By Giselle Lee | Staff Writer
The Baylor African Student Association held its annual cultural showcase, Afrique, on Saturday, inviting students to experience a night blending traditional and modern African culture.
The event featured fashion walks and traditional dances, along with a dinner featuring cultural cuisine. The four fashion walks, which included traditional wear, flag representatives, streetwear and a special “ying-yang” collection.
Togo, Africa, sophomore Gracesherry Anika said she attended to support her friends who were a part of BASA and its dance team, but Anika enjoyed many elements of the evening.
“I like that the fashion walk included both streetwear and traditional wear,” Anika said. “I think that was very cool how they had the dances. The music was also banger after banger.”
Anika, a member of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, said her experience in a world cultures class complemented the event.
“I think it’s very important to make space for different cultures, especially cultures that have a voice but are often forgotten every now and then,” Anika said. “There are other cultural events … so I just think it’s a good idea.”
Charlotte, N.C., junior Annabella Banjo, who is part of the BASA dance team, said Afrique allowed her to meet new people and bond in a unique way, despite initial difficulties with timing.
“We all have different schedules, so not everyone could be there at every practice, but we communicated well,” Banjo said. “We made sure that we were partnered up to learn routines. Some people would teach others to make sure that you felt good, no matter what you were doing, and felt prepared for dancing.”
Banjo said that after three years of doing Afrique, she felt like she had become “more in tune” with her culture through the dance team’s learning experience. For Banjo, the dance team was a “window” into the African culture.
“It gives you … the ability to … be able to feel like a part of that,” Banjo said. “Afrique really gets you incorporated to really look around and be able to celebrate people who you know and people who know you.”
Denver senior Peace Iheukwumere, a BASA executive board member, said she was proud of everyone who played a part in making Afrique a reality, given the short time the board had to prepare.
“Just being able to come out and do the finale with my executive board members was rewarding, especially because it is my last year at Baylor,” Iheukwumere said.
Iheukwumere said Afrique’s impact extends beyond the African community at Baylor, and she hopes that through cultural events such as Afrique, the entire student body will foster greater cultural understanding.
“I feel like this was just a great way to just bring everyone together,” Iheukwumere said. “You don’t have to be African to be welcomed and present. I feel like it was just a way for everyone to embrace African cultures and unite on just the fact that we are different. There’s beauty in unity, even if we’re not all the same.”
