Experience Senegal (2023 - 2024)

Experience everything that the 鈥淕ateway to Africa鈥 has to offer 鈥 right from campus! The 2023-24 Year of Senegal will be a yearlong exploration into the West African country鈥檚 culture, history, and global influence.

The Year of Senegal is part of a rich tradition of globally-focused programming that has existed at the university since 1984.  We are proud to continue the collaboration with key international, domestic, and campus partners to host special performances, events, lectures, exhibits, and seminars. These offerings help foster local and global connections and engagement across cultures.
 
The year commences with a talking drummer featured in Marvel's Black Panther film franchise and continues with Senegalese-choreographed productions, film screenings, speakers, and student engagement events.  Everyone will be able to take part in Senegalese life and culture throughout the year. Our upcoming events are open to the public and we invite all faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the surrounding 食色视频 community to attend!

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Year of Senegal, Logo 2023-2024

Senegal Events

We look forward to seeing you at the diverse programming being offered this year as part of the Year of Senegal.  Many thanks to the faculty and staff, as well as the campus, community and international partners, who are bringing the Senegalese experience to 食色视频!

Listed below are the Year of Senegal events for the 2023-24 academic year.  Event details including the times and locations will be added as information becomes available.  Please check back!  If you have any questions about the events listed below, please contact Community Engagement and Outreach in Global Education at global.engagement@kennesaw.edu .

  • Massamba Diop - Drummer for Marvel Black Panther Movie Franchise

    Year of Senegal Kick-off Event

    Date: Friday, August 18

    Location:  Student Center University Rooms (食色视频 Campus)

    Schedule:

    • 10:15-11:00 am - Opening Ceremony         
    • 11:00 am-12:00 pm - Reception and Meet & Greet                   
    • 1:25-2:15 pm - Festivities: Learn more about the talking drum and the Senegal-America Project that continues to connect people
    • 2:30-3:20 pm - Master drumming class to learn from the experts in this one-of-a-kind experience

    Join us as we kick-off the Year of Senegal as part of 食色视频's Week of Welcome.

    We are excited to bring world-renowned percussionists Massamba Diop and Tony Vacca to introduce us to the music and mysteries, hope and histories of the talking drum in Senegalese culture. Before the telephone, there was the talking drum - - and we get to experience it first hand!

    Hear about Massamba Diop's experience when he was selected and his drumming featured in Marvel's Black Panther films, then experience it for yourself! 

    *Attendees will receive a limited-edition Year of Senegal t-shirt, wristband, and laptop logo sticker!*


    Celebration of Stone Carving in Senegal

    Date: Tuesday, September 19

    Location: Campus Green (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 11:00 am-2:00 pm

    The Zuckerman Museum of Art and the Year of Senegal invite you to attend the Celebration of Stone Carving, an annual event and mini-festival celebrating the art of stone carving, in honor of Ruth Zuckerman鈥檚 birthday! This year鈥檚 program focuses on the stone carvings and artists of Senegal! At this event you will learn about the ancient origins of stone carving, see Ruth Zuckerman鈥檚 tool set, and learn how the tools and techniques from ancient times are still used today. You can also try some of the hands-on activities: chisel a real block of marble, carve your own small plaster sculpture, or carve your own small sculpture out of sandstone. While there, enjoy a birthday treat in honor of Ruth Zuckerman!

    Stone Carver Senegal

    Sembene! Movie Poster

    Film Screening of Sembene!

    Date: Thursday, October 12

    Location: Social Sciences Building, Room 1021 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 11:00 am-1:00 pm (Time changed from original promotion)

    Called "The inspiring story of the father of African cinema," this film showcases the life of Senegalese director, producer, and writer Ousmane Semb猫ne, who impacted the world of literature and film, while creating social change in the process.

    The Cannes and Sundance award-winning film will be watched and reviewed with the support of Radow College faculty; students can also ask questions of the filmmaker. 

    The "endlessly fascinating... enormously moving" life of Semb猫ne and this award-winning film will inspire you no matter what field of study you are pursuing, so grab a snack, sit back, and take it all in.

