Upendo. Love: One Beat, One University.
2015 marks the 37th year of the annual African American Heritage Festival! This year’s festival will center around the word “Upendo,” which is the Swahili word for love. The Festival has historically been a venue of celebration, education and collaboration for African American students as well as the general student population.
Presented by the Student Life Multicultural Center and with the help of numerous other university departments, the African American Heritage Festival offers plenty of fun activities. Please see their schedule for a full list.
The African American Heritage Festival last year (2014).
Formerly known as the “block party,” the African American Heritage Festival began in the late 1970’s as a day for students to come together in celebration of the school year’s end. Originally held outside the Drake Union, various venues from all areas of campus began to hold events as the popularity of the festival grew. In fact, Keith B. Key was a driving force behind the early development and growth of the Festival. His name now graces the Keith B. Key Center for Student Leadership and Service in the Ohio Union.
A performance at the AAHF.
We’re looking forward to another year in this great Buckeye tradition! Stay connected with all the fun by following the festival on Twitter at @OSUAAHF.
If you have any questions or want to share your experience with the African American Heritage Festival, feel free to leave us a comment!