Traditional African celebration kicks off month

The sound of drums echoed across the IU campus Thursday night, calling people of all ages to the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. The Center kicked off its celebration of Black History Month with the fourth annual Sound the Drum and Family Feast, which ran for two hours and included speakers, soul food and the sounding of the drum ceremony. \nThe sounding of the drum is an African tradition meant to call people together for community events in the name of peace and friendship. \n"It is called sound the drum because in African traditional systems ... the drum is not only an instrument for dance music, but the drum is also a means of communication," Master of Ceremonies Austin Okigbo said. "We announce the beginning of a major event, a major festival, by playing the drum."\nThe celebration was the first of several programs the center has planned for the month. Its schedule culminates with the daylong Africana Festival on Feb. 23.\nThe Feast opened with remarks from Okigbo, who then turned the microphone over to Center Director Oyibo Afoaku, who spoke briefly before the sounding of the drum began. One by one, members of the audience proceeded up on stage. \nPeople on stage then played a beat of their choosing on two drums and offered words of insight and prayer. Most of those in attendance joined in sounding the drum and following the African tradition of awaking ancestral spirits to help guide the living. \n"You feel motivated to get up and sound the drum and offer some words of wisdom," Afoaku said. "This program gets people to reflect on the historical significance of this month." \nPeople of all ages were involved in the program. Okigbo even gave an impromptu lesson on playing the drums to several children in attendance during dinner. \n"It was very nice to see the spontaneous response on the part of the audience," said Charlie Nelms, IU vice president for student development and diversity. "It was just a relaxing, enjoyable moment of reflection." \nThe event was not meant simply to begin the center's schedule, but to bring broader significance to Black History Month as well, Nelms said. \n"I think it's a good start, a good event, because it introduces the members of the Indiana University community to aspects of African heritage," he said. "We tend to take Black History Month as though it starts from America, and this event takes us back and helps us to appreciate African tradition."\nClosing thoughts from Okigbo marked the end of the service. However, Okigbo said, this is hardly the end. \n"This event does not have a closing ... because it's only the opening of a long event that closes with the Africana Festival."\nWith Black History Month programs now underway across campus, Nelms said he hopes people will take away more than just knowledge from their experiences. \n"I hope, most importantly, that people will end up learning more about African-American history and the richness of that history in helping to make America what it is," he said.