The African Studies Program will be hosting its eighth annual colloquium and luncheon next Wednesday. Directors of the program hope that colloquium will attract students’ interests.

“As we were developing the [Africana Studies] program, we thought a colloquium would be an ideal way to introduce the courses to the students, and also to introduce the program to the University community,” said Mary Wrighten, chair of the colloquium planning committee. “We thought it would be an ideal way of introducing the program to the University, of providing an opportunity for undergrad students to do research and present papers.”

The theme of the colloquium is, “Perspectives on Race and Place in Africa and the African Diaspora.”

According to Lilian Eason Ashcroft, director of the Africana Studies Program, research presentation topics — presented by both undergraduate and graduate students — will include African art, Jamaica, dance, African religion and African artists.

Following the colloquium will be an African cuisine luncheon, in Union Room 228 from 12 to 12:30 p.m. According to Wrighten, both meat and vegetarian meals will be served.

During the luncheon, jazz musicians Clifford Murphy and Claude Black will perform. Keynote speaker Dr. Michael Kimaid, visiting assistant professor of history will speak following the luncheon.

According to Ashcroft, the topic of the speech will be the bias that exists in maps of Africa.

“People are really intrigued by the topic of bias that shows up in the maps that are made of Africa,” Ashcroft said. “You can see from our flier, we put one of the slides on, which [Kimaid] will use, which shows the Nile River from an African perspective, rather than from a European, or Northern perspective. This is what he will be talking about, and it has captured the imagination of a lot of people in the community and faculty, staff and students.”

Anyone from the University or community who wishes to attend is welcome. However, reservations for the luncheon will only be accepted today until 12 p.m.

The cost of the luncheon is $8.25. Those wishing only to attend the speech or colloquium may do so free-of-charge.

In conjunction with the colloquium, Educational Transformation through Cultural Arts will be holding the Odun Omo Eniyan Youth Festival Workshop in the Union Ballroom at 10 a.m.

“Last year [the Africana Studies Program] began cooperating with Education Transformation through Cultural Arts … and they have a Youth Festival,” Ashcroft said. “So, we work with them, because they help to provide some opportunity for us to talk with students and to help our recruitment for majors.”

The Youth Workshop, according to Djisovi Eason, project director of ETCA, will give area youth in elementary and high school the opportunity to learn about traditional African dances, including Samba and Funga, and African music.

“Our festival workshop is a vibrant interdisciplinary, culturally diverse and creatively educational program for all,” Eason said. “It aims to provide area youth with creative learning experience by combining activities in performing arts, dance, science and humanities.”

In past years, Eason said, he visited Bowling Green and Toledo schools to teach students different dances that they could perform together when they converged in Bowling Green at annual Youth Festivals.

This year was different, because students will be meeting to learn the dances and music together in a workshop format. Ashcroft said she hopes the event will help to inform more people about the Africana Studies Program.

“It is surprising to us how many students don’t know there is an Africana Studies major,” Ashcroft said. “We hope that it does broaden awareness that there is an Africana Studies major. We also hope that we share knowledge about the Africana topics with the community, while also offering them a taste of the arts.”

The event will be on March 23 from 9 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. in Union Room 207.

Editor’s Note: Anyone wishing to reserve a place for the luncheon can do so until 12 p.m. today by calling Mary Wrighten at (419) 372-7897, or by sending an e-mail to mwright@bgnet,bgsu.edu.