A Night of Milwaukee Black History at UWM African Culture Night

The first performance at African Culture Night was a local group from Milwaukee. Jam Ak Jam, which means “Peace and peace” in Senegal’s Wolof language. The group utilized the beating of drums and energetic dancers to perform traditional African dance and folklore as UWM African Culture Night celebrated Milwaukee black history.

Jam Ak Jam encouraged the crowd to clap along and dance to the rhythm of the drums and powerful arm movements of their dancers as the yellow, black and red flew across the stage in a lightning fashion

To close out Black History Month, UW-Milwaukee’s African Student Association packed the Union Ballroom with a night of diversity during its African Culture Night, Thursday Feb. 26.

African Culture Night was free to the public. UWM students, children and even members from the community came out to experience the flashing colors of traditional African clothing and dancing to the beat of drums.

President Lavelle Young of the Black Student Union didn’t contribute to the event but came in support for his peers.

“We share an office with the African Student Association, so why wouldn’t I come for support,” Young said.

The room wasn’t just filled with African Americans, there were many different races and ethnicities enjoying the festivities.

Symeon Robinson, a member of the African Student Association, felt that students needed to experience other cultures around them to understand their own cultures and appreciate others.

“We bring the culture to them and hopefully they’re willing to receive it,” Robinson said. “We aren’t trying to force anything on people.”

The night was filled with traditional African cuisine, a fashion show, and numerous performances.

The line for the buffet wrapped around the ballroom. The meal consisted of a West African meal of a creamy groundnut stew, steaming jalouf rice, and fried plantains.

The crowd enjoyed the food so much that the ASA actually had to order more because it was such a big turnout that they ran out within the first half hour of the show.

As the audience devoured the meal, the ASA chose student models to showcase traditional African clothing in a fashion show.

Students had clothes that represented all of Africa tailored specifically for them. Some clothes represented where the student’s ancestors were from and even where their parents were from.

These ranged from loose fitting boubous from Senegal and Nigeria to the jilbab, a customary piece of clothing from Somalia.

Model and member of the ASA, Ameena Yusuf, was born in the United States but her parents live in Africa. She has visited and lived with her family but is finishing school in Milwaukee.

“I feel confident when I wear this, it’s part of my identity,” Yusuf said.

Fashion was only a portion of the event as the beating of drums and African dance shook the stage.

Group leader Patrice Nassalang encouraged the crowd to beat on his drum and mimic what he was playing. They even picked an audience member out of the crowd to dance on stage with them.

Christopher Sewell was chosen to dance on stage. He had a mix of emotions.

“I was confused, excited, but it was fun,” said Sewell. “I’ve done African dance before but that was when I was 200 pounds lighter.”

Patrice Nassalang had so much energy that he even jumped on a speaker that was on wheels that carried him away from the stage, scaring the Union AV crew and the audience. He then jumped back to the stage in extraordinary fashion for his final bow.

The other musical group was Kikeh Mato, a group out of Madison Wisconsin. Guinea native Mandjou Mara led the group through traditional West African music.

Mandjou Mara has been singing and playing music since he was five-years-old when he lived in Guinea, Africa. Children are brought up around music and storytelling at a young age.

Kikeh Mato performed for a packed crowd, but in Guinea this presentation would be to council people. His performance is almost like a therapist and inspires people in need of help and guidance.

“I love to show my culture with others,” Mato said.