Today we’d like to introduce you to Adjwoa “Miss Adgy” Tyehimba.
Adjwoa “Miss Adgy”, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Hey Y’all! Yes, I’m country lol. I’m Adjwoa, if you think that’s hard to pronounce feel free to call me “Adgy”. I’m the co-owner of Pan-African Connection Bookstore & Resource Center located in Dallas, Oak Cliff. How did I get here? Well my father Bandele Tyehimba started this store 29 years ago. I’ve literally been working here since I could talk & count money. My father introduced me to African culture at a young age, starting with my name, Adjwoa. Adjwoa is from the Akan people of Ghana and means born on Monday, beautiful and intelligent. For the longest I was embarrassed about my name because people couldn’t pronounce it or simply made fun of it because it wasn’t normal. In middle school my father took me on my first trip to Ghana, West Africa. There I met so many women had my name, which helped me with my confidence. Visiting Ghana and immersing in the culture sparked my curiosity to travel and my love for art. While in Africa we would purchase art, clothing, jewelry, and pounds of Shea Butter. As the years went on, I learned the ins & outs of the business. My father showed me the art of negotiating, buying, selling, and the meaning of customer service.
In 2008, I took my talents to The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff to major in Fisheries Biology. Random? I know. College helped mold me into the woman I am today. I met people from different cities, economic backgrounds and races. Working in fisheries gave me a huge appreciation of the environment. While studying for an Ichthyology mid-term my senior year I received a call that my father passed away. This was a wake-up call. I knew that immediately after graduation I needed to return to Dallas and help out with the family business. In 2013, my mom & I managed the bookstore. Things were pretty tough, because we both juggled two jobs. I always thought my dad would pass the business to me once he was ready to retire, not through death. But here I am today 27 and running a bookstore & resource center.
Has it been a smooth road?
LOL! Not at all! I can laugh now because things are going steady. After the death of my father (owner) we didn’t know what to do. We knew he worked very hard for his business so we couldn’t shut down. So me & my mom came up with a game plan. Being two minority women in business was tough. Negative forces come at you full speed. We’ve face issues with land-lords, gentrification, website hacks, and most recently someone vandalized our air-conditioning unit. Can you imagine walking into your business in the middle of July without air? Jesus, outside was 111F and inside the ambient temp was 89F. We’re thankful our customers still came to shop with us and very thankful for NTD Mechanical for donating us brand new A/C units!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pan-African Connection – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
So The Pan-African Connection is a Bookstore & Resource Center. We like to call it “The Shortest trip to Africa without catching a plane!” We pretty much do everything from African dance classes, festivals, book-signings, yoga, Swahili/Spanish Classes, beauty expos, host events and so much more. A few of my favorite events are The annual Malcolm X Festival, Monthly Fruit & Veggie giveaway, and our “Ubuntu” Marketplace where local entrepreneurs can come set up and sell whatever they want. A couple of things set us apart; most of our events are grassroots events, we support up & coming talent/entrepreneurs, and we are truly here for the community. As a company we’re proud of everyone we’ve helped over the years. I love seeing the smiles on our customer’s faces when they try on a piece of Africa clothing or see the difference black soap has done to their skin.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
So I love Dallas aka The Triple D! Dallas culture and people have a special swag. From haircuts, to our grammar and our southern hospitality. I actually just moved back to Dallas after two years in Houston. So yes! Dallas is better! I love that the city is really big and diverse. We have some of the best food spots located here. All of the major music artist stop here for concerts and random pop ups. We have two airports! Which give people who like to travel a way to explore easier. The two things I hate is the traffic and the heat! I live for a Dallas winter!
Pricing:
- We have ite.ms ranging from $1.00 to $70,000 lol
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.panafricanconnection.com/
- Phone: (214) 943-8262
- Email: Panafric@airmail.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pac_dallas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pan-African-Connection-104267382937373/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pan-african-connection-dallas?adjust_creative=bing&utm_campaign=yelp_feed&utm_medium=feed_v2&utm_source=bing
- Other: https://linktr.ee/pac_dallas
Image Credit:
@lens_zee @sir_hudlun
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
