Workshop illustrates variety of African culture

The African Student Organization collaborated with the Caribbean and Latin American Student… The African Student Organization collaborated with the Caribbean and Latin American Student Association to host “Discover African Cultures” yesterday – the third event in a four-part series for International Week.

Following the theme for the year, “Bridging the Gap,” both groups want students to appreciate the differences among the African cultures. “There are so many different cultures in Africa, so many cultures and diversity, and we just want people to have an appreciation of that,” Pitt freshman Aisha Shettima said.

From the event, ASO hopes that students get to know the organization and understand its goals and its mission to reach out to first and second generation Africans who feel disconnected from one another.

“We want to unite Native Africans and African-Americans not only on campus but also in the community,” Bezawit Wossene, ASO president and Pitt junior, said.

The event consisted of African and steel pan Caribbean drumming, Nigerian dancing, hair braiding techniques and history and education presentations about the organizations.

“I am from Africa and I wanted to see what the group was about and experience different types of cultures,” Pitt junior Laetitia Kabasele said. “What people do not understand is that [the cultures] are not the same all around Africa.”

CLASA, ASO’s brother group, also took advantage of the evening in trying to promote its group ideals. “We really just want to educate people about Caribbean and Latin American cultures and get rid of the stereotypes,” CLASA president Kearn Mitchell said. ASO will host two speakers, including Pan-African professor Adjayman Opoku, and end the year with a cultural festival where there will be cultural competitions between people from all African geographical areas.

“Africa is not just a place where [its] history started with slavery and ended with slavery,” Shettima said.