Dr. Samuel Nyamuame, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and Dance at Binghamton University, will be brought students from his African Music and Dance class to perform for the elementary students on February 24 for a special assembly honoring Black History Month.
Taking the stage for a quick presentation before the music and dance demonstration, Dr. Nyamuame asked the students to think about the legacy of Africans and African Americans through music and dance. He reflected on the importance of Black History Month, and talked to the African Road students about other famous legacies, including that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior. His sons, Ethan and Ellis, came on stage with the flag of Ghana as their father explained what the colors of his home country's flag meant - Red symbolized the bloodshed of his ancestors to gain independence. Yellow represented the mineral resources of the land, such as gold, diamonds, and bauxite. Green stands for agriculture and vegetation. The black star in the middle, he said, symbolizes the hope for the black people to rise again.
After his presentation, Dr. Nyamuame introduced the first dance, and the Binghamton University students took the stage in traditional costumes as other students played African drum music. For the last dance, African Road students and staff were invited to come on stage and dance along!
Dr. Nyamuame, a 2020 Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow, will open the assembly with a short PowerPoint for the students. Then, his Binghamton University students will present a few traditional African dances. There will also be an opportunity for a small number of African Road students and teachers to come on stage to learn some movements.