The rhythmic sound of drums filled the air as different tribes performed traditional dances at an African culture festival Saturday.
Food, entertainment and craft vendors were all present at this year’s African Festival at ASU’s West campus.
The African Association of Arizona held the event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Delphi Courtyard. The event was organized so that students, faculty and community members could participate in activities and learn about Africa’s diverse culture.
Femi Babarinde, a founding member of AFASA, said the association was founded in 1992 with the mission of celebrating and promoting African awareness through cultural and educational activities.
The festival has occurred annually since 1998, but this is the fourth consecutive year it has taken place at the West campus, he said.
The festival allows AFASA members to give back and share Africa’s rich culture with the community of Arizona, Babarinde said.
Clothing, shopping, cuisines and music are all found at the festival every year along with face painting and African children games, Babarinde said.
In addition, he said the association wants to showcase the vastness and the customs of Africa. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings about the continent.
“Rather than be infuriated about the misconceptions, we want to present an opportunity to educate and enlighten people about Africa,” Babarinde said.
He said that having this festival every year will enable people to appreciate the diversity of the continent. He added that AFASA is not limited to any ethnic group, creed or political affiliation. Anyone who subscribes is allowed to join.
AFASA tries to be a resource for other groups around the Valley that may wish to know about Africa. Members have gone to middle schools, high schools and the Air Force to present information about Africa, he said.
“All of the things we try to do over the years are in the hopes of presenting the visibility of Africa in the valley,” Babarinde said.
Bob Sherman, founding member and president of AFASA, said the association was started so that people could come together and help address the problems Africans have.
He said he wanted to unite and benefit others by creating opportunities for them to volunteer and help the community.
Like Babarinde, Sherman said he wanted to present a positive image of Africa by uniting Africans and Americans together.
“Our hope is that people will be able to take the knowledge that they learn from the association and start to help Africa by volunteering and doing community service,” Sherman said.
Dominique Hankins, an undecided sophomore who wants to be an English literature major, said this was the first year she attended the event.
She said that as an African-American she enjoyed the “good spirits” and activities that were present at the festival and that she would definitely go to more similar events in the future.
“It is beneficial because it gives students here a taste of a different culture,” Hankins said.
Lorin Evangelista, artist coordinator of AFASA, said she has been on the planning committee for the past four years but this is the first year she’s worked with all of the performers.
She said that dancers from different countries in Africa perform at the festival every year. In addition, she said that other countries, such as Puerto Rico, have incorporated aspects of the traditional, African dance.
Evangelista said she thinks it’s extremely important for people to enjoy the music, crafts and food from other cultures so they can appreciate how small the world really is.
She said it is important for people to understand how similar they are to those of other cultures.
“[The festival] is a valuable experience for students and the community because diversity is critical in the world today,“ Evangelista said.
Reach the reporter at khillhou@asu.edu
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