    This event is sponsored by 食色视频's School of Communication & Media, Black Studies, and Global Education.


    Goats on the Green

    Date: Wednesday, October 18

    Location:  Campus Green (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 12:00-3:00 pm

    While Senegal is home to over 16 million people, the population of goats in the country is over 6 million!  You can find goats everywhere in Senegal - - and on this date you can find them on the Campus Green!  Get a close up look and take a photo with these cute animals that are an integral part of Senegalese goat farming and their economy. 

    Grab your collectible Year of Senegal "I goat this" sticker and win prizes - - from stuffed animal goats to limited edition 食色视频 GOAT ball caps!

    Goat Profile

    Peanut truck

    Economic Development Issues in Senegal: Food Safety and Sanitation

    Date: Tuesday, October 24

    Location: Social Sciences Building, Room 1021 (食色视频 Campus)

    Times:

    9:30-10:45 am - Peanuts and the economics of food safety in rural Senegal

    11:00 am-12:15 pm - The market for sanitation in urban Senegal

    From table to trash - - get the scoop on how peanuts, food safety, and competition in the sanitation industry are impacting Senegal's economy. Things we take for granted will be explored by developmental economist from the  

    Coles College faculty member Dr. Timothy Mathews and Eric Celler of 食色视频's Bagwell Center will lead these sessions.

    What impact do these practices have on our own lives and the world?  What can we learn, to ensure we are global citizens who make sound decisions and protect people and our planet?


    Film Screening of Kemtiyu, Cheikh Anta

    Date: Wednesday, November 1

    Location: Social Sciences Building, Room 1019 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 6:00-9:00 pm

    As seen at the African Film Festival in 2020, the film Kemtiyu, Cheikh Anta focuses on the life of Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop.  The documentary will challenge viewers to consider the relationship between many elements of human existence: science and history, geography and identity, and political context and research.

    Diop's educational background and experiences will leave you in awe. Studying at the Sorbonne and translating Einstein's theory of relativity into his native language are just two uncommon facets of his story. His influence on cross-cultural dialogue was unparalleled - - his life will challenge and inspire you!

    Join Radow College faculty member Dr. Seneca Vaught, who will lead the review of the film.  Snacks will be available.

    Kemtiyu Film Screening

    Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye (Kaolack)

    Sage: Performances with Senegalese Artist in Residence Kaolack (Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye)

    Dates: Friday and Saturday, November 10 & 11

    Location:  食色视频 Dance Theatre (Marietta Campus)

    Time: 8:00 pm

    Kaolack (Pape Ibrahima Ndiaye) is a contemporary Senegalese dance artist with a substantial history as a performer, choreographer, and teacher. He trained with and performed in Senegal鈥檚 premier contemporary African dance company Jant Bi, directed by the 鈥渕other of contemporary African dance鈥 Germaine Acogny. He also performed with contemporary dance luminary nora chipaumire (who hails from Zimbabwe and has performed and created work internationally for decades). Kaolack is currently completing his MFA at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and has created works with undergraduate students across the U.S.  Kaolack鈥檚 approach to contemporary concert dance brings an innovative and important new perspective to 食色视频's dance department. 

    The 食色视频 community will be able to enjoy the results of Kaolack's original choreography, created with 食色视频 students over four weeks while he serves as an artist in residence.  Dance assistant professor Dasha Chapman oversees this collaboratory experience.

    Tickets can be purchased on the College of the Arts website.

    Read more about the event here.


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    Taste of Senegal: Spring Semester Kickoff for the "Year of Senegal"

    NEW Date: Wednesday, January 24, 2024

    Location:  Wilson Student Center (Marietta Campus)

    Time: 2:00-5:00 pm

    Taste food and beverages from Senegal and enter to win prizes!  Find out more about which is often considered the most dangerous race in the world (and for good reason)! Learn more about this historic two-week race that ended in Dakar, Senegal for 29 years and now continues in Saudi Arabia after a few rallies in other locations.

