Aggies go to Africa

After countless hours were put into fundraising and attending workshops to learn about other cultures eight N.C. A&T students from across disciplines took a journey to the Western Cape of South Africa. Students who participate in theatre, the E. Gwynn Dance Company, and the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication boarded a plane on May 9, to attend a six week cultural exchange program, "The American South Meets South Africa 2004: A Cultural Arts Exchange Project."

Ironically enough the students traveled by plane for about 18 hours from the United States to South Africa arriving on the tenth anniversary of Apartheid ending. The Apartheid era emphasized territorial separation, racial discrimination and institutionalized laws much like the Civil Rights Movement that was found in the United States four decades ago. Under this era South Africans were then classified into one of the three categories white, black (African), or colored of mixed decent.

The focus of this cultural exchange program was for A&T students to learn about the South African performing arts and their cultures. Students had to brace themselves to be ready to work for about 12 hours a day. A great portion of their time was spent on teaching South African teachers The Gum Boot Dance that originated from South Africa. Amazing to the students when they were told they would be teaching this dance to approximately 20 teachers they felt a little sense of intimidation.

"Going their we felt very apprehensive because we were going to South Africa to teach The Gum Boot Dance," Alvee Kingsberry, senior, electrical engineering major said. "Although the dance originated from South Africa many had heard about it but had never actually done the dance."

Despite what many African-Americans believe, the South Africans embraced all of the African-Americans and were very willing to work with the A&T students. The cultural exchange participants also spent a considerable amount of time observing the schools of the South Africans teachers they had taught.

"The students were so excited for us to observe their class," Kingsberry said. "The students were so willing to share with us. During apartheid times students were taught to speak English so they spoke to us in English. Even the homeless children were able to speak their native language as well as English."

When the eight A&T students went to the community schools they had a rude awakening of how these children came to school eager and very willing to learn.

"The kids didn't come from a rich background and we didn't know what they had to go through before they came to school," Akeeya Umstead, junior, business management major said. "When we arrived at the first school a choir came to perform for us. These children opened their mouths and started singing to us. "American Idol" couldn't even compare to these children. It was a breathtaking experience to hear the voices coming from these children."

The South African children looked up to the A&T students to gain hope from their successes. Many of the South Africans aspire to come to the United States to be given the opportunity to get an education.

"The fact that we were Americans because we are known as cream of the crop was exciting for them, but we weren't only Americans we were Black Americans," Umstead said. "We were the same skin tone as many of the children and they looked up to us to uplift them. They thought if they can dance then so can we."

After long days spent teaching and observing schools the participants also went to take classes at the University of Cape Town to learn additional routines that could be used to incorporate into the E. Gwynn Dance Company.

The A&T students touched the lives of so many South Africans for the brief amount that was spent there. For some of the South Africans it was a dream come true to be able to see and reach out to black Americans. Both Kingsberry and Jerron Johnson, senior journalism and mass communication major, recalled a very important and emotional experience of a South African teacher telling them with tears in her eyes they had truly made her dreams come true. The teacher had seen what they thought were nice black Americans on TV and was blessed for them coming to South Africa. She said that she could now share with other people that black Americans are really nice people.

Majority of the A&T participants agreed that no matter if you are white, black or colored South Africans will put their differences aside and build a better South Africa together, where as here in America we still have a difference between whites and blacks.

"It is such a culture shock after going there. The African community is more about helping each other where as here in America it's about what can I get and maybe I will help you out," Johnson said. I believe that if America had the same mentality as South Africa that America would be in a lot better place."

There were many valuable lessons to be learned from this study abroad experience. Many of the A&T students that attended left the United States with certain views and returned back with a different outlook on life. One of the greatest lesson to be learned from the experience was to be grateful of life and the many opportunities we have here in America.

"I learned to value everyone I have and everyone that is important to me in life. Even the people that you don't think are important in your life they are. You have to learn to just love everyone, you can't be particular about people you like and dislike because that is minor and petty," Umstead said.

"Once you see what these people are going through with kids coming to school and not eating, we have so many things here in America, these kids want to come to America. These kids dream of coming to America and we are spoiled and wasteful. We must be appreciative of the life we have in America."