Pan-African festivities help commemorate Black History Month

Wednesday, February 17, 1999

Pan-African festivities help commemorate Black History Month

EVENT: Week-long celebration pays homage to years of struggle,
culture, roots of displaced people

By Andy Shah

Daily Bruin Staff

To celebrate Black History Month, the African Student Union
(ASU) will kick off a weeklong event on Monday, featuring speakers,
music and food.

Pan-African Week is a yearly event held to commemorate both
African and African American history.

"Pan-African means not just coming from the African continent,
but from everywhere we’ve been scattered because of the slave
trade," said ASU chair Noluthando Williams.

Williams said the week will have a dual focus.

"We want to explore what it means to be both African and
American," she said.

The highlight of the week is on Wednesday, Feb. 24, when there
will be speakers, food and music.

Walter Turner, host of the Africa Today radio program and Nelson
Mandela’ s ex-media director, will be speaking, as well as Elena
Featherston, who made an award-winning documentary on Alice
Walker.

Students will host a panel discussion on current issues on
Thursday.

"There will be, for example, an Ethiopian student talking about
adjusting to America, and a student from a lower-class background
talking about coming to UCLA, where everyone is middle class or
above," Williams said.

On Friday, several ASU members, as well as students from other
campuses, will have a sleepover.

The union will also host discussions on African and Carribean
politics, and will serve Caribbean food.

ASU members said they will center around African issues.

"There are more programs here that deal with African American
culture, so it’s important to recognize our African roots as well,"
said Marselle Washington, Undergraduate Student Association Council
(USAC) cultural affairs commissioner and ASU member.

Washington said he hopes the week’s events will attract a
diverse crowd.

"I hope more than just students of African descent show up
because I want people to learn about our culture," he said.

"It’s going to be an interactive history lesson."

Williams said she hopes students will remember how events like
Pan-African week originated.

"Our presence on the UCLA campus as African people exists
because people have struggled," she said.

Pan-African week started seven years ago. ASU members started
planning for this year’s events last summer.

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