Interview, Amefika Geuka

Amefika Diriki Geuka, née Lawrence Edward Taylor (b. 1940), was born in Belle Glade, Florida, and grew up in Utica, New York. After graduating from high school, Geuka attended Mohawk Valley Community College and eventually earned his bachelor’s degree in urban studies from Syracuse University in 1972. Geuka went on to attend SUNY Brockport, where he pursued a master’s degree in public administration. He started a consulting business in Rochester called ADG and Associates, and he developed the Pan-African Cultural Exposition (PACE). Geuka was heavily involved in the Rochester community and participated in the Black United Fund, the Model Cities Program, the Bamako-Rochester Sister Cities Committee, TransAfrica, and the Masonic Lodge.

In this interview, Geuka explains that his business is designed to “serve African Americans unhindered by restrictions imposed…by the city administrators in the Human Service Planning Office.” He describes the PACE program as a vehicle for promoting understanding of and appreciation for the cultural heritage of people of African descent in the United States. Geuka also expresses his deep concern for, and committment to, the betterment of this demographic.