The annual Africa Week, themed “Africa Arise,” will be held on the Danforth Campus of Washington University in St. Louis beginning Monday, Feb. 28.
The week, sponsored by the African Students Association, aims to dispel misconceptions about African people and to showcase many of their achievements.
A highlight will be a presentation at 4 p.m. Friday, March 4, in Simon Hall’s May Auditorium by Marcus Samuelsson, winner of the Bravo television network’s Top Chef: Masters second season.
Samuelsson, who is of Ethiopian descent, has served as a guest chef at the White House, owns two renowned restaurants and has collaborated with Starbucks to create two unique coffee blends.
A fashion show featuring participants of all ethnic backgrounds will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in the Danforth University Center Tisch Commons. The show, “The Redemption of Africa: A Fashion Show with a Story,” will include clothes from various African countries and aims to symbolically trace how Africa has arisen from colonialism to modern times and the continent’s high hopes for the future.
“This year’s Africa Week will continue to promote the vision of an arisen African continent,” says African Students Association President Akosua Yeboah, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences. “The African Students Association hopes to engage the university and St. Louis communities in a dialogue about what Africa has to offer, apart from the constant coverage of poverty, famine and disease, and highlight the widespread innovations and influences.”
Other Africa Week events include:
- A showcase of modern life in Africa with cultural displays of art, music, fashion, film and television entertainment at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, in the Danforth University Center Tisch Commons.
- A West African dance workshop at 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the South 40 House fitness center. This will be an opportunity to learn West African dance moves from instructor Karol Ababa.
- “Lunch Around the World” from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, in the Mallinckrodt Center Gargoyle. This free lunch will encourage multicultural connections throughout the world. Featured will be African entrees and appetizers along with foods from other cultures. The lunch is co-sponsored with student groups Mixed, Ashoka, and the Association of Latin American Students.
For more information on Africa Week, visit washuasa.wordpress.com.