    鈥淭he Fabric of Family: The Cultural Economy of Clothes and Fashion in Senegalese Society鈥- AND -鈥淪o You Can Still Dance?鈥 Women, Family, and Performance in a Transnational Griot Family- Presented by Dr. Marame Gueye (COTA鈥檚 2024 Distinguished Lecturer)

    Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024

    Location:  Dance Department, 1200 Chastain Pointe, Suite 300 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: Workshops at 9:30 am and 12:30 pm; Program at 4pm

    FEATURING: Dr. Marame Gueye is an Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Literatures at East Carolina University. She is a Senegalese American Feminist whose work focuses on the verbal art of women, gender, hip-hop, and migrations. She is a scholar-activist of women鈥檚 rights in Senegal and its diaspora. 

    WORKSHOPS: 9:30 am and 12:30 pm 

    鈥淭he Fabric of Family: The Cultural Economy of Clothes and Fashion in Senegalese Society鈥

    In fall 2022, Dr. Gueye challenged herself to wear African and African-inspired outfits whenever she taught. The challenge allowed her to engage with her students and colleagues beyond her anticipation. It proved to be an effective tool to lift certain stereotypes of Africa, while sharing the role of fashion and fabric in Senegalese social relations. Hear firsthand about this experience and see some of her outfits.

    LECTURE: 4:00 pm 

    鈥淪o You Can Still Dance?鈥 Women, Family, and Performance in a Transnational Griot Family 

    This lecture centers on women's verbal art in the Saloum region of Senegal. Hear how song and dance constitute heirlooms passed down between generations of women. Looking at how griotte women produce and share traditional music emphasizes what it means to be a griotte (keeper of performance traditions) in modern-day Senegal and how issues of migration, belonging, and education intersect within one family whose primary role is to produce music and entertain. 

    This program is sponsored by 食色视频's College of the Arts Distinguished Lecture Series.

    M Gueye
    blackwomanpoetry

    Interpretive Poetry Reading: "Black Poetry, Black Performance, Black Politics: A Poetic History of Senegal and Black America"

    Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024

    Location: Prillaman Hall, Room 1101 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Join us for an interactive poetry reading based on, or inspired by, various lines of poetry from Leopold Senghor's work matched with lines from Black American poets, contemporary rap lyrics, and/or elaborated upon in original pieces, as shared by 食色视频 students and community members in an open mic session.  

    This program is hosted by 食色视频's Department of English, the Interdisciplinary Studies Department, and the Black Studies Program.

    "Brotherhood" Book Club

    Date: Friday, February 16, 2024

    Location:  ALC 4201 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 3:00-4:30 pm

    食色视频's Center for Africana Studies (CAS) is hosting its annual book club, featuring "Brotherhood" written by Senegalese author MOHAMED MBOUGAR SARR. Faculty, staff, and students are asked to get their free book, read it before February 16, and join the group (and hopefully the author) for discussion on February 16. Twenty (20) free books are available.

    Sign up

    brotherhood
    cheik

    Knowledge=Power

    Date: Tuesday, February 27, 2024

    Location: Social Sciences Building, 1019 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 3:30-4:30 pm

    Race, the arts, humanities, and STEM, focusing on the life of Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop and the connection he made between various fields of study.

    As seen at the African Film Festival in 2020, the film Kemtiyu, Cheikh Anta focuses on the life of Senegalese scholar Cheikh Anta Diop.  This discussion of his life and the documentary will be led by 食色视频 faculty from a variety of disciplines.  The panel will challenge participants to reflect on Cheikh Anta Diop's work and the relationship he considered between many elements of human existence: science and history, geography and identity, and political context and research.

    This panel is hosted by 食色视频's Interdisciplinary Studies Department and the Black Studies Program.

    Senegal's Musical and Cultural Diversity

    Date: Friday, March 1, 2024

    Location:  Morgan Concert Hall, Bailey Performance Center (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 11:15 am

    Oumar Traore is a contemporary Senegalese musician, performer, band leader, composer, producer, sound engineer, and teacher with thirty years of experience in live band performance and an unparalleled background in musicology, culture, and various ethnic musical genres in Senegal and The Gambia.  

    This presentation will introduce you to Senegalese musical traditions, and will broaden your knowledge and understanding of the style and structure of West African music.

