The Organization of African Students hosted its annual Africa Day celebration this Saturday. The evening of entertainment and history saw approximately 500 students in attendance.
This year’s show, themed “The Sun Will Rise,” provided a visual overview of different periods in African history. Beginning with the Kingdom of Kush and working through colonialism and apartheid, the program ended with a positive look at the modern prominence of Africa and the continent’s future.
“[The show is] called ‘The Sun Will Rise’ because it’s a metaphor for positivity on the continent, [hope for] the continent following a positive trajectory from now on,” fourth-year College student Clarisse Awamengwi, OAS treasurer and Africa Day organizer said. “It’s to foreshadow that the African continent is great and there is greatness coming to it. It has had greatness before and it will have greatness again and the greatness that comes will be better than what it had before.”
The show incorporated numerous forms of expression, including fashion, dancing, poetry, acting, music and food. Students used small performances to create a cultural snapshot of Africa throughout its history.
“I really think [Africa Day is] about taking ownership of the African story and really engaging the University community in a way that not only gives them something fun to do but also informs them in a positive light and gives Africans themselves the voice to author their own stories,”Awamengwi said.
Through the celebration, OAS members hoped to debunk misconceptions about African culture by showcasing the diversity within the continent.
“The concept behind the show [is] really showing people African culture and showing people that Africa is not a monolithic place, it’s a place that has gone through many vicissitudes,” Awamengwi said. “It’s a place of many peoples, many languages, many cultures and that’s really what they experience at the show.”
This year’s show also raised money for SOS Children’s Villages in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. Clothes featured in the show were put up for auction, with all the proceeds going to the charity.
“We’re moving into better stages [in the Ebola outbreak] and the count has gone down so what we wanted to do was shift our focus to children who have been orphaned by the Ebola outbreak,” second-year College student and OAS Service Chair Ivory Ibuaka said. “We like to keep [our] service component relevant.”
The organization took up the cause this year after recognizing a lack of concern in the United States for the seriousness of the Ebola outbreak, Ibuaka said.
“A lot of people on [executive] board are West African,” Ibuaka said. “It hits close to home for us. We weren’t at all impressed with U.Va.’s reaction to Ebola’s breakout, even the entire country’s reaction. People made jokes and in our culture thought something about Ebola was funny. That’s why we decided that it’d be a good campaign to initiate to raise conscientiousness and awareness and funds.”
Overall, OAS seeks to bring about an increased cultural understanding at the University and recognition of the prominence of Africa.
“It was very important for me to find an African community here,” Awamengwi said. “I also joined because I don’t want OAS to be just something that Africans get involved with, but something that the University community at large is really invested in. Africa has shaped the histories, politics [and] economies of so many other continents…It’s really essential that people connect with Africa and realize the importance of the continent.”
Following Africa Day, OAS leaders hope those in attendance feel a connection with Africa and continue the conversation.
“You’re really sharing your culture with other people and they’re kind of understanding where you’re coming from,” fourth-year Batten student and OAS President Jennifer Oppong said. “We really just want people to have some kind of take-away. We want people to leave with something, see where we come from and what we’re all about.”
Through Africa Day and other efforts at the University, OAS hopes to appeal not only to those who identify closely with Africa, but also to all students within the larger University community.
“Leaving from Africa day, people are definitely going to have a realization that U.Va. is just a very small portion of humanity or what human beings do,” Awamengwi said. “People will be more open-minded and more enthusiastic about going out into the world. At the end of the day, the human spirit prevails and it’s really about humanity and the human spirit. It’s about realizing that these people who live thousands of miles away are really the same as us.”
This article previously incorrectly stated the number of attendees was approximately 300.
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