SWC celebrates rich culture

“Wisdom is like fire. People take it from others.”

– Congolese Proverb

Makida Anderson glided through a field of flowers in her mind’s eye as she danced, gifting her granddaughters with her West African culture. Now that ancient culture is theirs. No one can ever take it away.

Anderson, 51, an SWC nursing alumna, performed with The West African Drum and Dance Troupe to help celebrate Black History Month. Her son and uncle played the drums as she and her granddaughters performed dances from the 12th century Mali Empire centered in the great city of Timbuktu. In polylingual West Africa, dance was an important form of communication, she said.

Black History Month at Southwestern College demonstrated that words are a source of power, but so are food, music, art and history. Professor of History Stanley James said the purpose of the month is “to start correcting lies and deceit” and “to use history as a vehicle for the truth.”

“History used correctly enlightens people,” he said. “History used incorrectly is propaganda.”

Fosiya Hassan, 20, a sociology major, found power through poetry at a spoken word event hosted by the Black Student Union and the ASO.

“To my blacks I am everything, for my blacks are my everything,” she said at the mic. “Blacks are the concrete below my feet that guide me to the path of hope and faith, and that to my blacks is enough. That to me is enough to keep living and fighting in a world full of hate.”

Psychology major Briana Tucker, 18, spoke about growing up Mexican and African-American.

“I hope I can get involved more and learn what it means to be black,” she said. “What I do know is that black is excellence.”

Ursula Williams agreed. SWC’s Civic Center Leasing Coordinator has been an enthusiastic ambassador for African-American culture throughout her career. She led a group of volunteers that came in at 4:30 a.m. every Thursday of the month to prepare the food for the students. Soul Food Thursday, as the Ibo proverb declares, shows that “words are sweet, but they never take the place of food.” Williams, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, prepared recipes learned from her mother and grandmother as a young girl. Her family’s special ingredient, she said, is “love.”

“The kitchen is where we go to talk and laugh,” she said. “I learned a great deal of my life lessons in the kitchen. Cooking is a big part of our culture.”

Williams and her crew nearly sold 100 plates of Soul Food. Profits will fund scholarships for black students.

Professional Development Coordinator Janelle Williams said Soul Food is more than rice, beans and entrees.

“It is always helpful to have your cultural nutrients and in a physical form, and that is what Soul Food is about,” she said. “Being able to have those nutrients that kind of inspire you, motivate you, and re-energize you to keep going forward.”

Counselor Abdimalik Buul said his African parents struggled with English and navigating the education system. Their experiences encouraged him to help others facing the same challenges.

“I saw a lot of people that looked like me not moving forward,” he said. “I became a hub for black students to kind of engage in a space where they feel welcomed, where they feel safe, and that helped them transcend.”

Buul, a native of Somalia, has been a counselor and personal development instructor at SWC for three years. He leads the Umoja program that helps African-American students to transfer.

James gave a passionate lecture at an event called “Untold Truths of Black History.” He said Black History has been misrepresented to individuals. He encouraged students to find the truth about African-American history, protect it and share it.