The African Students Association (ASA) showcased traditional African food, music and art with its first-ever Culture Night. 

Queyonoh Kweh, a Higher Education Institution (HEI) program coordinator, advises the ASA. 

“This particular event focuses on engaging people in African culture. There’s a lot of stigma and a lot of ignorance and we just want to be able to share our culture with other people and have an opportunity for people to come and learn and to experience African culture,” Kweh said. 

ASA members led stations comprising bead-making, music, dancing, art and food. 

The first table provided space for attendees to create traditional African accessories, such as ankle and waist beads. 

At the next station, participants could scan Spotify URIs, which directed them to curated playlists with African music. 

“(The station was) designed for people to preview a couple of different African playlists from different cultures, more traditional stuff: Afrobeat, East Africa, South African,” Kweh said. 

The middle of the room was left open for attendees to dance along with African music. 

The event also included an art exhibit with traditional African garments, instruments and cooking tools. 

Kweh encouraged participants to try traditional African dishes, such as chicken and Jollof rice, after completing the other stations. 

Fahema Nambafu, a first-year mechanical engineering major from Uganda, is a member of the ASA. She said her favorite part of the event was the Jollof rice and the music. 

Many ASA members wore African-inspired outfits to the event. Kweh said much of the clothing reimagined traditional West African prints. 

Kweh said she was pleased with how the event turned out. 

“We wanted to do a couple of more things but I am really happy with what we have. I think next year we will probably have more stations, more dancing and really just perfect what we have now,” Kweh said. 

Claire Umeora, a junior marketing major from Jonesboro, serves as the ASA president. She said ASA aims to create an African community on campus. 

“A lot of people are coming straight from Africa. They don’t really know anybody here and it’s completely different in America. I just wanted to make them feel at home by having events,” Umeora said. 

Kweh said she felt alone throughout her education due to her Liberian descent, which inspires her work with the ASA. 

“I always stuck out, there’s the presumption of being an immigrant. To be able to share with the students and support them in this way, many of them are internationals who don’t have their families here, and to help in creating a community for them means the world to me,” she said.

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