    This session is co-hosted by the Dr. Bobbie Bailey School of Music and Norman J. Radow College of Humanities & Social Sciences.

    percussion
    lesenegal

    QUATRE-HEURES: Le S茅n茅gal

    Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024

    Location:  Carmichael Student Center, 205 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 4:00-5:00 pm

    As part of National Francophonie Month, 食色视频's Department of World Languages and Cultures is hosting QUATRE-HEURES: Le S茅n茅gal.

    We will explore S茅n茅gal in French and in English. All are welcome for this cultural discussion led by Dr. Cherif Diop, Senegalese by birth and 食色视频 Professor of English.

    Dr. No毛lle Brown, Senior Lecturer of French is leading the event.

    食色视频's Symposium on Alcohol Policy and Research in West Africa with a Focus on Senegal

    Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Location:  Prillaman Indoor Plaza (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

    West Africa is a region with high alcohol burden, but with limited research and fragmented policies.  This panel will be discussing alcohol policies and interventions and whether they have the desired effects, especially with a reported rise in alcohol use among youth in Senegal.

    The symposium is co-hosted by Dr. Monica Swahn, Dean of Wellstar College of Health and Human Services and Professor of Health Promotion and Physical Education AND Dr. Brandon Lundy, Chair of the Department of Geography and Anthropology and Professor of Anthropology.

    alcohol
    Pape Moussa

    Recognizing the Movement in Social Movement: Culture, History, and Healing in Senegalese Dance and Drum (Dance/Movement Workshop)

    Date: Tuesday, April 2, 2024

    Location: Social Science Building, Room 4060 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 12:30-1:45 pm

    Join dancer, choreographer, and artistic director Pape Moussa for a discussion and workshop about the role of dance and music in Senegal as a key vehicle to transmit culture, build community, and affirm identity. An expert in his craft, Pape Moussa has performed nationally in Senegal and around the world, carrying the rich traditions and contemporary innovations in Senegalese popular performance.

    This event is hosted by 食色视频鈥檚 Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, in collaboration with 食色视频鈥檚 Department of Dance.

    A Taste of Senegal

    Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024

    Time: 12 pm-Sold Out

    Location:  The Commons and Stingers

    With a quick swipe, you can sample some Senegalese food and get a little "taste" of this African country, along with your meal! No additional meal plan entries required.

    doughnut
    Days of Service

    食色视频 Day of Service: Books for Africa

    Date: Friday, April 5, 2024

    Location: Books for Africa Warehouse. Volunteers will take a shuttle from the 食色视频 or Marietta Campus.

    Time: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

    As part of 食色视频鈥檚 10th annual event, we鈥檒l be hosting the Books For Africa project! All volunteer slots for this event are currently full. Please visit to register for other open service opportunities. 

    Khaware (Xaware): Year of Senegal Spring Ceremony hosted by 食色视频's College of the Arts

    Date: Saturday, April 6, 2024

    Location:  Bailey Performance Center (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 8:00 pm

    The Department of Dance will present Khaware (Xaware), directed by Dasha Chapman and Teresa Howard. This celebration of African dance features sabar, a Sengalese dance form accompanied by drumming. The 食色视频 Percussion Ensemble, directed by John Lawless, will accompany the dancers with traditional Senegalese rhythms, using authentic instruments for this performance. Immerse yourself in an evening of total theatre with Khaware (Xaware).

    Tickets are required for this performance. Please contact the COTA Box Office for more information or purchase tickets .

    percussion
    Temple

    Senegal: A Tradition of Sufism

    Date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024

    Location:  Prillaman Hall, 2204 (食色视频 Campus)

    Time: 11:00 am - 1:30 pm

    Join Professor Souleymane Bachir Diagne the Director of the Institute of African Studies at Columbia University, as he discusses Muslim Brotherhoods and Sufism in Senegal. 

    This program is hosted by 食色视频's Center for Africana Studies (CAS).

    The GOATS are baaaaa-ck!

    Dates: Monday, April 22 (K) and Thursday, April 25 (M), 2024

    Locations:  

    4/22 - Campus Green (食色视频 Campus)

    4/25 - K Field (Marietta Campus)

    Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Get ready to pet some goats, take fun photos, and learn about this animal's role in Senegalese culture AND in U.S. sustainability practices as part of the Year of Senegal and Earth Week!

