A Message From Concordia’s African Student Association

On Living in the Diaspora, Cultural Celebration, and More

Special IssueAndile Win — Published February 9, 2016 | Updated February 9, 2016 at 7:32am

It also doesn’t help that we feel alienated from our own “home countries,” where we may be from, but left for greener pastures, or the places where we were born, but feel no real connection to.

There are no easy answers to many of the questions that well up in our minds on this very touchy subject, but the African Students’ Association of Concordia does not try to prescribe solutions. Life doesn’t come with instructions, but we come with open arms and a smile on our face to let those who come from the Motherland know that we care.

Our team at the ASAC reflects the diversity of the continent, as each of us is from each region of Africa. This brings new perspectives to the club, making inclusion a reality and not just something we pay lip service to. Our executive team hails from Ethiopia; Uganda and la Côte d’Ivoire; Kinshasa, Congo; Senegal; Morocco and Zimbabwe, respectively.

ASAC is not the “not-black-enough” police. We do our utmost to provide a soft landing for anyone coming into Concordia from all African countries, as well as those who are part of the ever-growing diaspora.

Our aim is to make students feel like they never left home, and create a new one at the same time, by hosting activities that stimulate African pride and camaraderie.

Our meet-and-greets allow people to engage with one another without needing to qualify themselves to the association or an “in” crowd. Jukpa, the party we throw every fall, has become so popular, that even African Concordia grads attend it without fail. This year, though, the new executive team, without trying to re-invent the wheel, is introducing engaging discussions for a different energy, and this winter season promises to be the most introspective that Concordia has ever seen from us.

Our Black History Month conference on Feb. 18 will center on the topic of cultural identity. As people from Africa migrate around the world, they experience new cultural, religious and social norms. Our goal here is to bring together bright minds to give a talk that will promote learning, inspiration and wonder as well as provoke conversations that matter.

Our annual cultural show, Uzuri, is in preparation of this. This year we aim to collectively tell the story of “Third Culture Kids,” those of us who were born outside of our parents’ cultures and forced to take on the attributes of the environments we found ourselves in thereafter. As youths, we feel like our environments act on us, like the walls are closing in.

This is not helped by the fact that we are not totally accepted in the Northern hemisphere because of bureaucratic restrictions, nor are we fully embraced by the very people we represent. Our lives feel more like an experience in “guilt-by-association,” as opposed to being part of a cohesive national unit.

To reiterate, it is not our place to give people solutions, but we do aim to provide comfort with this piece by letting the audience know that they are not alone it this struggle. We want to show that they can find things that work for them if they take pride in themselves individually, and what is true and beautiful about Africa, and not lamenting the negative imagery that is often proliferated around the world by Western media sources.

Uzuri consists of many moving parts, including singing, dance, fashion shows and dramatic sketches, all working to speak to the theme of identity, fear of the loss of it and the fight for self-determination. We open on Mar. 12, time pending.

ASAC is not a closed group that tests the value of our prospective members. Their value is implicit in their identity. As executives, our role is merely to bring to life what our members want to see and hear.

As a club, our goal is to be the authentic voice of Africa and its great mysteries, while putting media outlets like CNN and Fox to shame.