Black History Month kicks off with Sound the Drum event

Each rhythm, tap and rattle of the drum summoned the beginning of a celebration.\nOne by one, they took turns beating the drum, saying a prayer of thanksgiving and blessings, much like their African ancestors past.\nA group of 50 students, faculty and staff attended the Fifth Annual Sound the Drum and Family Fest to celebrate the beginning of Black History Month on Thursday night at the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center.\nOyibo Afoaku, the director of the center, said the drum symbolizes unity and solidarity in African societies. Some participants expressed appreciation for their family, friends and education. Others asked for peace and racial unity on the IU campus.\nAfoaku said she hopes participants learned to think more collectively.\n"I hope they learned to think about the community, not just only about themselves, but learn more collectively, not individually," she said.\nKwesi Brown, a graduate student in ethnomusicology, showed the crowd different drumming styles, including some styles from his native country, Ghana. \n"The master drummer is a link between the living and the ancestral world," he said. "That is how we communicate with our ancestors."\nJheremy Perkins, a freshman studying political science, said he attended the program to participate in a campus activity.\n"I wanted to get more involved with programming the Black Student Union promotes," he said. " I came out to support the black community and share our culture with others."\nCarol Reynolds, staff member at the Teaching Resource Center, said she learned that people of every background can come together and enjoy each other's culture.\n"I have really enjoyed this program," she said. "We all have something to learn from each other."\nAshley Gooch, a sophomore studying biochemistry, said she has never experienced anything like this before. She said she was happy she decided to attend the ceremony.\n"It was good for everyone to share their blessings and hopes for everyone else"