Chief Eduakwa, leader of the West African village of Atonkwa, will talk with students about his community tonight at 6:30 in Oscar Ritchie Hall.

Invited by the Atonkwa Student Society, a group of students hoping to form ties with and learn about Atonkwa, Eduakwa is a historical figure in a village that lies two miles from the “El Ñina dungeon, where a large percentage of African ancestors were taken to America by slave ships.

“When Eduakwa comes here, the students always try to arrange some time with him,” said David Whitaker, director of the Ashe Cultural Center in Cleveland. “We anticipate these students will travel to Atonkwa sometime next year.”

The Atonkwa Student Society was formed in 2005 with help from Whitaker, who is also a Kent State graduate.

— David Yochum