Aggies African Coalition celebrated African Day. On April 9, the event included poetry, dance, music, and a fashion show.

Aaron Anazia was the host of the event and kept the audience entertained by going back and forth from an American accent to an African accent while being a creative comedian and speaking about different African traditions. “The accent came from a little theatre. I feel like everybody who has an African parent or has been around one long enough knows how to do the accent,” said Aaron Anazia a senior journalism and liberal arts major.

Ngozi Opara would later warm the audience as she recited her poem called “African born American” which detailed the struggles of a person of African descent growing up in America, from name calling to negative stereotypes and connotations.  

Kelly Rae would follow up with a poem dealing with skin complexion and its issues related to people of the African Diaspora.

Dance groups from UNC chapel and East Carolina University came and performed for the celebration. “Our dance organization started five years ago and it’s mostly a Congo style dancing. Our group is named Soukosa,” said Charles Odhikmbo, a health fitness major at East Carolina University.

Schools from throughout North Carolina were in attendance. “We had students from ECU, UNC Charlotte, Wake Forest, Winston Salem State, Duke Africa, NCCU, and UNCG,” said Sogbeye Okoro a junior history and pre law major. “We found out about the African day celebration through their organization coming to ECU’s

African day celebration a couple of weeks ago, so we come to show support,” said Michaalah Kosia a health education major from ECU.

Sogbeye is the current president of Aggies African Coalition and the organizations motto is “54 strong” representing the 54 nations that make up Africa. “We represent the division of better Africa. We wanted to show that Africa is not just poverty it isn’t what you think it is. We come from beautiful nations, beautiful land,” said Okoro.

The event was catered by a traditional African restaurant located in Raleigh called “Wavobya,” which is a saying in Nigeria that means come together.

The different types of food included Nigerian style jallof rice, Ghanaian style jallof rice, fried plantains, fried goat meat and fish.

“You don’t have to be African to join the Aggies African Coalition. We accept everybody who just wants to learn about the culture and where we are from and who we are,” said Okoro.

“I want everybody to leave this event with the fact that although there are different countries in Africa and there’s this whole dispute about being African American, no matter where you are in the world be it Spain, Chili, Puerto Rico wherever you are from I feel like it is Africa and Africa represents that unity,” said Anazia.

• Gian Spells