Above: Students dance to live West African drumming, taught by West African dance teacher Dallo Falleye. CC senior, Michelle Cully, designed the students’ colorful dresses.
Written by Sabre Morris
Photos by Kat Guerrero
On May 1, Colorado College and the greater Colorado Springs community gathered at Cornerstone for the “Many Faces of Africa Event: Africa Day.” The event strives to showcase the diversity within the African continent and celebrate African heritage. Peter Daring and Lee-Ann Palesa Mokoena were the lively hosts for the day, as people from all backgrounds were welcomed into Cornerstone with African music, face painting, and henna.
Just like the diverse audience, the food came from Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal. There was savory chicken, rice dishes, and spices that brought tears of joy or perhaps pain to one’s eyes. The lines for food were long but definitely worth the wait.
There was also spoken word and poetry readings by numerous students from CC and the Air Force Academy. Cydnee Resse, whose stage name is Wanderer, was invited by senior Chidinma Onyia. Resse is a junior at the Academy and often comes out to CC’s poetry jams. This time he brought a large group from the Air Force Academy: “Africa Day opens our eyes to different cultures we might not see everyday. To come out here and just be able to network with Colorado College students is just a great opportunity and experience and we should definitely do it more often,” said Resse.
The major highlight of the day was the dance performances. It was your typical battle of the coasts as dances came from both West and East Africa. There was a Senegal African Dance choreographed by CC West African dance teacher Dallo Falleye that included live drumming. CC’s West African Dance group performed a fantastic number. The CC community helped as Michelle Cully, a CC senior, designed their colorful dresses. East Africa countries like Eritrea and Ethiopia were represented as CC students proved their endurance with seven-minute-long dances. Additionally, there were guest appearances from University of Colorado Denver’s The Faces of Africa Dance Group and a Somalian dance group. Each group of women brought a show stopping performance full of energy, rhythm, and excitement.
Many African students thought there would no longer be an Africa Day after Ubuntu (the African Student Organization), which originally hosted Africa Day, merged with Mosaic (International Student Organization). However, Onyia and Mokoena stepped up to organize the event. When thinking of a theme for Africa day this year, Mokoena said, “This idea came to me when I thought about how some people think Africa is one face. The face of poverty or, you know, just a black person. But I wanted to just show there’s poverty, yes, but there’s also innovation and progress.”
Senior Paul Miki Akpablie, CEO and founder of Khadi Energy, was one way the organizers proved this true. According to their website, “Kadi Energy promotes quality of life by providing Africans with accessible, affordable, and sustainable energy sources.” However instead of speaking on his company, Akpablie spoke on the brain drain within Africa. He also touched on education, the revolutionary digital practices taking place in Africa, and the importance of true leaders. Onyia credited CCSGA for fully funding Africa day and allowing CC students as well as the greater community to participate in an enriching cultural event. “It was so much work, but it’s nice to see the fruits of your labor, and it was good to see such a huge turnout. A lot of people were excited about the event so it was nice to see the joy of the people who we are sharing with to learn about Africa,” remarked Onyia.
The night ended with a friendly dance competition that included prizes. The judges were none other than the audience, who cheered on the dancers and added to the energy in the room. “I’m going to miss giving African students a community,” said Onyia. “This event is probably the only event where CC students can gather for a true African celebration. But I think it is important to showcase your culture in different activities.” While there may be another year before the next Africa Day, the exciting energy and celebration of African heritage will continue throughout campus and the rest of the year.