Director welcomed with open arms

When Oyibo Afoaku arrived in the U.S. from Nigeria and began her studies at Washington State University, she immediately saw that something was missing from her history classes. She saw that there were gaps in the information and despite the fact that America was a very diverse place, people were not taking time to embrace diversity.\n"The United States is a very international country," she said. \nOne of the ways we could bridge the gap is to bring people together to celebrate their culture."\nThis belief quickly became her philosophy and the tenet around which she builds both her life and career.\nAfoaku, the recently-appointed head of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, was born in Nigeria and grew up with many brothers and sisters. Although by American standards she has only four brothers that were born of her mother and father, she explained that in Nigeria, cousins are also considered to be siblings. \nShe was in elementary school when civil war broke out in Nigeria during the late '60s, but she looks back at the experience positively. She remembers being taught to be prepared for an enemy infiltration.\n"I learned a lot from it," she said. "I can relate to people (who have been in similar situations)…we had to learn how to survive."\nShe left Nigeria in 1986 to join her husband at Washington State University; he had moved there just a year earlier. They started their family just two years later and now have four children 5-13-years- old. \nWhen Afoaku was appointed as assistant director of the Marcus Garvey Cultural Center at the University of Northern Colorado in 1996, she knew she had her work cut out for her. According to the 2000 census, the black population of Weld County Colorado, home to UNC, was a mere 0.3 percent.\nAnn Heiman, currently a member of the Greenley school board and human relations committee for the city, remembers how Afoaku's appointment opened the door for diversity programming between the university and the community. \n"The first thing that struck me about her was that she was very warm and welcoming," Heiman said. "She had so many ideas about the diversity issues."\nWith the help and vision of Afoaku, the University and the city benefited from the creation of the now-annual World Festival that features food vendors, music and dance groups and many others who share their culture.\n"I wanted to bring people together," Afoaku said. "I am a good bridge builder."\nHeiman said the festival has grown since its first public appearance three years ago, adding that the community has benefited greatly from Afoaku's accomplishments. \n"We are sorry that we lost her," she said. "She has a warmth, knowledge and the ability to work with people to expand the understanding of (different) cultures."\nAfoaku's husband, Osito, remembers being attracted to her warmth when he first met her. On a professional level, he said the secret to her success is her hardworking attitude and creativity.\n"She is not an 8-to-5 person," Heiman said. "If she is dedicated to something, she never looks at the clock."\nAfoaku will reach out to as many people as necessary to accomplish her goals, Heiman said. \nIU professor of Afro-American studies, A.B. Assensoh, said Afoaku's own cultural experience is an important part of what makes her the right woman for the job. \n"As an American of continental African descent, Oyibo has a lot to bring to all of us in cultural awareness and as a towering intellectual bridge between Africa and America," he said.\nAfoaku is eager to begin her work as director of the new center and said she is already enjoying Bloomington and IU. \n"People here are very enlightened and open-minded," she said.\nAfoaku's first goal at IU is to plan a celebration in June that will include a unity parade. \nAlthough she had to leave her husband and her two eldest children behind, she is hoping that her husband will be able to secure a teaching position at IU soon so the family can reunite.