst of both African and African-American societies"; having grown up in a strict African household in an African-American community in Roxbury, MA. He grew up as the 7th of 9 children who were taught to remember their African roots regardless of where they resided, which is why he embraces the term "It's not where you're from, it's where you're at."

Omékongo was always influenced to write and learn. Education was highly valued in his household, with his parents setting the standard holding 9 collegiate degrees between them including 3 PhDs from Harvard and the Sorbonne. As a child, his parents would buy him encyclopedias instead of toys for his birthdays. He says he gets his creativity from his mother, a seamstress on the side, and his oratory skills from his father, a reverend. Omékongo actually began participating in oratory competitions while in secondary school.

His desire to educate also comes from his parents, both former university professors and school founders. Omékongo began writing in the 2nd grade and hasn't stopped. His love of learning led him to study at some of the world's finest institutions, including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Georgetown, Morehouse, and The Fletcher School, where he received his M.A. in Law & Diplomacy. He is currently a Ph.D. student in International Education Policy at The University of Maryland. He is the co-star of the TV drama series "Ya Ma'Afrika," which deals with the lives of Africans in America.

Though Omékongo has traveled and witnessed poverty and injustice in 16 countries on 3 continents, he has always felt compelled to share the stories of adversity and inequality transpiring in America, his country of citizenship. Watching members of his own family experience police brutality and seeing too many in his community lose their lives over foolishness has led Omékongo to try to speak for all in his local and global community who believe they do not have a voice. His inspiration comes from his parents first and foremost, who taught him to always be humble and only hate evil, not the people who practice it.

In terms of poetry, Omékongo has been inspired by many but cites Dr. Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, and Abiodun Oyewole as his primary influences. The shining faces of our future that he has worked with over the years also inspire him. He writes to encourage dialogue, to bring communities together, and to make people think outside the box. This has led him to performances across the nation and around the world in countries such as South Africa, England, France, Congo-Kinshasa, Tanzania, Cuba, and Canada. He has also shared his work on radio and TV through such networks as CNN, BET, BBC, NPR, and Voice of America in over 200 countries. He writes and performs in English, French and Swahili, and has also blended Wolof into some of his poetry. He states that: "The stage is my pulpit, the pen is my temple, the paper is my sanctuary, these poems are confessionals, and my heart is my faith."

Omékongo is most proud of his family and their accomplishments, the perseverance of people worldwide, and his marriage to Kendra, his first and only love who he has been with since the 11th grade, and their 2 children, Ngolela and Ndeji! His key to a successful relationship: "You must grow together and challenge each other."

He has shared the stage with Les Brown, Willie Jolley, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, Dennis Brutus, The Last Poets, Askia Touré, Awilo, Felix Wazekwa, OutKast, Wyclef Jean, Reverend Run, Free, and Cousin Jeff. Les Brown was so impressed by Omékongo that he hand-picked Omékongo to join his Platinum Speakers Network. He is an original board member of the Origination Cultural Arts Center. He has released 6 spoken word and hip-hop CDs. The first CD, A Young Black Man's Anthem, won the 2003 Cambridge Poetry Award for "Best CD." His first book of poems, From the Limbs of my Poetree, was published in 2004 through Free Your Mind Publishing, which Omékongo founded in early 2004. The book also features a special edition 90-minute DVD.

Omékongo's second book is an anthology of 8th grade students from Westland Middle School in Bethesda, MD. The book is entitled: Poems From the Future: Poetic Reflections From the Next Generation. His third book is by M.D. Dibinga is entitled Put Your Shoes On! A step by step guide for Youth Entering the Workforce. In an attempt to make a positive contribution to hip-hop music, Omékongo released 2 mixtapes in 2005 and 2008 entitled Bootleg, & Bootleg II where he remixed original work by Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West and others. The goal was to show young people that they can rap like their favorite artists but not curse or disrespect women. His 5th, Reality Show, is Omékongo's first hybrid spoken word and hip-hop CD.

In 2009, Omékongo launched his “G.R.O.W. Towards Your Greatness!” motivational series. The first 2 products in this series are a book and CD by the same title. The CD is a musical compilation of Omékongo's radio motivational segments from Touch 106.1 FM. The book, which has been endorsed by Willie Jolley and has a foreword from Les Brown, features not only stories of success from across the globe, but also in-book activities that can get you started on the path of greatness! Omékongo has been published in Essence Magazine, Sister 2 Sister, and several other publications.

A dedicated educator and community activist for over 20 years, Omékongo plans to continue focusing on improving cultural understanding and growing greatness among all of humanity's children, because, as Omékongo believes: "We are only as humane as our most inhumane soul."