African organizations create bridge to identity for multicultural Black students
African Night, 2019: The Eritrean & Ethiopian Student Organization (E2O) showcase their flag to a crowd of multicultural students.
By: Arón Olegnowicz
Although Black History Month is typically a time to celebrate incredible icons and ferocious figures, it seems like the disconnect between Afro-American and African history is still a cut that runs deep throughout the Black community.
But at Ohio State, the modern Afro-American college experience blends with African culture to create a powerful bridge between communities of Black youth.
For Trey Small, a second-year moving-image production major, attending African Night - an annual multicultural celebration of diverse cultures, people, and food - before the pandemic, “was an inspiring moment.”
“I felt so welcomed,” Small said. “To see us in the diaspora come together was a really beautiful moment.”
After studying and growing up in predominantly white spaces, Small hasn’t always found himself fitting in with the crowd. But he says, his experience during African Night was different.
“Although I’m African-American, it was all ‘welcome back bro! You can learn from us, we can learn from you!’” he said. “Us in the Black community, we came together.”
But the effort to reconnect with those in the diaspora with the African continent is no new development.
For instance, in 2019, the Ghanaian government launched the Year of Return initiative to invite Black people from all across the world to rediscover ‘home,’ - an allude to Marcus Garvey’s pan-African dream of uniting millions of displaced Africans outside the continent by reacquainting them with their ancestral roots.
Back on campus, Small’s peers also exemplify the pride he felt.
Abel Kifle, a first year neuroscience major and pre-med student, is heavily involved with the Eritrean & Ethiopian Student Organization (E2O), and he too, underscores the salience of ethnicity in understanding one’s passions and goals.
“Our identity is the foundation of who we are,” Kifle said. “For me, my identity of being Eritrean is different from a lot of people. Some people don't have it as good as others, or don’t have the same ideals.”
He also said joining E2O helped him realize that everyone comes from the same background, even if their experiences make them who they are today.
“Everybody’s identity is still unique to one another, with stories and opinions of their own. I didn’t think that until I saw it for myself.” Kifle said.
Kifle sees a future for himself in the medical field and for him, his Eritrean identity is a dynamic component to his vision, and his work ethic.
“The knowledge that we gain [from studying here] and the sacrifice our families made is something very valuable,” he said. Many people in Kifle’s culture take the lessons they learn abroad, and bring them back to help their communities flourish. “I feel like it’s only right to do so if one claims and loves their home as much as they say they do.”
But for many African-identifying students on campus, embracing their continental roots is one of the most integral parts of tradition. For Chinazam Uhegwu, a second-year nursing student on the pre-med track, her “identity as an Igbo woman is everything.”
Uhegwu (far left) celebrating a West African wedding anniversary in Igbo cultural attire.
A culture whose origins can be traced back to 2500 BCE, the Igbo people compose the third largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
Raised to pride herself in the Igbo language, Uhegwu’s connection to her heritage is often at the forefront of her passions. Today, she hopes to battle Black oppression and erasure in healthcare.
“I’ve grown up in a society as a Black woman, and I see the disparities that are stacked up against us in the healthcare field,” Uhegwu said.
According to the American Heart Association, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white women.
This is just one of the reasons why Uhegwu is planning to delve into maternal science.
Still, participating in African Night has had a special impact on her. She says, the atmosphere reminded her of home.
“The host was an Igbo man, so his jokes and speech were awesome because I understood it completely,” she said. “I had never felt more welcomed.”
Thanks to that unforgettable night, Uhegwu felt inspired to explore the African community on campus, which is how she found her place beyond her experiences with the Morrill Scholars Learning Community.
Her message to other students who might be struggling with cultural identity? To find opportunities to get in touch with their history.
“Make the first step. It’s not your fault you’re not in tune with where you come from,” she professed.
Empowerment comes in all shapes and sizes, and by shifting our perception - and definition - of Black History, steps like these could be a game changer in terms of racial narrative.
“This is about being in touch with something you’ve never really been exposed to in the first place,” Uhegwu explained. “My culture is something that I’m actually pretty proud of and take great delight in so I would do everything I can to maintain it.”