Event Hosted by The Griot Institute
On the 11th of February, the Griot Institute hosted a Student/Alumni Panel which gave two alumni and two current Bucknell students the opportunity to speak on the way Youth from Africa and the Diasporas have made a significant impact on society and their contributions including ideas, perspectives, knowledge, and motivation.
Speakers Featured:
- Maame Addo – Class of ‘24
- Barbara Wankollie – Class of ‘25
- Jean Marie Ngabonziza – Class of ‘26
- Jackline Masetu – Class of ‘27
During this informative talk, speakers discussed important topics like race and how we may understand the concept. A great example presented was of the popular streamer, IShowSpeed who recently held a tour to Africa as a form of entertainment but at the same time, informed America of African culture. It’s interesting to see the way news outlets and his audience shown in videos reacted to the tour. Some can be quoted saying, “His African tour is destroying long-lived stereotypes,” or “a path to understanding hidden information about a place or region.” This shows that he unlocked a new perspective on Africa and the culture of the region. I also feel happy and glad that social media has finally been used for something that’s educating our children rather than mind-rotting entertainment with unnecessary content. At the same time though, it is important to note that Speed is still a streamer and the stream is a “sensationalized” version of Africa as he is still an American showing Africa from an American’s POV.
A connecting example to this is how many Youtubers have traveled to Africa to explore the “skating” scene as many think due to Africa’s “financial” situation, that people there aren’t interested in the sport when actually, displayed in these videos, there are actually professionals, people who are comfortable with a skateboard and are able to outperform many Americans! I’ve even seen some skate barefoot as to be comfortable with their board and feel more connected to it. It is very respectable and opens a lot of doors for connection and inclusion.
In conclusion, this talk truly displayed the right for every human to embrace their culture and be who they want to be, regardless of the environment they come from. Every human is beautiful and diverse in every way that they are built and that’s fact. Thank you so much for reading my blog and I hope you guys will continue to come back!
Sincerely,
Jesse Leon
Class of 2028