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Komlan "Richard" Lakpassa
Komlan "Richard" Lakpassa plans to give back to the nation that gave him asylum after receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in documentary film from the UNT
Komlan "Richard" Lakpassa
Komlan "Richard" Lakpassa during the production of his thesis film: Gods, Have Merced!
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Former Togolese television producer to graduate from UNT after seeking political asylum in U.S.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Almost 6 years ago, Komlan "Richard" Lakpassa fled his native country of Togo in Western Africa after he joked about Gen. Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Togo's president. Lakpassa was then a production and programming manager for Télévision Deuxième, the first Togolese privately owned TV station, and a producer and host for Radio Lomé in Togo's capital. He was the master of ceremonies for an official state event when he talked about Eyadéma's then 36-year rule and his decision to seek another term in the 2003 election, a few weeks after Togo's Constitution had been changed to remove term limits on the office of president. Lakpassa joked that it might be time for a change. "Even though I had been the president's personal host for banquets and other parties, I had to run for my life," said Lakpassa, who went first to France in January 2003 and then to the United States a month later after contacting the American Embassy. He now plans to give back to the nation that gave him asylum after receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree in documentary film from the UNT Department of Radio, Television and Film Dec. 12. Lakpassa, who has an undergraduate degree from Togo's University of Benin, chose UNT after contacting a graduate of UNT's Department of Journalism, Kwami Koto. "I had worked with him in Togo, and he was the only person I knew in the U.S. He graciously allowed me to stay with him, and I decided to further my education by earning my MFA. It seemed like a good way to start over in the U.S.," Lakpassa said. As a UNT student, Lakpassa often worked overnight shifts at various jobs to send money back home to his large family. He is currently a corporate account manager for PC Connection Sales Corp. in Dallas, a direct marketer of information technology products. He also completed an internship as a producer of films for UNT's football program and was a tutor in the UNT College of Education's Summer Leadership Academy, teaching 8th- and 9th-grade students who are preparing to be the first members of their families to go to college about college life and academic opportunities. Between work commitments, Lakpassa completed 4 short documentaries as part of the MFA degree program. "All of my films speak to my quest for identity -- to understand what it means to be African in a former colony of France," he said. "I want to also show another side to Africa that most Americans don't see. The election of Barack Obama, whose heritage is in Africa, has shed light on the continent." After working as a teaching assistant at UNT for an academic year, Lakpassa will teach a course on African cinema in UNT's Department of Radio, Television and Film during the spring 2009 semester. He plans to seek a full-time position at a U.S. college or university. He is still unable to safely return to Togo, though Eyadéma died in February 2005, almost two years after Lakpassa fled. "I defended my master's thesis last July 28. My father passed away two weeks later, and my mother died shortly afterward," Lakpassa said. "I could not go back to my own country to attend the funerals of parents." Despite that, Lakpassa said he doesn't consider the story of his refugee status to be sad. "I am lucky to be alive. Many people in my country have not been lucky -- they've died for expressing their opinion about the government," he said. "The United States has been wonderful to me, and I'm grateful to have had the education at UNT. I want to give back to this country by teaching and enriching students about Africa." Note to editors and reporters: Lakpassa will receive his degree from UNT Dec. 12 (Friday) during a 4 p.m. ceremony for students graduating with master's degree. The ceremony will be held in the UNT Coliseum. To talk to Lakpassa before or after the ceremony, contact Nancy Kolsti at 940-565-3509 or at nkolsti@unt.edu.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
Contact: Nancy Kolsti (940) 565-3509
Email: nkolsti@unt.edu
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