Haley Ruyle
hruyle@lc.edu

In the Reid Cafe students from Lewis and Clark as well as Godfrey Elementary had a chance to experience an African Tribal Dance to celebrate Black History Month. It was an amazing site to see and hear for all those in attendance. The African soul was roaring through the air and could be felt through the beat of the drums.

Black History Month is important because it reminds everyone each year of where African Americans came from and the culture of the African people truly came from, and keeps the history and the culture alive, so that nobody never forget the struggles and achievements that African Americans fought for! The African Dance brought people to their feet as they followed the rhythm of the beat of the Djembe drum. Students from both the Lewis and Clark Community College Campus and the Godfrey Elementary School were moving, grooving, and singing along to the African song and Dance.

The annual African Dance at Lewis and Clark shows everyone an important part of Black History Month, and shows a little bit of the history behind the Native African Culture. African Dance is an old and still currently played to many tribes both here in America and in Africa, and is a tribal dance that tells the history and legends of their tribe. Examples such as the Djembe drum was used initially as the first language of music, and is still used to communicate through the soul from the beat of the drum. Tribal Dance is a form of storytelling of myths and past legends, used to pass on said stories through generations. The men of the African tribes would play the Djembe drum while the women of their tribes would dance along to the beat.

All the students in attendance who witnessed this event live are surely in agreement that the performance was a true masterpiece! All the people that were performing at the African Dance did an undoubtedly splendid job!