(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The African Student Association is hosting a weekend of events to dispel misconceptions about Africa.
Experience Africa, an event that showcases different aspects of African cultures, is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Nov. 4 in Hendricks Hall. The event will feature performances such as dance, music, a gospel choir, poetry and a fashion show.
This will be the sixth annual Experience Africa event organized by the African Student Association. Rachael Gitau, junior and president of ASA, said Experience Africa started in 2012.
“Last year, the audience got to see some dancing and fashion,” Gitau said. “It gave people a little taste of Africa, but this year will be so much better.”
Gitau said related events are scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 4, such as Cultural Collision, a party that will be held after Experience Africa in the Lovinger Building gym. Taste of Africa, scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, in Union 240, will feature foods from all over Africa.
Gitau said the first Experience Africa event that she attended three years ago was informational.
“My freshman year, they had a geography game show during intermission, and you really learned where each country was located,” Gitau said.
Cache Smart, junior business management major and ASA member, said people in America aren’t very educated about Africa and have a negative perception about it.
“They only think about those sad commercials where everyone is poor and hungry,” Smart said.
Gitau said Africa is a continent that isn’t always portrayed positively.
“Everyone always thinks that Africa is a very poor continent, but all the resources we use come from Africa,” Gitau said. “People should know that.”
Jerusalem Kenesa, freshman nursing major, said she joined ASA to get a little more culture in her life.
“I’ve had people imagine stuff straight out of ‘The Wild Thornberrys’ cartoon and others had a pretty open mind,” Kenesa said. “I guess people think of it the way movies make it look… dirt roads, people unable to speak English, and so on.”
Kenesa said Experience Africa is designed to break the stereotypes about Africa.
“It will give people a look inside the different cultures of Africa because I don’t think people know just how diverse Africa actually is,” she said.
Kenesa said she hopes that people leave Experience Africa more informed about the continent and different cultures.
“I’m excited and I think it’s going to be fun because it’s kind of like a show and tell,” Kenesa said. “I love to see people express interest in learning about and trying to experience Africa.”
Gitau said her goal for the event is for people to understand the mission of ASA, which is to “Bridge the gap of ignorance, get to know the real Africa.”