Horace Campbell, professor of African American Studies and director of the African Initiative at Syracuse University wants students, ‘to get educated.’ In particular, get educated about Africa.

‘What happens in Africa affects everyone,’ Campbell said. ‘The problems aren’t just there and we’re here. Africa is a large part of the world.’

One way to ‘get educated’ is taking place this Saturday at the Community Folk Arts center on East Genessee Avenue. at the third annual Pan-African Unity Festival.

Sponsored by the Pan African Community of Central New York, the festival will showcase the Pan African culture Central New York through performances by the Seymour School dance program, puppet show, speakers from the Mt. Zion Movement and presentations by Syracuse University graduate students who are in the African Initiative.

‘It’s going to be a unity day,’ said Campbell, who is also a member of the PACCNY. ‘We’re unifying different parts and using culture to do so.’

The PACCNY attempts to uphold the dignity of Pan African descent through promoting the interests of blacks in the Syracuse area, said Campbell. The group is made up of people spanning from various countries in South America, the Caribbean and Africa. Last year, Campbell said more than 100 people turned out for the Unity festival from both the school and Syracuse community.

‘It will be a collaboration of town and gown relations,’ Campbell said.

PACCNYCampbell said the PACCNY is an organization that seeks to promote the interests of Africans in the Syracuse Area. The group is involved in educational work for African children as well as helping to resolve work problems for new immigrants into the area as well as dealing with other challenges that are met by people of African decent in the area.

Other cities such as Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., also have their own versions of Pan-African Organizations. Oregon does a lot with hospitals and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States and in Africa.

African InitiativeThe African Initiative is a campus-wide initiative to support the research and activity of all disciplines that have to do with Africa, Campbell said. The Initiative is made up of faculty members and graduate students who are from different disciplines dealing with African studies.

While the Initiative has been in place for more than 40 years, it has undergone a revival in the past six years. The group promotes African awareness and, in the past, has hosted conferences on Kenya and Darfur. Later on this year, the group will be hosting a discussion on the current state of politics in Zimbabwe, a discussion on Congo and a major lecture on Darfur.

There is a whole litany of events on campus on the teaching of Africa, Campbell said. In addition, he says the interest in Africa on the campus as a whole has progressed greatly with more programs in place in Africa such as the Uganda and South Africa programs.

kaoutram@syr.edu

Published on September 18, 2008 at 12:00 pm