The University of Wisconsin African Students Association celebrated its 10th anniversary on campus Friday with performances and speeches during the group’s commemorative event.
The event featured keynote speaker, Naomi Tutu, a human rights activist and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a Nobel peace prize laureate for his work against apartheid in South Africa.
She spoke on the importance of bringing together the people of Africa and African-Americans in the U.S.
“I came from a place that had believed in me. I came from a culture that was more than the movies that are shown in this country,” she said. “But I had to also remind myself that part of being African is about recognizing the connections not only to other Africans but also to the rest of the world.”
She also explained her experiences growing up in Africa, and later in London, where her mother insisted on living as though they were in South Africa when in the house.
She said every Saturday, for example, her mother insisted the family clean the house from top to bottom, which Tutu explained was not a common thing the rest of her friends did in London.
Tutu tied together her speech with an African proverb about building bridges in the time of a flood, versus building walls. She said the proverb meant more than what was on the surface. She said the story meant the wise would reach out to the community around them, rather than separate themselves from others.
In order for Africans and African-Americans to completely accept each other and reach out, she said they must change the picture that the world sees when looking at each of their cultures.
“The pictures we had of one other were negative, so why would I want to claim the other and share our stories? But if we are going to change the story and the picture of Africa, we have to change the story and the picture of Africa in America,” she said. “And if we want to change the story and picture of African-Americans, we have to change the picture of Africa.”
The night continued on with a presentation of Project 1808, the charity ASA focused on this year.
Founder Alhaji N’jai, a scientist and native of Sierra Leone, said the project was focused on helping disadvantaged children in Sierra Leone who show promise of furthering their community through going to school.
“We are not saying that people are desperate. We listen, we hear what they say and then we bring what we have to the table,” he said.
Event attendees were also given the chance to view various forms of African dance, including an intense drum and dance number. The students also had a fashion show to present their efforts to honor their African heritage.
