African Night Kicks Off Pan-Afrikan Week 2019

Kairas Williams/Nubian Message
Members of Botewa Dance Team entertain the crowd at the Respect Your Roots event on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019 at Duke Energy Hall in Hunt Library.

Jalen Rose | Staff Writer

On Saturday, April 6, the African Student Union held its annual “African Night” as part of the 2019 Pan-Afrikan Week. Pan-Af Week is organized by the University Activities Board’s Black Students Board.

The purpose of African Night is to highlight the various African organizations on campus and provide entertaining performances.

The main theme of the program was a mock-election for the president of Nigeria. Three students in ASU portrayed presidential candidates and answered questions related to the election. This was a recurring banter through the night.

The program included fashion shows where students wore African-inspired articles of clothing.

Along with the fashion shows, Botewa, the African dance team, performed dances to various songs. Their electric dance performances provided the audience with energy and symbolized an idea of unity.

The brothers of the Theta Phi Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc. from St. Augustine University performed a step performance.

“I think it’s pretty good,” said Marcus Tisdale, a fourth-year studying mechanical engineering. “The script for the election is funny and there’s a lot of personality on the stage.”

The night also included spoken word performed by two students in ASU. The poem involved a couple having a fight. It showcased the intricacies of infidelity and trust, and emphasized their importance as the foundations of relationships.

“It’s pretty dope,” said Ty Harris, a junior studying zoology. “The script is election is funny and everything is keeping me engaged.”

After the intermission, the remaining performances consisted of a curation of poems, a cover of Alicia Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You,” and more Botewa performances.

African Night showcased the different cultural perspectives present on our campus.