    This event is hosted by 食色视频's Department of Sustainability and Global Education.

    goatprofile
 

 

Senegal Exhibit

In collaboration with 食色视频's Museums, Archives, and Rare Books (MARB) and Professor Adina Langer鈥檚 Museum鈥檚 Exhibitions (HIST 4427) class, the Year of Senegal has developed a set of introductory exhibit panels to give a general overview of the country of study, including definitions, images, and historical figures, with additional context provided below.  食色视频 Global Education wants to thank the following students for their contributions to the exhibit panels:  Carson McCullough, Clifton West, Colin Malek, Logan Disher, Malika David, Michelle Sallie, PJ Skinner, Rafael Dixon, Reagan Earnhart, and Sierra Mchugh-Bryan. 

The Year of Senegal panels can be viewed outside the Global Education offices (Academic Learning Center, 5th floor, Suite 5625).  Below you will find supplemental terms, locations, and figures that are bolded on the panels.

  • A short tree with a thick trunk and edible fruit native to Africa and Australia. Senegalese people have traditionally considered baobab trees to be sacred. People take special care of these trees in Senegalese villages, often asking the spirit of the tree for good fortune, health, or success.
  • An ethnic group in Sahel and West Africa that dispersed across the region traditionally consisting of semi-sedentary/ semi-nomadic people. Their history dates back to the 5th century CE.
  • An ethnic group found throughout Senegal, but especially in the Lower Casamance region. They are one of the oldest indigenous peoples in the Senegambia region.
  • A language adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different. The etymology of the term derives from a common language spoken by people around the Levant and eastern Mediterranean Sea to support commerce and diplomacy from the late medieval era to the 18th century. 
  • Built of red terra cotta around 1776 as a holding place for enslaved people waiting to be transported across the Atlantic Ocean, the Mason des Esclaves has served as a museum telling the story of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade since 1962. In 2015 the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience agreed to oversee the revitalization of the museum with a focus on engaging visitors in dialogue based on up-to-date historical interpretation.
  • Fashion label owned and operated by Adama Amanda Ndiaye, a Senegalese fashion designer. Her pieces are manufactured in Morocco and sold around the world including in New York, Tokyo, London, and Paris. 
  • Literally the quality or fact of being of Black African origin, but used colloquially to mean affirmation or consciousness of the value of Black or African culture, heritage, and identity.
  • Intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. 
  • Senegalese poet and storyteller whose work promoted interest in African folktales around the world. 
  • The Wolof word for family deriving from the concept of "people with whom you share.
  • The largest ethnic group found in northwestern Senegal, the Gambia, and southwestern coastal Mauritania. A Wolof empire thrived on the coast of West Africa between the Senegal and Gambia rivers from the mid-14th to the mid-16th centuries CE.

  • The third largest ethnic group in Senegal, making up 15% of the Senegalese population. The traditional Serer religion focuses on ancestral spirits and reincarnation.
  • Historical name for the geographical region in West Africa that lies between the Senegal River in the north and the Gambia River in the south.
  • A segment of the global slave trade that transported between 10 and 12 million enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americans between the 16th and 19th centuries.

     

  • The first high-end shopping center of its kind in West Africa, Sea Plaza Dakar hosts more than 70 shops and restaurants with an emphasis on internationally known branded outlets. 
  • Senegalese fashion designer originally from Guinea with an accessories label known as Kakinbow. He is best known for his Touki (meaning "traveler in Wolof" bags made with local mud cloth and his poncho wraps made in earth-tones inspired by the region. 
  • Senegalese poet, politician, and cultural theorist who became the first president of Senegal (1960 - 1980). Senghor was an African socialist and proponent of African culture and empowerment within French-African relations.
  • Senegalese historian, anthropologist, physician, and politician whose studies focused on the origins of humanity in pre-colonial Africa. 
  • Roughly translated as "good hospitality," Teranga emphasizes the warmth, generosity, and sharing that Senegal is known for, as it integrates their culture.