Smith Students Host African Awareness Week

For the tenth consecutive year, the Smith African Students' Association (SASA) will be hosting a program of activities, from April 11 to 17, to raise awareness in the community about the peoples and cultures of the African continent and diaspora.

The theme of this year's events will be "Women and Social Change in Africa and the Diaspora" and will feature several eminent women scholars, political activists and professionals who will discuss how activism can make a difference in challenging the oppression of women and promoting equitable societies.

In addition to the lectures and discussions, an array of African cultural events, including an art exhibit, African food buffet, dance and choral performances, will be offered. All events are open to the public, wheelchair accessible and--except for the cultural performance, buffet and dance party on Saturday, April 12--free of charge.

Schedule and Description of Events
All events are open to the public and, unless otherwise noted (+), free of charge.

Monday, April 12
Art Exhibit Opening Reception: "Spirit of the Sun." For the first time in the United States, renowned Eritrean artist Yegizaw Michael, who has exhibited throughout Europe, will display his artwork. Exhibition hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, April 12, to Friday, April 16, in Helen Hills Hills Chapel. 4:30 p.m., Helen Hills Hills Chapel

Wednesday, April 14
Lecture: "Gender and Rastafari--A Cultural Anthropology of a Movement from 1850 to the Present," by Canadian political scientist Terisa Turner, who has worked both as an academic and activist on issues of women in Rastafarianism and the oil industry in such regions as Europe, East and West Africa, Latin America and the Carribean. Her writings include "Arise Ye Mighty People! Gender, Class and Race in Popular Struggles," "Oil and Class Struggle," and numerous articles. 7:30 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room

Thursday, April 15
Lecture: "The Relevance of Students' Activism in the Promotion of an Equitable Society in the Post-Colonial World," by Kenyan scholar, activist and poet Micere Mugo, whose work spans the issues of Pan-Africanism, women and development, and African, Caribbean, and African-American literature. In addition to writing numerous articles for The African Journal of Political Science and African Development, she co-authored with Ngugi wa Thiong'o "The Trial of Dedan Kimahti." 7:30 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room

Friday, April 16
Cafe Afrique: Buffet of sumptuous African desserts, along with sounds and smiles of the African continent. Sample the coffee of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. 4 p.m., Mwangi Cultural Center

Saturday, April 17
Panel Discussion: "Women's Involvement in the Eritrean Struggle for Independence," with panelists Abeba Tsfargiogis, a former political prisoner of the Ethiopian government for her support of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front; Tamar Baatai and Elsa Haile who fought in the Eritrean revolution. 2 p.m., Neilson Library Browsing Room

Lecture: "Female Genital Mutilation in the Context of Activism and the Self-Determination and Autonomy of African Women," by Nahid Toubia, founder and director of RAINBO (the Research, Action and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women) in New York. Born in Khartoum in 1951, Toubia later attended medical school in Egypt, and in 1981 became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the first woman surgeon in Sudan. For many years, she headed the department of pediatric surgery at the Khartoum teaching hospital and, more recently, served as an associate for women's reproductive health at the Population Council. She is a member of advisory committees of the WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP and is currently an assistant professor at Columbia University School of Public Health. 4 p.m., Wright Hall Auditorium

Buffet: Revel in the delicacies and culinary diversity of the African continent and diaspora. Sample dishes prepared by SASA members representing 15 countries.
$5 (includes dinner, cultural show and dance party).
6 p.m., Davis Student Center +

Cultural Show: Ghanaian, Panamanian, South African, and reggae dances, skits, fashion show, and choral music performed by SASA members. $3.
8 p.m., John M. Green Hall +

Dance Party: Party African style with soukous, zouk, reggae, soca, dancehall and hip-hop. $2.
11 p.m., Mwangi Cultural Center +