Students can experience authentic African culture.
By Sasha D. Robinson
The Black History Month Committee will host the fifth annual African Festival 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in the cafeteria of Loftin Student Center.
“The event is part of this college’s Black History Month celebration, themed “Crisis in Black Education.”
This will be an educational experience for students, Dr. Barbara Knotts said in an interview Jan. 25.
The event will feature Drums of Africa by T-Bow Gonzales and Deidre Lacour and the dance group Capoeira Luanda.
The event will include sample-sized portions of an African dish made up of jollof rice, plantain and a dessert catered by Kobams African Restaurant, 8753 Grissom Road.
“This is a chance for our students to learn and taste a real dish that is prepared by an African restaurant,” Knotts said.
The event allows students to interact with the performers by playing the drums and dancing.
Gonzales will perform, demonstrate and teach students and other attendees how to play various percussion instruments.
LaCour’s performance is designed to educate people about African dance and encourage audience participation throughout the performance.
Capoeira Luanda will demonstrate and teach some movements from the Brazilian martial arts form.
Capoeira combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music.
Gonzales, LaCour and Capoeira Luanda performed at the event in 2016 for Black History Month.
“Last year was a nice turn out,” Knotts said. “It was held in the Fiesta Room, where students walk by and students who are in the student center stopped by to see the event.”
For more information, call Knotts at 210-486-0593 or email bknotts@alamo.edu.