It’s the perfect time to engage in some cultural exploration.
Both Latin American and Caribbean Studies Carnival Week and Africa Awareness Week are underway, offering members of the BSU community a chance to learn more about these cultures.
Carnival Week 2015, sponsored by the English Department and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, will feature a host of speakers; a documentary called The Shadow of Color, about issues of race in Curaçao; and a performance of Afro-Puerto Rican music. Documentarian Angela Roe will also be available to discuss race relations and racial ideology, expanding on the themes of her film. See the attached flier for a full list of events.
See a preview of The Shadow of Color.
For many, Americans, it is a distant, exotic, and unknowable place. But Africa is actually an integral part of our lives. That’s the theme of this year’s Africa Awareness Week at BSU.
“People tend to think of Africa as extremely foreign, untouchable, and troubled,” said Dr. Norma J. Anderson, Africa Studies Program coordinator and an assistant professor of sociology. “But through people coming and going, through the products we use, and culture, we really do interact with the continent on a daily basis.”
Organized by the African Studies Program, the celebration began as Africa Day in 2007 and since 2008 has occupied a full week. Two driving forces are anthropology professors Sandra Faiman-Silva, who despite her recent retirement helped plan the 2015 program, and Louise Badiane.
This year’s events range from a performance by a Rwandan dance troupe to a talk by BSU senior Queen Butahe, who wrote a book on her experiences as a Tanzanian native who came to the United States.
“When people think about Africa, it is mostly about negative things like war, famine, dictatorship,” said Dr. Anderson. “We really attempt to help people see a more positive side of this very diverse continent.”
More information about Africa Awareness Week is available here. (University News; file photos)
