Four student cultural groups united for the first time Feb. 25 to celebrate their collective history in a Black History Month event devoted to sharing the unique cultures of the diaspora.
About 75 students gathered in the Tavern for the event, “For Love of the Diaspora,” which was co-sponsored by Caribbean Circle, Black Students Alliance, African Student Organization and the Latino and American Student Organization.
Caribbean Circle President Dshawna Bernard said she wanted the event to unite the four student groups over their history and cultural similarities.
Bernard said that it is important to celebrate one’s culture, but by focusing on their differences, the groups often separated themselves from each other.
The diaspora refers to the movement of people from Africa to other parts of the world, an emigration that was strongly affected by the slave trade.
Although they were scattered throughout the globe, Africans and their descendants retained some of their traditions, which evolved to form unique customs with elements of African culture.
BSA President Ariel McMillan said that “For Love of the Diaspora” debuted a united front for the student groups, which she hopes will continue to work together in the future.
The event included several performances, dinner and a video that showcased students from various backgrounds talking about the influence of the diaspora on their respective cultures.
“I think it speaks volumes when your see your own peers speaking to you about issues that we share,” Bernard said.
Although the students spoke about their different backgrounds, they ultimately had similar views about the diaspora and their connection to one another.
“It was just really beautiful to see people saying similar things even though they identify differently,” Bernard said of the video.
The cultural smorgasbord included soul food, as well as Caribbean, Latin American and African cuisines.
McMillan said that people connect over food, which she said is a way of sharing cultures.
“Once you get a taste, you keep coming back,” McMillan said.
Shekinatu Fasancy, a junior in the School of Political Affairs, said her favorite performance was by African Pause, a dance group within ASO, which performed a piece that incorporated ballet elements with West African dance.
ASO President Oluseyi Segun, who was one of the three dancers, said that the dancers performed to a song in Portuguese and Yoruba in an effort to show the global influence of Africa.
“It was really pretty how they combined the ballet with African dance,” said Maya Aduba, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
LASO used a video presentation to show the influence of African dance and rhythms on Latin American dance, which is a major component of the region’s culture.
Neo Moneri, a junior in the Kogod School of Business, performed a spoken word piece that addressed the issue of disunity between cultures. He said that people generally attribute cross-cultural connections to blood, genetic make-up and common ancestry, but that these common factors lack significance for many people.
The evening culminated with an African and Caribbean inspired dance performance by Tropical Riddimz, a reggae dance troupe from Howard University.
Tropical Riddimz Captain Priscilla Richards said that such performances could encourage people to fulfill their curiosities about other cultures.
“They definitely added an extra splash of excitement,” BSA Vice President Cornelia Poku said.
McMillan said she was pleased with the turnout, and the diversity of attendees.
“I feel like we accomplished our goal of introducing ourselves to the campus as a united front,” she said.
llandau@theeagleonline.com
