The month of April is a time for education and student involvement to take a different form in the Department of Pan-African Studies.

The Department of Pan-African Studies will host a series of events during the annual Pan-African Festival. 

“The festival was created to have cultural events that, in essence, would supplement our curriculum,” said Mwatabu Okantah, director for the Center of Pan-African Culture (CPAC). “It’s one thing to teach about African culture, it’s another thing to give people events that would introduce them to speakers, events and artworks that would showcase different aspects (of the culture).”

Along with promoting CPAC, Okantah said, the festival’s events are centered around getting students of all backgrounds active and educated in African history and culture. The festivities kick off at 7 p.m. tonight in Oscar Ritchie Hall with “A Taste of Us,” a brief introduction to the department.

The festival features a wide variety of events organized by different people, Okantah said. Lectures, such as Dr. Paul Finkelman’s “The Ohio Slave Fugitive Law and the Oberlin Case” on April 13, mix with performances like the “African Cultural Expressions Class Performance” on April 20, he said.

The African Community Theatre will also be performing its spring production, “Wine in the Wilderness,” on several dates throughout the month, according to an event list for the festival.

“All education doesn’t just take place in the classroom,” Okantah said. “It’s an opportunity for students and community stakeholders to get access to this information and the kinds of people who provide this information and to see how talented our students are as well.”

Contact Daniel Moore at [email protected].